Skin problems affecting the facial skin may generally be of great concern to many. Along with this, there are lots of available skincare products that may help in dealing with facial issues. Yet, you need to give way for shea butter to act on it. However, is shea butter good for your face?
Well, regardless of your facial skin issue, there is always a good reason for taking a chance to make shea butter an excellent skin regimen. In this article, we will share how shea butter becomes great over facial skin. The way of its application and the possible risks involved will also be discussed here. Let’s check them out below!
Shea Butter – A Brief Background
From shea tree nuts, mostly in West Africa, fat extracts with a smooth consistency come out of it in the form of shea butter. The color of the butter extracts generally ranges from off-white to ivory cream. Despite the creamy consistency, it is still very easy to spread shea butter over the skin.
Moreover, shea butter contains high levels of fatty acids and vitamins. These components of shea butter are responsible for making it an ideal ingredient in most cosmetic products for skin softening. In addition to that, shea butter has a superpower moisturizing ability.
The other good properties of shea butter are an anti-inflammatory feature and healing power. That’s why shea butter can condition and soothe your skin. So, with this, the question of whether shea butter good for your face may initially provide an answer.
Is Shea Butter Good for Your Face – Its Benefits
To further elaborate and dig in for an accurate answer to the question Is shea butter good for your face, here are some of its benefits:
Anti-inflammatory and healing powers
One of the most extreme properties of shea butter is its anti-inflammatory power. Once you experience any facial skin redness or facial swelling, applying shea butter preparations may generally calm the affected skin. This ability of shea butter may be very helpful in treating the following skin problems:
Eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis
Eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis are generally skin issues that are characterized by skin redness. Since shea butter has anti-inflammatory powers, it generally soothes the redness, flakiness, and irritation of the skin.
The absorption of shea butter on the skin is really quick which makes it helpful to have a fast relief from most flare-ups. Aside from that, it is gentle on sensitive skin which answers the question of whether shea butter is good for your face.
Sunburns
The appearance of sunburns is generally rooted in having too much exposure to the sun. It develops redness on the skin that is sometimes painful. Generally, shea butter contains oils that are primarily responsible for the treatment of first-degree burns like sunburns. Moreover, the fatty acids content of shea seals in the skin’s moisture further heals sunburn.
Emollient powers
The shea butter penetrates deep down the skin and creates a skin barrier that is smooth and soft. This barrier acts to seal the moisture within the skin. The effect of moisturization usually lasts for more hours. Because of this property, shea butter can be beneficial for the following skin conditions:
*Dry skin
The emollient property of shea butter is similar to those of acids like palmitic, stearic, and linoleic acids. They generally make the skin barrier stronger so that moisture is maintained inside the skin. Moreover, the linoleic acid content of shea butter is perfect in dealing with dry skin. This is due to the function of shea butter in enhancing the hydration of the skin.
Anti-aging powers
Based on studies, another shea butter property that may answer the question of whether shea butter good for your face is its anti-aging abilities. However, how this function works is unknown. Yet, reports link this to either collagen production or collagen breakdown.
*Wrinkles, fine lines, and aging
The anti-aging power of shea butter is due to the rich content of antioxidants. These substances aid in preventing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles due to the presence of free radicals. Aside from that, shea butter also contains high amounts of vitamins A and E that enhance blood circulation and trigger the speedy production of healthy skin cells.
Is shea butter good for your face? It supports the plumping up of the skin including the facial area. Another substance present in shea butter that promotes this skin effect is the triterpenes that reduce the collagen breakdown in the body.
Other Uses of Shea Butter
Aside from the above benefits and uses, shea butter may also help in dealing with the following conditions below. Shea butter is also ideal to apply to the hair.
*Acne
Shea butter’s effect on acne comes from its properties combination. There was a study in 2013 that showed that this product contains antibacterial abilities together with neem oil. Because of this, it can lower the number of bacteria that cause acne on the face.
Moreover, shea butter’s anti-inflammatory action may also act and soothe breakout. Additionally, fungus growth prevention is another property of shea which is also beneficial in the treatment of fungal acne. Removal of excess oils in acne-prone facial skin is also a benefit of shea butter as it also gives skin moisture.
*Scarring
One study conducted last 2011 revealed that shea butter also prevents keloid scar tissue. But, this still needs further research.
Choosing the right shea butter good for your face
There are two types of shea butter – the refined and unrefined. But which is better between the two? Is refined or unrefined shea butter good for your face? Let’s find out below.
The difference between refined and unrefined shea butter
The unrefined shea butter comes from the shea tree nuts without the use of preservatives or other ingredients. Because of this, all the natural properties and benefits of shea butter are retained. You may generally distinguish the unrefined from the refined one through its color. Typically, the unrefined shea comes in a light beige or yellow color that has a nutty smell.
Meanwhile, the refined one utilizes a chemical process during its extraction. The process usually needs petroleum solvents, preservatives, or antioxidants. It is distinguishable due to its white color and is scentless. Having no scent at all is primarily the main reason why most people opt for refined shea butter.
Moreover, in terms of consistency, the refined shea is generally smoother compared to the unrefined one. But, which type of shea butter is good for your face?
Well, if you want to experience the entire benefits of shea butter, most beauty enthusiasts go after the unrefined type. However, based on the American Shea Butter Institute, around 75% of the bioactive components can be lost through the refinement process of the refined shea butter.
