What is shea butter used for and in which products do we find it frequently?

Shea butter is found everywhere, but what is it really good for? Here is what you need to know about the main uses of this vegetable oil.

Shea butter has several benefits for the health of our skin, its moisturizing properties make it even more valid than other types of creams. It is a vegetable oil obtained from the seeds of the homonymous plant, also known as Vitellaria paradoxa . For some time now we have been hearing about the characteristics of this vegetable oil, but what are its real benefits for our skin and what are the best ways to exploit its properties? Let’s find out what there is to know about shea butter and its main uses in face and hair products.

Shea butter: its properties

The characteristics of shea butter make it perfect for use in cosmetics . This vegetable oil, in fact, soon became a very popular ingredient, to the point that anyone, even without knowing it, will have used at least once a body cream, or a hair product that contained it.

What distinguishes this substance and makes it ideal for use in personal care products is primarily its high hydration capacity. This oil, in addition to deeply moisturizing the skin, is also used as an emollient . This means that its presence will have the effect of making the skin softer and smoother.

Shea butter: for the face and hair

This vegetable oil is able, not only to allow the skin to be well hydrated , but also helps to maintain the tan . Precisely for these characteristics, shea butter is mainly used in skin products.

Among these it is especially used in face creams, and is indicated to rehydrate the skin after exposure to the sun. It is important, however, not to confuse after-sun creams (including those based on this oil) with protective sun filters.

Shea butter is also used as an ingredient in many hair care products . This oil is used to counteract the dryness of the scalp and to restore vitality to frizzy hair. It is mostly used in conditioners, but also in real treatments in the form of a hair mask.