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Raw shea butter.
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Recommended for: To treat or prevent dry and cracked feet and elbows and diaper rash, to heal scarring, to prevent and treat stretch marks. Also use Farm to Girl’s shea butter to aid in muscle stiffness or arthritis pain. It is supremely effective for gardeners’ hands and improving the tough, damaged skin of hard-working outdoorsy types.
Tip: Warm up a tiny amount of shea butter and rub on your feet at night, slip on a pair of old socks and wake up in the morning with divinely soft feet!
Note: Those with latex allergies may want to avoid shea butter, which can produce similar allergic reactions.
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By purchasing a Farm to Girl product, you are directly making a positive difference to rural developing communities in Solomon Islands, Micronesia, and Africa and local farms in California and Texas by supporting their livelihoods and well-being. Thank you for Helping Women Help Themselves!
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What is Shea Butter?
The shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa, syn. Butyrospermum parkii, B. paradoxa) is indigenous to much of central and western Africa, including Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Togo and Uganda. The nut of the shea, from which shea butter is derived, is very similar in size and shape to that of an avocado. Many refined shea butters on the market are extracted with the aid of chemical solvents such as hexane, a harsh and environmentally damaging substance with known health impacts. Other carcinogens are often present in refined shea butter to alter the smell or improve shelf life. At Farm to Girl, our unrefined shea butter is sustainably grown, without a trace of nasty chemicals, synthetic additives or preservatives. Local cooperatives in Ghana extract it the traditional way—simply by boiling the cracked shea tree nut and gathering the rising oil. To make shea butter, the nuts (fruits) are collected and the outer shells separated by pounding the fruits. The nuts are then dried and crushed by hand before roasting in large pots over an open fire. Roasted nuts are then ground and a paste is made by adding water. Further cooking releases the oils, which rise during the process. These oils are then collected and shaped into useable shea.
How it Works
Unrefined shea butter is loaded with beneficial oils, ester resins and phytosterols that work to protect and maintain healthy skin, while stimulating and repairing damaged skin. The oil from the fruit of the shea nut tree contains oleic, stearic, palmitic and linoleic acids. Shea works to enhance blood activity in capillaries to stimulate oxygen flow and remove harmful blood residues that aids cellular regeneration. These same activities help reduce joint pain. Shea has also been traditionally used as a sunscreen, though it has a low SPF (SPF 0-6). Since shea butter contains latex it can also prevent against the harsh sun, but those with latex allergies should be cautious with its use.