Using Shea Butter on Your Face
Purchasing a shea butter cream is the easiest way to test if shea butter is good for your face. The application can be done directly over the face before sleeping. You may consider melting a small amount of this product on the hands before its application. Ideally, it is good to apply shea butter at night as applying makeup on top of this skincare product is difficult.
Moreover, the application of shea butter to determine and answer the question of whether shea butter good for your face entails various preparations. There are lots of DIY shea butter recipes good for your face. Here are some excellent examples of shea butter recipes that may generally help you to have healthy facial skin:
Shea butter’s fresher face look
If you still want to prove the answer to the question of whether shea butter is good for your face, then you may try this simple shea butter facial skin recipe. The steps in making it are very basic.
- Between the palms of your hands, warm the shea butter. You could also soften it by placing the shea on top of a low-heat double boiler. In case a double boiler is not available, a heat-safe bowl over a saucepan with water may do the work. Keep in mind that your goal is to just soften the shea butter, so, don’t ever simmer or boil it.
- Incorporate some drops of either moisturizing oils or essential oils. Basically, you may try to use rosehip oil as it is a good carrier oil. Aside from that, if a great start is what you really aim for, lavender is the best option.
Dry skin shea butter’s face mask
Another application of shea butter that may test if shea butter is good for your face is through a face mask preparation over dry skin.
Things needed:
Raw honey of 1 tablespoon
Grapeseed oil about 3 drops
Shea butter of unrefined type around 1 tablespoon
Steps of preparation:
- Initially, combine all the ingredients.
- Apply the shea butter mixture over your face forming a mask.
- Leave it over the face for 10 minutes.
Acne spot shea butter treatment
In case you want to test if shea butter is good for your face with acne, this preparation will be highly beneficial for you. Generally, maximize the benefits of shea butter over facial skin in conjunction with the other skin-friendly oils.
Things needed:
The essential oil of lavender about 3 drops
The essential oil of rose also around 3 drops
Shea butter of unrefined type around 1 tablespoon
Steps of preparation:
- Initially, combine all the ingredients.
- Through a thin layer, apply the shea butter preparation over an acne spot in the evening.
- Leave it over the face for 10 minutes.
- Afterwards, rinse the face with shea butter preparation. Remember, shea butter is a creamy substance which may have the tendency to clog the pores. So, be very careful in applying this product over your facial skin.
Fine lines shea butter treatment
Make this facial shea butter regimen to enhance the youthful glow of your facial skin. This way, you could answer the question is shea butter good for your face.
Things needed
The essential oil of ylang-ylang about 2 drops
The essential oil of rose around 3 drops
Shea butter of unrefined type about 1 tablespoon
Steps of preparation
- Initially, mix all the ingredients.
- Afterwards, apply this preparation over the face giving emphasis on fine lines and wrinkles.
- Leave it on your face overnight.
Ways to Store Shea Butter
Generally, the shelf life expectancy of shea butter is about 1 to 2 years starting on its manufacturing date. Once exposed to high temperature, it generally melts. Yet, at room temperature, it will re-solidify with a little bit grainy texture. Below are some tips in storing shea butter so that you may prove if shea butter is good for your face:
- Do not store shea butter on direct sunlight or high temperature.
- The best storage area is a space that has a room temperature or that is actually dry.
- Keeping the shea butter over the refrigerator is a good option for those living in places with a warm climate.
Is Shea Butter Good for Your Face – Its Risks and Associated Allergies
Actually, even if you prove that shea butter is good for your face, there may still be some or a little bit allergic reactions associated with the use of shea butter. This may actually be true if using shea butter preparation over the face is just a new ingredient. Luckily, hypersensitivity to shea butter is very rare.
Knowing this, it is actually important to be aware of the negative reactions on a breakout. In case you have sensitive skin, it is highly advisable to apply shea butter preparation of any kind to a small skin area. It is better if you wait for around 48 hours to know if you have any hypersensitivity with shea.
Check for breakouts
Shea butter basically has the tendency to cause skin breakouts, so if you have acne-prone skin, be very observant with this. Although there are some shea butter products in the market that claim to contain a non-comedogenic (or not pore-clogging) shea butter ingredient, studies to support this claim is not yet available. The American Academy of Dermatology said that this product has the potential to clog the pores which may lead to skin breakouts. So, be very cautious about this.
Another thing to be aware of is combining shea butter with oils and other ingredients. Some users may generally experience irritation with this kind of combination. In case you experience the following, stop using shea butter and immediately seek the help of a healthcare provider:
- Skin redness
- Itching
- Pain
- Difficulty of breathing
Final Thoughts
Shea butter actually does well in moisturizing the skin. But, is shea butter good for your face? Actually, yes it is! Regardless of your facial skin dilemma – fine lines, acne, or even aging, shea butter an ingredient on the rescue. It has an emollient, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory properties that generally make the facial skin fresher, smoother, and look younger.
However, like any other product, shea butter preparations for skincare regimen also entail some risks. Fortunately, the risks associated with it are very minimal. But, you still have to be aware of skin breakouts especially for those with acne-prone skin. Yet, using shea butter for facial skincare routine with extra care may generally a better and glowing skin result.