Shea Butter African, Organic, Unrefined, Raw

What is organic shea butter?

Unrefined shea butter is extracted from the sheanut, which is only grown in Western Africa. Our shea is unrefined and organic, this means that it hasn't undergone any chemical refining process or extraction.

It is extracted in the traditional way by a woman's co-operative in Ghana that is committed to empowering local women in the community. Pure shea is also referred to as karite or sheanut butter.

What does organic, unrefined shea butter look like?

Organic unrefined shea varies widely in colour, it is predominantly between yellow to a cream colour. However it can be anywhere from a light orange through to ash grey with a greenish tint.

From our experience, colour isn't related to the quality of the organic shea butter, the most important factors are age and storage conditions. It is quite common for unrefined organic shea butter to be an uneven colour.

What does it smell like?

It has a very unique scent that is only found in pure shea butter. The scent is best described as nutty, fruity or smoky and the fresher the shea is, the stronger the scent. 

Our organic shea butter has a scent that varies between batches. Some people find the scent to be overpowering, our advice in this instance is to leave the shea uncovered for a few days and change the container and the scent will start to fade.

Adding essential oils to the shea doesn't really mask the scent. If you are using it in a treatment for irritated or dry skin then it is best to leave the treatment unfragranced.

Why choose organic shea?

Unrefined organic shea butter is shea at its most natural. When pure shea is refined, the vitamins and minerals that are present in the shea are degraded by the heat and chemicals used in the process. Only the best organic sheanuts are used to create our unrefined shea , and this means that they haven't been sprayed with harmful pesticides.

So why choose our shea butter?

Our shea is cut fresh to order every day, and all of our shea has been recently produced. Also, because it has such a long lifespan, some shea on sale is a year old before it even reaches you!

This means that when you make your hair or body treatment, you will benefit from a longer shelf life for your product.

What can I use shea butter for?

Shea has a wide range of uses, it is a fantastic ingredient. It is one of the most popular ingredients in body moisturisers, lotions and lip balms.

Try our recipe for body butter, or a hair treatment, or try adding some to a soap recipe to superfat your soap. Your skin will thank you!

Use to make lip balms, or in a hand treatment. Shea contains vitamins A, E, K and F. 

It has amazing nourishing properties and it is Andy's favourite way of treating dry skin, he often makes a hand treatment with shea to combat his eczema.

Make your own shea soaps using our simple shea butter soap recipe. It is a gentle soap recipe that should help with dry skin and damaged skin.

How should it be stored?

It is best kept out of direct sunlight, and sealed. You don't want any moisture to build up inside the container. It is perfectly happy at room temperature and doesn't need to be kept in a fridge.

Even though it doesn't contain any preservatives, it will typically remain an effective moisturiser for a couple of years.

Is shea natural?

Our African shea butter is 100% pure and natural.  Organic shea is the most natural form, which means it still contains all of the natural vitamins which help nourish the skin.

Our organic African shea is certified organic by the Soil Association, and has been grown without the use of any harmful pesticides.

Is it comedogenic?

Unrefined organic shea butter is known for its moisturizing properties and despite its thick and rich texture, it can also be used on the face. It has a comedogenic rating between 0 - 2 so it won't normally clog your skin pores or cause breakouts.

Where does shea come from?

Our African shea originates from Ghana and is processed in the traditional way, by the women who harvest the nuts. This keeps the traditional methods alive, which is much better for the community.

What is it made from?

Shea butter is extracted from the nut of the African shea tree. The shea is sourced from the kernels within the seeds of the tree.

How is it made?

Our shea butter is made in the traditional way by women in rural Ghana. The shea nuts are wild harvested by local women's co-operatives and brought back to their villages.

The nuts are dried out in the sun, and then roasted over an open fire. The shea nuts are then milled to release the butter from inside.

The women then knead it by hand, in the traditional way that they have done for centuries.

It is then heated so that impurities can be removed, before the shea is filtered and packed.

Interested in other butters? Try our cocoa butter or our mango butter. Both are certified organic by the Soil Association.