Are you looking for a natural facial moisturizer that not only gives you soft skin but has other health benefits too?
Have you wanted to try shea butter on your face to help your dry skin, acne or eczema but you were not sure if it’s suitable for such a delicate area.
According to https://nationaleczema.org/research/eczema-facts/ over 10% of Americans suffer from some form of eczema.
Your doctor will first tell you to moisturize, but there is such an overwhelming choice of facial moisturizers! Many of them contain chemicals and additives and deep down, you know they can’t be good for your skin.
In this article I will share with you everything I know about why I believe shea butter is great for your skin.
But first, who am I and why should you listen to me?
My name is Renee Harris and I have been successfully making and selling shea butter facial emollient for several years in my online hard lotion store called MadeOn.
Most of my customers, like myself, have skin problems and they found that store-bought products were only making their skin condition worse. There were too many ingredients and chemicals that reacted with their skin.
I decided to make the most natural skin products possible to help improve the skin of the many people who have skin conditions and myself.
Read on if you want to learn a little more about it, by the end you will see why shea butter for the face is an excellent choice when you want to moisturize your face naturally.
(Watch out for the benefits section where I use real customers reviews to explain what benefits they are actually experiencing after using my shea butter facial emollient).
First, let me explain…
What is shea butter?
What is shea butter
Shea butter is a fat extracted from the nut of the African shea tree. It is ivory in color but the more processed it becomes, the whiter it looks. It is solid at room temperature but liquifies when warmed up which makes it easily absorbed by the skin.
Shea butter has a high concentration of vitamins and fatty acids which is why it has been used in cosmetics and health products for many years.
We all know vitamins and fatty acids are good for us but…
What exactly is in shea butter and what can it do for your face?
Shea butter contains vitamins A, E, C, and F and fatty acids. Here is a description of them and how they help your face.
Vitamin A. This is an antioxidant that also promotes cell growth and healing. It can be used to help cracked lips and sunburn.
Vitamin C. This is found in the layers of your skin and is responsible for producing collagen which helps the skin stay young-looking. This vitamin can help with dryness, redness, age spots, and wrinkles.
Vitamin E – is an anti-aging, healing vitamin because it is an antioxidant that protects your skin from free radicals that make your skin look dull. Vitamin E is also an anti-inflammatory. It helps with eczema, acne, and helps to reduce swelling.
Fatty acids – when fatty acids are combined with vitamins this acts as a strong anti-inflammatory cream. Fatty acids also contain cell regenerating properties that can heal skin problems such as cracks and sores.
Some experts may say there are fewer vitamins in unrefined shea butter products and so the healing effects are reduced. However, many of my customers are reporting experiencing many health benefits which you can read in the benefits section but first let me explain…
What is the difference between refined and unrefined shea butter (and what do I use in my shea butter facial emollient?)
Unrefined shea butter is the natural, raw form of shea butter.
It can be grainy and it often comes in chunks or lumps.
It has a strong odor.
It’s not really suitable to put directly on your face because of the odor and its lumpy, grainy nature.
I have experimented with creating products from it and I keep reaching the same conclusion:
1. The odor of raw, unrefined shea butter is very heavy; some describe it as “smokey” – I would say it smells more like burnt rubber and the smell does not go away when added to the other ingredients. The natural scent of unrefined shea butter is quite strong, and customers do not like it.
2. Unrefined shea butter requires extra stability to keep the texture smooth. The potential for graininess in the finished product is much higher with unrefined shea butter. Unrefined shea butter = grainy product.
The process my supplier uses to refine the butter involves naturally extracting it from the shea nut and filtering out any impurities.
This results in a creamy, off-white color and extremely pure product.
We haven’t found that the healing properties of the shea butter we use are diminished because of the careful refining process.
We don’t have issues with graininess and the shea butter performs well in all of our recipes. Customers often mention how easy the shea butter is to apply on their face, others need a few tries to get it right. In fact, if we have had negative feedback about out shea butter facial emollient, it is normally because the customer didn’t apply it correctly. So, to give you a bit of help in applying it right first, let me reveal…
The best way to apply shea butter to your face
Shea butter is hard at room temperature so first you need to soften it.
To soften it you just need to rub the butter between your fingers for a few seconds.
