If there’s one skincare product that has my heart, it has to be shea butter. I love it because it’s incredibly nourishing and rich in natural vitamins and fatty acids. Not only does it keep the skin soft and supple during winter, but also provides it with nutrients to boost collagen production. If you have a tub of shea butter at home and want to make the most of it, I’ll teach you!
Pro Tip: Always check the ingredient list of a shea butter product before buying it. Look for words on the packaging such as ‘unrefined’, ‘raw’, ‘organic’, ‘natural’ and ‘Grade A’. Refined shea butter is white in colour, odourless and has a hard and greasy texture – which doesn’t make it as effective. Real shea butter has an off-white ivory colour and has a nutty, earthy scent to it.
5 Amazing Ways To Use Shea Butter On Your Skin
Shea butter agrees with any skin type. It’s loaded with antioxidants, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that make the skin appear smoother, softer and healthier. Think of it as food for your skin!
As a Natural Moisturiser
Each scoop of shea butter is rich in fatty acids, linoleic and palmitic acid. Using this ingredient by itself can nurse dry and cracked skin back to health. Once applied, shea butter instantly melts like butter into the skin. This ingredient can be used not only during winter but throughout the year! Don’t worry about shea butter clogging your pores in summer because it surprisingly ranks 0 in the comedogenic scale.
As A Liquid Hand Cream
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Shea butter is the ingredient you want to use the next time your hands get all dry and flaky. While you can use it by itself to treat skin dryness, you can customise the hand cream by making it from 1/4 cup of shea butter, sweet almond oil and lavender essential oil. Melt and stir all the ingredients in a double boiler. Turn the head off after 10-15 minutes, and pour the mix into a jar. Let it cool for a while, and your hand cream is ready!
As A Hydrating Lip Mask
Don’t have a lip mask product at home? No worries! Just apply a thick coat of shea butter at night and the next morning, wipe it off with a warm washcloth. Your lips are bound to feel pillow-soft after doing this!
As Massage Butter
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Make the perfect body butter by adding 1 cup of shea butter, 1 tbsp of jojoba oil and 1 tbsp of coconut oil. Stir all the ingredients well, and apply all over your body while massaging. If the shea butter is too thick, melt it for a couple of seconds and add the oils after.
As s An Eyeshadow Primer
Most of the eye shadow primers in the market are loaded with chemicals. To prevent your skin from flaring up, apply shea butter to the lids. It acts as the perfect base, hydrates the skin and makes the eyeshadow product stay put for a longer time.
Shea butter is a great and safe product to use on the skin. Store it in a cool and dry place, and it will serve you for a long time.
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