The Wonderful Benefits of Shea Butter
Shea Butter Shea butter is a naturally derived fat extracted from the nuts of the African shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa). Loaded with vitamins and fatty acids, shea butter has been used for centuries by Africans for its abundance of skin and hair benefits. Let's take a deeper look into this wonder plant product. Origin and Extraction of Shea Butter Shea butter comes from shea trees that are mainly found in the semi-arid regions of West and Central Africa, particularly in Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin, and Ivory Coast. These tree nuts grow inside pods much like mangoes and are collected when they fall to the ground during the harvest season between May and September. The nuts are then sun-dried, roasted, and crushed to extract the solid fatty portions known as shea kernels. These kernels are then boiled, stirred, and cooled to allow the fat to rise to the surface and solidify. The raw shea butter is then collected, molded into shapes, and allowed to ferment for a few months. ...