Shea butter is oily but it is quickly absorbed. The oiliness can shock some people and they wipe it off immediately but there are two things to do to prevent the oiliness from becoming a problem.
- Only use a pea-sized amount of butter. If you use a lot, then you will be oily. You only need to use a small amount and rub it into your face and neck.
- Give it a little bit of time for the butter to soak into your skin. If you don’t have time, consider only applying shea butter to the face at night. Many of my customers do this and report lovely soft skin in the morning.
Soft skin in the morning isn’t the only benefit though. Below I have listed all the benefits my customers have reported after using my shea butter facial emollient.
What to look for when choosing shea butter for your face
Fresh Shea butter. Shea butter has a shelf life of 18 – 24 months. When you buy it, find out the date it was made. At MadeOn (my online hard lotion shop) I put the ‘MadeOn’ date on all my products (hence the name of the shop). I was fed up with buying natural products and not knowing how long they had been made.
Small quantities. Avoid buying large quantities, the butter can dry out and harden with repeated exposure to the air. It’s best to buy in small amounts and more frequently so you waste less.
To assist you in your buying decision I would like to tell you a little bit more about my shea butter facial emollient and my online shop MadeOn.
Why MadeOn is a great online store to buy shea butter for your face
I love shea butter and swear by its’ health properties, that is why I stock it in my ‘MADEON:’ online store . Here are a few reasons how you benefit from purchasing shea butter for your face from MadeOn.
- You can purchase it with or without rosehip seed oil which is known for its’ natural skin protection properties. There are not many stores selling shea butter with rosehip oil.
- The shea butter for the face comes in small containers.
- Each container of shea butter facial emollient has the Made On date written on it so you can see how fresh it is.
- You can choose refined or unrefined shea butter.
If you would like to take a closer look at the product information you can find it here -> Simply Shea Facial Emollient
Is it better to apply shea butter at night (to the face)?
Here’s the deal. I personally find that applying shea butter to my face at night gives it a chance to really absorb into my skin and give me softer, more youthful-looking skin the next day. During winter months when my face is exposed to the dry elements, and during the summer months when my facial skin is more dry due to swimming, I am even more dedicated to applying shea butter at night before bed. When I wake up the next day, my face feels smooth and soft.
That said, I don’t hesitate to apply shea butter in the morning before applying my make up, especially if I forgot to use shea butter at night before heading to bed. It’s absolutely fine to apply shea butter directly to your face before applying makeup. I find that the makeup applies better and more evenly if I’ve used shea butter first.
Benefits of shea butter on your face (including real customer feedback)
There are many benefits to using shea butter on your face.
It makes a great primer for make up
Some makeup especially mineral make-up can leave your face looking dry and cakey. If you apply a little bit of shea butter sparingly beneath your liquid foundation you should get the look you want without the dryness.
It evens out your skin tone and gives you glowing skin
If you have blemishes, scars, or dark spots on your face the vitamin A in shea butter can help even out their appearance. What is amazing about shea butter is that it also contains vitamin E which helps you absorb vitamin A. This means shea butter is really effective at evening out skin tone. It can even help certain facial conditions such as rosacea.
Heals cracked skin
Shea butter contains vitamin A, C, and E which all have healing properties. When applied to cracked skin, such as cracked lips from the cold weather or tiny cracks around the nose if you have a cold. the shea butter can speed up the heal process.
Reduces the itchiness of eczema
Shea butter contains A, E, and F which promote healing and have anti-inflammatory properties too. The butter also created a protein barrier on the skin reducing flare-ups from dust and other airborne irritants.
Protects sensitive skin in the winter
Shea butter creates a protective barrier against cold and windy conditions. This reduced the sensitivity you may experience in the winter months while promoting healing if your skin has already been affected.
Helps prevent acne breakouts
Soften dry, cracked lips
Helps skin look more youthful
Softens and smooths skin
You can find more reviews about the shea butter facial emollient here.
Shea butter for face video reviews
I initially sold shea butter in a bag for customers who wanted to experiment and make their own moisturizers. I asked my readers who purchased it for their face and body to give me feedback, and they have some great responses! (read below). If you’re a do-it-yourself type who wants to experiment, read through the ideas. The feedback really helped me to create the facial emollient that I sell now.
You can find more reviews and buy the shea butter facial emollient here.