Perhaps not in the world of such a person who would not know about the beneficial properties of various oils. Not only do we eat the usual butter or sunflower oil every day, a huge amount of other oils are also contained in cosmetic preparations, medicines and even as part of household chemicals.
Surely, you noticed the inscriptions on face creams, shampoos and hair masks, dishwashing liquid that indicate that there are different oils in the composition of these products. And although often these inscriptions are only a way to attract customers, and not a true fact, one way or another, we pay attention to them. And all because every lady wants her face and body skin to be well-groomed, her hands are soft, and her hair is thick and strong. In many ways, we can help ourselves in solving these problems: we just need to purchase vegetable oil and add it to homemade cosmetics made for ourselves. Today we will talk about shea butter, which may well be your assistant in the struggle for the perfect beauty of the body and hair.
How to get shea butter?
You will be surprised, but shea butter (otherwise it is called shea butter) is obtained in a not entirely traditional way. We are accustomed to the fact that mineral, essential and vegetable oils are produced by extraction or spin. But shea butter is boiled.
Shea tree traditionally grows in hot African countries, so the oil from its fruits are usually made by hand. First, ripe and fallen fruits are collected, put in huge baskets, after which they need to be buried in the ground for up to two weeks. This is necessary so that the fruits rot, leaving behind only the bones.
Then, the inner seeds are first boiled so that they do not give sprouts, and then they are fried, you won’t believe, about 4 days continuously. Thus, the bones will be stored for a long time and will not deteriorate.
Next, the seeds have to go through a long process before they turn into an aromatic and healthy oil:
• First, the upper shell is removed from them, then crushed and long fry,
• After roasting, they are pushed apart in huge stupas to the consistency of a taut paste,
• Now several women are connected to the process at the same time, as the paste is too laborious for one worker. In the paste all the time, add a little water and mix thoroughly,
• This is followed by a process of washing and boiling out the paste. To get a clean oil, boil a thick mixture and remove the top layer.
As you understand, the production of shea butter is a hard work that is performed by several people at once. That is why real oil can not be too cheap.
Let's talk about the properties of shea butter
Of course, in view of the 100% naturalness of shea butter base, the number of useful properties just rolls over it. Here are just a few points:
1. First of all, shea butter is famous for its cosmetic characteristics, which are successfully used by cosmetologists and manufacturers of products that care for the skin of the face, body and hair. Oil softens the skin, smoothes wrinkles, relieves peeling and irritation. It perfectly interacts with essential and other vegetable oils, so you can combine several oils in one mask at once.
2. Shea butter perfectly heals wounds, cracks and scratches, without leaving even a hint of a scar after such damage. Not without reason, African women themselves often use this oil to treat various kinds of inflammatory processes on the skin.
3. Without danger, you can apply this oil even in newborn babies and women with very sensitive and thin skin.
4. Shea butter soothes pain during injuries and sprains, soothes irritated skin in areas with the greatest interaction with the environment, such as elbows, knees and heels.
5. They can process and treat thermal and sunburn.
6. This oil perfectly helps people suffering from dermatological problems (like psoriasis, eczema or dermatitis), frequent edema and acne.
7. It will help strengthen the nail plate and make your nails strong, healthy, eliminate stratification.
8. Irreplaceable shea butter is also suitable for hair, because it will help get rid of dandruff and itching of the scalp, restore hair structure and prevent hair loss.
Naturally, shea butter has some contraindications. For example, it is not recommended to use it for women who have an allergic reaction to latex. The composition of the oil has very little latex, so for women who are sensitive to this ingredient, it is better to avoid interaction with shea butter.
How should I apply shea butter?
You can talk endlessly about such "usefulness" of shea butter, but it is better to simply buy it and try it right away. The simplest thing you can do is massage the skin on your face and hands with a piece of oil. Even after two or three days of application, positive changes can be noted: the skin will become smoother, softer and more hydrated. At the same time shea butter does not leave any oily film on the skin
There are several methods of exploiting shea butter. For example, it is often used in its pure form, complementing the mask for the face or hair. Due to its light consistency, this oil is easily washed off, without weighing down the hair, but at the same time it has a good effect on the skin of the head. Natural, environmentally friendly, organic oil will take care of your hair, hands, legs and face like no other care product. You can try to add it to the mask, diluting with olive, almond or grape seed oil. You can also combine lightly heated shea butter with other ingredients, such as avocado pulp, lemon juice, oatmeal, honey, and dairy products. On the basis of such components it is recommended to create excellent masks, gommazhi, scrubs and emulsions for the face.
