Shea Butter Review

Overview

Shea Butter has been used by women in Africa as a skin and body product for thousands of years. Shea Butter is a slightly yellowish fatty extract from the Shea Tree. The extract is said to contain a number of important ingredients which are beneficial for the skin. Shea Butter is also edible and is used as a cooking oil in Africa. As a result of the beneficial properties for skin that Shea Butter posseses it is sold as a face cream that has anti-aging properties and also used as an ingredient in anti-aging creams.

Product Details

Shea Butter is rich in Lineolic Acid and Vitamin E. Vitamin E provides important antioxidant properties and Lineolic Acid is an essential fatty acid. We know that antioxidants and essential fatty acids are important for the skin. Shea Butter is also said to have anti-inflammatory qualities and to provide natural protection against UV rays. It is smooth and soft, with a pleasant smell and is said to be a good moisturizer for the skin. A number of women prefer to use Shea Butter on their face as it is 100% natural.

The Good

• Shea butter is available to be purchased on line.
• Shea butter is a natural product.
• Shea Butter has a pleasant smell and is smooth and soft, which means that many find it pleasant to put on the skin.

The Bad

• There have been no long term standardized controlled trials of Shea Butter that provide proof that it does actually have anti-aging benefits and most of it’s popularity is anecdotal.
• Although Shea Butter does provide Ultra Violet protection it is minimal. Even if you use Shea Butter on your skin you will still also need to use a sunscreen that gives sufficient Ultra Violet protection.
• Some users may not find the scent or texture of shea butter very appealing.
• Shea Butter is probably better at moisturizing or as an anti-stretch mark treatment than at eradicating and diminishing wrinkles.

The Bottom Line

More and more women are becoming interested in healing substances for the skin which have been used in ancient and traditional cultures. Certainly Shea Butter fits this bill. Due to its healing and soothing properties, if you have patches of dry skin on your face or body, or suffer from psoriasis or eczema then it may well help you. As a moisturising cream it is probably effective but certainly not any more effective than other moisturizing creams on the market. If, however, you are expecting Shea Butter to diminish and eradicate your fine lines and wrinkles then you may be disappointed. There is just not enough hard evidence to draw the conclusion that Shea Butter is very effective as an anti-aging cream.