Africans have been using Shea butter as a means of protecting and nourishing their skin for thousands of years. It has the potential to refine fine lines, smooth out wrinkles, and minimise the harmful side effects of conditions like eczema. Shea is an ingredient that comes from the Shea nut tree, which is an organism native to several African countries. The tree grows in the Savannah, which is a testimony to how strong it is. Using Shea butter, you can protect yourself against the wind and the sun, which in turn can slow down the aging process.
How Shea Butter Works
For years women around the world were using cocoa butter to combat the signs of aging. When researchers found out that Shea butter was more effective, ladies worldwide began to use it eagerly. One of the major benefits is the polyphenols it contains. Polyphenols are essential for protecting your skin against damage from toxins, preventing your skin from succumbing to the age-accelerating harms of free radicals.
As well as containing polyphenols, Shea butter is full of long chain fatty acids. Long chain fatty acids are central to your skin’s structure. They help to maintain its elasticity, and provide it with moisture in times of need and dryness. As long chain fatty acids do their bit to protect and strengthen your skin, Vitamins E and A help it repair. Most of us will encounter skin damage at some point in our lifetimes. When this happens, it is important to support our skin to help it repair. Vitamin E is known for making the wound healing process more organised, which in turn means scars are less apparent. In addition to this, while scars are still in that fresh 18 month period that follows a wound, applying Vitamin E helps them look less pronounced. This means you can use a great Shea butter moisturiser to reduce the appearance of acne scars.
Making the Most of Shea Butter’s Medicinal Benefits
If you have ever spent too long out in the sun, you will know just how painful sunburn can be. In addition to this, sunburn can make a great tan look patchy and excessive inflammation may even lead to conditions like hypovolaemic shock. Shea butter rapidly soothes the inflammation associated with sunburn, which means less water escapes your bloodstream to infest the space between your muscles and your skin. As a result, you look less puffy, you feel less pain, and you are less likely to experience the dehydration that comes with spending too long in the sun.
The medicinal benefits of Shea butter also extend to those who suffer from long-term skin conditions. If you suffer from dermatitis or psoriasis, you can soothe cracked skin and restore its vitality. This isn’t just important for the way you look, it also helps to protect the skin itself. As your skin is the barrier between your internal organs and the outside world, keeping it in tact to prevent infection is essential. The more cracks that appear, the more likely you are to experience an internal or external infection. Applying Shea butter as a preventative measure is one of the best ways to keep your skin intact.
As you can see, there are good reasons for African persons using Shea butter religiously. It can protect you against the harsh effects of the sun, which is essential when you are heading for warmer climates. When you do encounter a skin condition, it is one of the best products available to soothe it.
