Shea butter has been used for centuries by African men and women to promote healthy skin and hair. Over the past couple of decades, manufacturers of skin and hair care products in the United States have caught on to the many benefits it provides. But what many don’t know is that there are substantial differences and benefits in the types of shea butter that is avaliable on the marketplace.
There are two main categories of shea butter: refined and unrefined. Refined shea butter is typically odorless and white. The majority of shea butter distributed through mainstream channels distribute refined shea butter, which is processed in highly mechanized seed oil refineries in Europe and Asia. These refineries chemically extract the shea oil using dangerous petroleum by-products like hexane, a known carcinogen and classified as a hazardous substance by the Environmental Protection Agency. Refined shea butter is also subjected to extremely high heat in the refining process, which eliminates the naturally occurring essential fatty acids and proteins that are so beneficial for skin and hair care.
Unrefined shea butter is the shea butter produced exclusively by women in Africa. The women do not use harmaful chemicals, but employ a tradition, passed down from mother to daughter, to hand extract the high quality natural shea butter contained in the shea seeds. Unrefined shea butter retains all its natural vitamins, especially vitamin A and vitamin E. Consumers of natural unrefined shea butter reap the full spectrum of benefits it offers including moisturizing, skin cell renewal, UV protection, antioxidants, and wrinkle reducer. Although, unrefined shea butter has its own distinct aroma, it should never be off putting and if you smell a strong pungent odor you most likely have rancid shea butter. High quality unrefined shea butter has a soft nutty aroma that when applied to your skin disappears within minutes. Due to the wonderful qualites of unrefined shea butter, and its connection to economic empowerment of women in Africa, it is the best option for consumers.
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