Everything you need to know about shea butter (shea butter)
Do your hands feel tight after washing up, or do your heels snag on your tights? You may already have seen the name shea butter on your hand cream. Let’s start with what shea butter does for your skin and hair.
In brief
- Shea butter is a plant butter.
- It is pressed from the kernels inside the shea tree’s nuts.
- It melts between your fingers and softens dry skin.
- It cares for dry lips, hands, heels and hair ends.
What is shea butter?
Shea butter is a solid plant fat from the kernels inside the shea tree’s nuts. The tree grows in sub-Saharan Africa. Traditionally, the kernels are roasted and pressed to extract the fat.1
Whether the jar says shea butter or sheabutter, it means the same thing. In French, it is called karité, and on the ingredients list you’ll find it as Butyrospermum Parkii Butter.
Shea butter is rich in the fatty acids oleic acid and stearic acid, and contains roughly equal amounts of the two. It is solid in the jar. Raw shea butter melts between your fingers because its melting point is around 32 degrees.2
You may have eaten it, too. The solid part of shea butter can replace cocoa butter in chocolate.2
What is shea butter good for?
Shea butter softens dry skin, lips and hair. That’s why you’ll often find it in nourishing balms, lip balms and creams for dry skin.
- Dry skin: feels supple and well cared for.
- Lips, hands and heels: feel softer when the skin is dry and rough.
- Dry hair: softer, more supple lengths and ends.
Shea butter for skin and face
After a hot bath or a day in the cold wind, your skin may feel tight. Shea butter forms a thin, soft layer that helps the skin retain moisture. Rough areas feel softer and more supple.
Good to know
Shea butter does not itself add water to the skin. It locks in the moisture already there. Apply it to slightly damp skin or over your moisturiser.
You can also use shea butter on your face, especially when your skin is dry. In a face cream, shea butter is mixed with lighter ingredients. This makes the cream feel less greasy than pure shea butter. If you have oily or blemish-prone skin, pure shea butter may feel too greasy. Use it on your body and lips instead.
Struggling with dry skin? We’ve gathered our advice in the guide which cream is best for dry skin.
Can you be allergic to shea butter?
Shea butter has been assessed as safe in the amounts used in cosmetics.4 A few people have developed an allergy after using shea butter on their lips.5 Stop if your skin becomes red or itchy.
Talk to your doctor
Shea butter comes from a nut. If you have a nut allergy, check the ingredients list and ask your doctor before using care products with shea butter. If your skin stays red or itchy, talk to your doctor as well.
Shea butter for lips, hands and heels
When it gets cold, your lips, rough knuckles and dry heels may need a little extra care. A rich cream or lip balm with shea butter can make a difference. Use the lip balm several times a day. Avoid picking at or scrubbing your lips when they are chapped. If you’re going out in the sun, choose a lip balm with SPF.
Take a couple of minutes for yourself in the evening and give your hands and heels a little extra care before bed.
- Wash your hands and feet, and pat your skin almost dry.
- Warm a small dab of balm between your palms until it softens.
- Massage it in, especially on knuckles, cuticles and heels.
- Sleep with cotton gloves or socks on to keep the balm on your skin.
Shea butter in hair
Shea butter also cares for hair and makes dry lengths soft and supple.4 In West Africa, shea butter has long been used to care for skin, scalp and hair.3 Shea butter is especially suited to thick, curly or frizzy hair.
Warm a pea-sized dab between your palms and work it through your lengths and ends. If you have fine hair, shea butter can quickly make it feel heavy. A light oil may be better suited to your hair.
What is body butter good for?
Body butter is a thick, rich cream that often contains plant butter, such as shea butter. Body lotion contains more water. It is therefore lighter and absorbs more quickly.
Use body lotion when you want light care for your whole body. Choose the richer cream for dry shins, elbows and knees. Massage in a body butter in the evening and take a little moment for yourself before bed. At ECOOKING, you’ll find shea butter in body lotion, balm and hand cream.
Myth or fact?
Shea butter and sheabutter are two different things.
Myth. They are the same plant butter.
Shea butter itself adds water to the skin.
Myth. It does not itself add water, but helps the skin retain the moisture it has.
The thicker the layer, the better.
