Latin Name: Butyrospermum parkii

Country of Origin: Ghana, Tapko Widow’s Group

Cultivation: Fair Trade, non-certified organic, unrefined

Shelf Life: Stable 2 years, refrigeration recommended for long-term storage

Common Uses

Shea Butter is becoming one of the most popular and well-known cosmetic products available. African healers have used Shea Butter for thousands of years as the ideal treatment for dry or ageing skin. Its high content of non-saponifiables and unique fatty acid profile gives Shea Butter the ability to moisturize and retain the elasticity of the skin. Shea Butter can be used "as is" or in any proportion in formulations for moisturizing the skin or hair.

Shea Butter also helps to protect the skin against the damaging effects of the sun while repairing cellular degeneration. It soothes sun-soaked skin and is known to provide UV Protection. It heals cracks on heels & hands, and relieves dry, itchy & scaly skin. Shea stimulates skin renewal and minimizes stretch marks. It promotes cell regeneration, increases circulation, and reduces fine lines.

How to Melt Shea Butter

Some instructions on melting Shea Butter say that improper heating can cause the butter to crystallize as it cools. This crystallization can cause lip balms, body butters and other formulations to turn gritty. To avoid this, Shea Butter must be melted and heated to about 175 degrees and kept at that temperature for at least 20 minutes. This will allow the Shea Butter to melt completely so that crystals will not form after it has cooled. In our experience, we melt it at a low temperature, pour, and refrigerate. This seems to avoid the graininess that is characteristic of unrefined, unbleached Shea Butter. Natural Shea Butter has a distinctive nutty odour, darker colour, and can vary in texture and appearance from batch to batch.

The Tapko Widow’s Group in Ghana

True Essence Shea Butter comes from a village in Ghana where the Tapko Widow’s Group harvest the shea nuts and process them into raw butter using traditional methods that have been handed down over centuries. They are paid a premium price and profits from the sale of Shea Butter are donated to their microcredit project, helping them to start businesses of their own. This Shea Butter comes from an area where there are no chemicals or additives. The group is working toward funding for organic certification. In the last 4 years the women have been able to send their children to school and can afford to pay for school supplies, uniforms and school fees. They are able to go to the medical clinic when they are sick and need medical attention. The women and children also now eat a more nutritious diet by being able to afford to buy meat and vegetables at the local market when their own crops fail.

*Smallest size comes in biodegradable eco-packaging.