SHEA BUTTER

Are you familiar with Shea Butter moisturizer? It is100% natural and it can really improve dry, wintry skin. I started using it several months ago and just love it. There are absolutely no chemicals in it! It is almost completely unscented, and is solid at room temperature (like a tub of butter). All you need is a tiny bit in the palm of your hand, really an amount the size of your fingernail! Wait a couple of seconds for it to melt into luxurious oil and spread it onto any dry area of your body, including your feet, knees, elbows, arms, etc. It's great for men, women, and babies! At night during the winter especially, I put a thin layer on my face before bed, to let it really moisturize overnight. In the morning I can see a clear difference! My skin is plumped, hydrated, smooth, and happy!

Where does shea butter come from?

Shea butter is extracted from the Karite, or Mangifolia, tree found only in Central and West Africa. Nineteen countries are involved with the processing of the nuts. This region of Africa is known as the Shea Belt. Many parts of the tree have been used for food and beauty products for over 5000 years. Europeans were introduced to it about 200 years ago. Today, most of the production is done by women as an important economic activity, as the money they earn allows them to support their families and buy necessary household goods as well as uniforms for their children to be able to attend school.

The website, www.pioneerthinking.com states:

"The process of making shea butter, or karite, is long and arduous for the women of Africa. They awake(n) early and trek up to 15 km (9 mi) to collect the fruits of the Karite Nut tree. With up to 40 kg (88 lbs) of fruits upon their heads, the women and children head back to the village to begin the process of extracting the butter from the kernel of the fruit. The pits are first removed from the fruit, boiled, sun-dried and finally roasted. When the pits have been completely dehydrated, they are handcrushed. This laborious work takes an average of 20 hours to produce 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of shea butter."

The fruit of the tree looks like an orange-colored plum. It is edible and is high in anti-oxidants.Inside the fruit is the nut the size of a pecan. The nut's shell is removed and the butter is the oily extract from the seed inside the nut.

The shea butter contains many bioactive ingredients and is high in fatty acids and triglycerides. It contains Vitamins A, E, F. responsible for cell regeneration, shiny hair, and combating the effects of free radicals. It is also used as a cooking oil and reduces LDL cholesterol, muscle soreness, and the pain of osteoarthritis. Many chocolate manufacturers use it as a substitute for cocoa butter. In the beauty industry, shea butter is in soaps, moisturizers, hand cream, shampoo, lip balm, and various hair care products. It is also used in pet care products!

Here are some of the wonderful benefits of shea butter:skin-softener, moisture additive, anti-wrinkle cream, it erases the effects of sun overexposure, it soothes eczema, anti-itch, burn/wound cream, for dry hair, shaving cream, pregnancy stretch marks, insect bites. Another perk is that it won't cause an allergic reaction to those sensitive to nuts.

One final and important note: there are two ways to extract the oils from the seed. One is as mentioned above--the natural, manual-labor process. The other is done faster using hexane, a petroleum-based solvent that extracts a larger amount of the oil from the seed, thereby resulting in a lower cost to the consumer. Many shea butter products sold in the U.S. have been extracted using hexane: not something you'd want to put on your skin!! Because the "real thing" is hard to find, I have gone ahead and purchased some from a company that I trust and I am offering it directly to you to try!

Purchase a 1-oz container for only $3.00 and a 2-oz container for only $5.50!

You can get it unscented, or ask for your favorite essential oil mixed in for a completely personalized lotion! What a wonderful stocking stuffer!

Please see my website at: massagebyjulia.com to read more about how you can purchase these home-made, personalized shea butters!