What is shea butter?
Shea butter (also known as Karité butter) is an ivory-coloured fat extracted from the nut of the shea tree native to West Africa. It contains a high concentration of vitamins and fatty acids that soothe and condition the skin. Technically speaking, shea butter is a tree nut product; however, it contains very few of the proteins associated with allergies.
Shea butter contains a wide range of fatty acids, including linoleic, palmitic, stearic and oleic acids. These rapidly penetrate skin to replace moisture and restore lipids and reinforce skin’s natural barrier to protect against water loss. As shea butter is solid at room temperature and liquifies at body temperature, it melts into your skin and becomes completely absorbed, so it emolliates skin without leaving a greasy layer.
When applied to skin, the plant esters in shea butter inhibit cytokines, which helps reduce inflammation. Shea butter contains significant levels of vitamins A and E, both of which work as antioxidants to protect your skin from environmental aggressors.
As shea butter contains oleic acid, a saturated fatty acid which is highly compatible with our skin’s natural oils, it is more easily absorbed by skin. It is also said to help other ingredients to be more easily absorbed by skin.
Facetheory’s shea butter has an exceptionally high triterpene content (50 percent, as compared with standard shea butter, which contains between 4 percent and 6 percent). This type of shea butter has been proven to increase the thickness of the epidermal layer by 25 percent and to increase collagen concentration by deactivating MMP-3 genes.
Is shea butter suitable for my skin type?
Shea butter is compatible with all skin types, including sensitive skin.
Can shea butter be used alongside other products?
Shea butter works well in combination with other products. It is safe for use alongside other key actives and aids in the absorption of other skin care ingredients.
How often should I apply shea butter?
You will see the best results if you regularly apply a product containing shea butter.
Facetheory’s Rejuvenating Moisturiser M2 contains shea butter, cocoa butter, vitamins B5 and C, and hyaluronic acid to hydrate skin and protect against water loss while brightening and evening out your complexion. It is formulated especially for dry or sensitive skin and can be used twice a day.
Our Lipabalm Bioactive Lip Balm BM1 is a hydrating vegan lip balm free of petroleum and beeswax. It contains shea butter, raspberry seed extract and Gromwell root to smooth and emolliate dry lips and dehydrated skin on your hands and body and can be applied throughout the day.