It is also allowed to beat the shea butter. In this case, it becomes viscous and elastic, quite suitable for self-creating lip balms. In winter, in windy and frosty weather, shea butter balm will become your constant companion. In addition, shea butter is often exploited for making soap with their own hands (soap making), as well as during the creation of cosmetics (creams, washing gels and light tonic).
How does shea butter affect skin?
Owners of sensitive skin type is the most suitable way for shea butter. Without fear, it is possible to cover the areas around the eyes and lips, since it has such a mild effect that it does not irritate even so thin skin. Include it in the mask, or make a karite butter cream with your own hands, and the effect will not keep you waiting too long. In addition, a lot of oil you do not need, so this cosmetic product will cost several times cheaper than the cream purchased in the store.
For example, try to make your own shea butter care cream. It's not at all difficult, take:
• 2 teaspoons full of shea butter,
• One teaspoon of extra oil (jojoba, almond or coconut),
• Slightly heat the composition in a water bath and add 1-2 drops of rosemary and rosewood essential oils,
• Stir the mixture well with 2 tsp. baby cream without impurities.
After all the manipulations, it is necessary to remove the mass in the refrigerator for 1 hour and subsequently also keep the cream in a cool and dark place, avoiding contact with ultraviolet radiation.
If you do not have a protective lotion on hand on a hot day, and you really want to sunbathe, rub the skin on your face (cheekbones, nose bridge, forehead and chin) with shea butter and you will not burn under any circumstances. The same applies to frosty weather: before leaving the house, apply a little shea butter under makeup, and you are not afraid of a cold wind anymore.
Shea Butter for Hair: The Perfect Caregiver
Since the composition of Shea butter already contains useful vitamins A, E and F, it makes no sense to add them in the form of capsules or solutions. But it makes sense to create your own hands an amazing mask on the basis of shea butter, complementing it with nutrients for the care and maintenance of the color of colored hair. It will return the hair elasticity and shine, restore damaged hairs and eliminate the section.
Here is a mask that will be useful to you for permanent use (not everyday):
• 2 tbsp. l raisins
• Half a glass of water
• Honey - 1 tsp.
• Yolk,
• Shea butter - 1 tbsp. l
First you should make a decoction of raisins. To do this, pour the fruits with half a glass of water and cook for about 10 minutes over low heat, then infuse the broth for at least 2 hours. You can make it in advance, for example, in the evening, and in the morning pour out the decoction and use it to make a mask.
Now add broiled raisins, shea butter, honey and yolk to the broth (2-3 tbsp.). Cover the hair and scalp with this composition, wrap with plastic wrap and towel and wait 1 hour. Now you can wash off the mask and use your standard shampoo.
Another great tonic that helps to cope with the problem of hair loss is wrapping it with shea butter. To do this, you need to prepare a pure oil, pour it into the palm of your hand and well grease the skin of the head and hair along the entire length. After that, take a thick towel, soak it in hot water, squeeze it hard and wrap your head for half an hour. Alternatively, a towel can not wet, and iron it with an iron at a maximum temperature of about 3-5 minutes. Exposure to heat and nourishing oil perfectly strengthens the hair, preventing hair loss and brittleness.
Shea Butter Body Care
Shea butter also helps in body care, because its capabilities are not limited to exposure to the skin of the face and hair. Coffee scrubs with shea butter - this is an excellent prevention of cellulite, and in addition you can use crushed rice grains, oatmeal and sea salt. Very well help to moisturize dry and irritated skin wraps with honey and butter, but if you want to tighten and rejuvenate the skin, try to combine shea butter with dark chocolate.
Feel free to add shea butter to body lotion. With this tool you can visit the pool and sunbathe on the beach, without fear of a feeling of tightness and irritation. After the pool you need to take a shower and grease the skin with plenty of lotion with the addition of 1 tablespoon of pure oil. The same method is used as a tool after tanning.
This versatile ingredient combines perfectly with other ingredients and protects your skin. If you do not have an allergic reaction to latex, feel free to buy shea butter, because caring cosmetics can be quite inexpensive, but at the same time take care of your skin as well as expensive products.