Myth. A thin layer is enough. If you apply a thicker layer, the excess butter will remain on the skin.
Shea butter is vegan.
Fact. Shea butter is a plant fat. Check the product description to see whether the entire product is vegan.
Raw, refined or organic shea butter?
When you buy pure shea butter, the jar often says raw, unrefined, refined or organic. These words tell you about how the trees are grown and how the butter is made and smells.
- Raw or unrefined: The butter is pressed and not purified afterwards. It therefore retains its colour and slightly nutty scent.
- Refined: The butter is purified, bleached and deodorised. It keeps for a long time, but some of the substances naturally found in shea butter are lost in the process.2
- Organic: This describes how the trees are grown, but not how the butter feels on the skin.
- Shea oil: The liquid part of shea butter, separated from the solid part. It is easy to spread and widely used in cosmetics.2
Choose whichever you prefer to use. Choose raw shea butter if you like the slightly nutty scent. If you prefer shea butter without a scent, refined shea butter is a better fit.
When does shea butter do the most for dry skin?
- On slightly damp skin or over moisturiser
- On completely dry skin in the morning
- Only with a scrub
Shea butter locks in the moisture in your skin. That’s why it works best when your skin is slightly damp.
How much should you use in your hair?
- A pea-sized dab
- A generous handful
- Enough to cover the entire scalp
A small dab is enough for your lengths and ends. Too much makes hair heavy.
You have fine hair. What do you choose?
- Pure shea butter all over your hair
- A light oil on the ends
- Shea butter on the scalp
Shea butter can quickly make fine hair feel heavy. A light oil may therefore be a better fit.
Our care products with shea butter
At ECOOKING, we don’t sell pure shea butter. You’ll find it in our Multi Balm, lip balms, hand cream and face creams, among other products. Massage the balm into dry hands and heels before bed. And if you’re not happy with your care product, you have our 100 % satisfaction guarantee.
Multi Balm
Fragrance-free balm for very dry skin that restores the skin barrier and soot...
Vegan lip balm and lip mask with fruit fragrance
Strawberry Bomb and Black Cherry Bomb give lips moisture and shine all day an...
Hand cream for dry hands
Hand Cream 01 softens dry hands and absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy ...
24 Hour Cream
Fragrance-free moisturiser for dry and sensitive skin that moisturises for up...
Want to compare shea butter with oils and other types of plant butter? Compare oils for the skin.
Frequently asked questions
What does shea butter mean?
Shea butter is a solid plant fat from the nuts of the shea tree. On the ingredients list, it is called Butyrospermum Parkii Butter.
What is shea butter good for?
It softens dry skin and is especially good for lips, hands, heels and dry hair ends. That’s why you’ll often find it in nourishing balms, lip balms and creams.
Is shea butter good for skin?
Yes, especially for dry skin. It forms a soft layer on the skin and helps it retain moisture.
How do you use shea butter?
Warm a small dab between your fingers and massage it into slightly damp skin. A pea-sized dab is enough for the lengths of your hair.
Can you use shea butter on your face?
Yes, if your skin is dry. If you have oily or blemish-prone skin, a lighter cream is often more comfortable.
Can you eat shea butter?
Shea fat is used in food and chocolate, but shea butter for skin and hair is made for care, not for eating.
What is the difference between body butter and body lotion?
Body butter is thicker and richer than body lotion and is suited to the driest areas of skin. Body lotion contains more water, is lighter and absorbs more quickly.
Sources
- Honfo FG et al. Nutritional composition of shea products and chemical properties of shea butter: a review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2014. PubMed
- Abdel-Razek AG et al. Effect of Refining and Fractionation Processes on Minor Components, Fatty Acids, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Shea Butter. Foods. 2023. PubMed
- Ayanlowo O et al. Shea butter as skin, scalp, and hair moisturizer in Nigerians. Dermatologic Therapy. 2021. PubMed
- Burnett CL et al. Safety Assessment of Butyrospermum parkii (Shea)-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics. International Journal of Toxicology. 2024. PubMed
- Castelain F et al. Contact allergy to Butyrospermum parkii butter in a patient with cheilitis. Contact Dermatitis. 2024. PubMed
