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How Does Shea Butter Help Skin?

Skin is delicate, and once it becomes damaged, it is difficult to improve its appearance.

One of the most common causes of damage is sun exposure. Unfortunately, much of the damage is done at a young age before most people tend to worry about sunscreen. The results of that early damage show up in the form of wrinkles and fine lines that appear as you grow older. Other causes of wrinkles and lines include smoking and squinting. While you can’t totally erase the damage done and eliminate wrinkles and fine lines, using Shea butter can significantly lessen the effects and help your skin.

Benefits Of Using Shea Butter

Shea butter is not only effective in reducing the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles, but it has numerous other uses that are beneficial for your skin as well. It is effective for minimizing stretch marks when used during and after pregnancy. It can also provide soothing relief from itching and irritation caused by common skin disorders, including psoriasis and eczema.

For after use in the sun, it will moisturize to reduce peeling and to help soothe skin that has been sun burned. It also provides protection for the scalp and from the sun’s damaging rays. Unscented Shea butter is great for use on dry skin, particularly in areas that become rough such as knees and elbows.

Commonly used in high-end creams and lotions like Skin Tight, it is a key ingredient for moisturizing, hydrating and firming. Finally, the cream can help to reduce the discomfort felt from skin that is chaffed and irritated, such as can occur from wearing a wet bathing suit too long.

Ingredients and Composition

Shea butter contains numerous vitamins and fatty acids, which provide the cream with its remarkable ability to benefit in multiple ways. Fatty acids provide moisture that helps repel damage from the sun and other elements, and the fatty acids nourish the cells as well to soften and smooth tissues.

Other beneficial elements in Shea butter include vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin F. Vitamin A is an antioxidant, which helps to neutralize the effects of toxins and free radicals on cells. This helps to prevent damage from sun, smoking, pollutants in the air, and chemicals in foods. Vitamin E provides moisturizing effects, and it also helps to promote the growth of new cells. This provides for quicker healing of blemishes, scars, stretch marks, and other damage. Vitamin F also promotes healing and nourishes the skin cells.

Raw Is Great

The most beneficial form of this cream is in its raw and unrefined state. Shea butter comes from the nut of the Karite tree, native to Africa. The butter is extracted from the nuts and then put in a container without having any chemicals added to it or processing in any way. It is solid when it is room temperature.

When you use the cream (or body butter), the heat from your body and your hands will essentially melt the butter; in this form, it is more easily absorbed. The butter can be applied to you wherever you want to provide extra moisture or to heal your damaged skin. It can also be rubbed into your scalp.

All these benefits and its natural composition allow Shea butter to help skin in many different ways - nutrient rejuvenation, moisturizing, and improving skin health.