Sheabutter is an essential oil that is extracted from the fruit seeds of the Shea tree. It has several benefits for the skin, hair and body and is considered by some as a skin superfood.
Shea butter contains fatty acids that increase the skin’s collagen production, thus preventing aging, wrinkles and stretch marks. It is also used to treat health conditions like nasal congestions, skin inflammations and bruise scars.
Here is what Mrs. Richards, a lecturer and mother of a beautiful daughter, has to say about the benefits of using sheabutter.
Good day ma. Please I’d like to ask you some questions about sheabutter and its uses. Please do you use sheabutter?
Yes I do. In fact I have a large container of sheabutter in my home. And I always make sure I am never short of it.
How long have you been using sheabutter and who introduced you to it?
How long? Sheabutter is a part of our family, my mother’s mum used it on her as a child, my mother used it for me and I’m using for my first child now. So I’ll say my mother introduced it to me, she even makes it locally.
That’s great ma. Could you please tell me some of the benefits you’ve observed so far from using the oil?
Oh the benefits are very many. Sheabutter or ori has a lot of uses. Right now I use it for my baby’s skin and hair. I add about two spoons of ori into the warm water I use to bathe her in the morning, and this makes her skin glow. Ori keeps her skin fresh and beautiful, so I’m not worried about rashes or anything like that. Then I apply it to her hair as well, which makes it shiny and soft. Massaging shea butter into the hair helps to prevent cradle cap in babies. I also rub it on her nose and chest whenever she has nasal congestions or cold.
You’ve mentioned how you use it for your baby, how about yourself? How do you use it on yourself?
Well for me, I use it for my hair and skin. I remember when I was pregnant my mum advised me to apply ori to my stomach to prevent stretch marks after child birth, which I did, and is probably the reason I don’t have a single stretch mark now. I also use it on my hair very often. As you can see my hair is natural, so ori makes my hair soft and tameable. It also moisturizes the hair and prevents dandruff. But most of all it makes my hair look beautiful and healthy.
Honestly, Mrs. Richard’s hair is truly beautiful and very full. How do you use it on your hair?
I simply apply enough quantity on my hair as needed, and I do so every day. In the morning every day. And it makes the hair soft and moisturized.
How about on your skin, how do you use it?
I don’t usually use it on my skin just the hair, except on occasion when I use it on bruises or swellings. It reduces swellings and pains, and helps to restore skin damaged from bruises or cuts. But it lacks whitening agent and tends to make my skin darker, so I don’t use it on my skin.
How much are you willing to pay for a bottle of shea butter?
As I mentioned earlier, my mum makes shea butter, and I even know how to make it myself. So I don’t buy it, but I have colleagues who do, and I think it goes for about One thousand five hundred naira ($6) per kg for the normal, locally made ones. However because the smell of shea butter can sometimes be repulsive, depending on the method of extraction, some of my colleagues prefer the ones that have been scented and those types are usually imported and could go for as high as five thousand naira ($18) for the same kg.
So if one wants to get it, especially here in Nigeria, where do you advise them to go?
Well, I told you my mum makes it, but not everyone knows my mum. And I also would not advise anyone to get their shea butter from just anyone that is selling it, because there are lots of adulterated and fake ones out there. So I’ll advise you to go to Agricmania.
Agricmania is an online agro store that has various kinds of agricultural produce. You’ll find verified sellers of pure original shea butter which is free from harmful toxins or impurities there at a pocket friendly price.
On that note, I’d like to express my appreciation for taking the time to answer my questions, they’ve been very educative. Thank you ma.
You are very welcome.