8 Things You Should Know About Shea Butter

Shea Butter has become wildly popular as the natural balm that keeps skin soft and supple. But what do you really know about this miracle butter and its origins? Or what it can do beyond just moisturize? Here are some things worth knowing:

Edible

While you shouldn’t be spooning mouthfuls of the butter into your mouth, shea butter is actually edible, as should be anything you put on your skin. In its purest form it is used as cooking oil and some chocolate companies use shea butter instead of cocoa butter.

It’s A Protective Balm

While the amount of time it takes for shea butter to affect different skin conditions varies,  it is proven to prevent sunburn, heal small wounds, moisturize skin cracks, protect from frostbite, give relief from burns, ease muscle fatigue and aches, and control eczema and dermatitis.

Choice of Royalty

Queen Makeda, Cleopatra and Nefertiti all swore by their imported clay jars of shea butter from West Africa.

Prevents Hair Loss

The fatty content of shea butter helps condition the scalp and provides essential nutrients to the scalp and hair follicles that strengthen locs and reduce hair loss.  It is best when combined with other oils and butters as we do with our Hair Butter.

Ghana Produces 85% of the World’s Shea Butter

Regardless of the brand you choose you’re likely using a product that started its life in Ghana. Neighboring countries like Burkina Faso, Benin, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast all have some variation of the tree, but none compares to Ghana’s silky, soft butter.

Shea Nut Trees Take 40 Years to Bear Fruit

You read that correctly; the shea nut trees take 40 years to begin producing the nuts used to produce shea butter, meaning most people selling the nuts did not plant the trees. The one who harvests the field without planting the seeds usually makes for a bad manager of resources, as is presently the case in Ghana. The profit vs effort has led to the squandering of shea-nuts and prospects of  frightening shortages in the future.

Ghanaian Jobs Exported Along with Raw Material

The process of extracting shea butter from the nut has created an industry that feeds thousands of families. When multi-nationals purchase and export the raw shea nuts they cripple the industry, making it almost impossible to source shea butter locally and cutting us off as one of the beneficiaries of this booming industry. Instead we, the growers and custodians are being relegated to competing with multi-nationals for our own crops.

Ghana Government and Shea Butter

Presently Shea Butter is not regulated by the Government of Ghana and we do NOT want it regulated by the Government. Regulation  usually means the Government allows foreign buyers to dictate our prices and then we can only sell to the Government. That has proven a horrible business model for African industries. What we need is for the Government to make it illegal for anyone or company to export the raw shea nuts, mandating that value is added locally, thus benefiting the custodians of this God-sent, miracle butter and giving meaning to such rhetorical phrases as “Fair Trade”.

When you purchase Earth Seed’s Shea Butter you’re supporting a chain of African families. Note, we support entire families, not just the women. For there to be healthy, vibrant African Nations we must protect Man, Woman and Child.