Shea butter has earned its right to be called “Women’s Gold”, aka Africa's original moisturizer and one of the best skin beautifiers and moisturizers that could ever be used. Shea Butter is a treasure in the African Diaspora that has been used throughout history in nearly every women's skin routine. It surely meets the gold standard of skincare when it comes to providing added hydration, moisture, and care to our naturally amazing skin and brining life back even when skin feels dull. But did you know there’s two main forms of this Shea Butter Gold that can be found exclusively in West Africa and East Africa, respectfully?
Yes, that's right. This golden butter comes in two main forms, West Africa's Shea Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii and East Africa's Shea Butter, Vitellaria Nilotica. West African Shea Butter is sourced from several exclusive locations in West Africa, including the western side of Ghana, Nigeria, Northern Uganda, and other places. This butter comes from the Butyrospermum Karite tree species and is processed similarly to its counterpart. The Shea Niloteca or East African shea butter variety is less accessible form of shea butter and is sourced exclusively in two places in East Africa, coming from the savannahs of Northern Uganda and Sudan. East African Shea Butter is extracted from the nuts of the Vitellaria species of the Karite tree. For both processes, women cooperatives and farmers boil the shea nuts in a pot, remove the shells, and after they have roasted them, they boil or beat them with water. This yields the shea butter we see everywhere. We are so grateful for all of the women and farmers that work tirelessly to cultivate our most treasured moisturizer just to keep us glowing all the days of our lives! We are especially grateful for the African women and farmers Sweeter Juice Skin works closely with.
Despite having different makeup and texture, East and West African Shea Buttter each provide wonderful benefits for the skin and can help all skin types including chronically dry skin! They’re both provide remarkable results when it comes to improving skin’s appearance and promoting moisture and hydration. Both of these butters also have a mild pleasant aroma and can even be used together on the skin.
We’re going to be exploring the benefits of these two gold standard butters in this blog, and the unique advantages each of them both provide to ensure your skin looks its most radiant and moist.
WEST AFRICAN SHEA BUTTER
West African Shea Butter is the signature variety that has earned the trust of millions of people, being used to heal, beautify, and promote soft radiant skin. West African Shea can be ivory or yellow, and has a solid form at room temperature. Western Shea Butter has had a long history in being the best alternative to fall back on when it comes to soothing dry cracked skin, and bringing out the glow our melanin naturally possesses.
West African Shea Butter is exclusive to certain countries in western and central side of the African continent, like Ghana and Nigeria, and can be refined or unrefined. The majority of this type is sourced from the “Shea Belt” that stretched across Africa. West African Shea Butter is sourced from the Vitellaria Paradoxa species, a sub-species of the Shea tree. It has a naturally solid form while offering a rich creamy texture that melts on contact with skin and is ready to apply in its most basic form. It absorbs easily into the skin, sealing in hydration, and moisturizing dry patches. Western African Shea Butter is full of vitamins A and E and will help to soften and promote radiant skin with regular use, while helping skin to improve its vitality and appearance. Vitamins A and E are also essential to helping the skin's renewal process and making sure it stays youthful and vibrant.
It also contains a hefty amount of stearic and linoleic acid, fats that help to protect and build the skin barrier, resulting in healthy hydrated skin! Linoleic acid is a foundation for ceramides, which also make up the skin barrier and are the key to skin looking bouncy and supple. The rich thick texture of this dense butter will soften the look of calluses, flakiness, and revive ashy skin. West African Shea Butter is suited for all skin types, especially those with chronically dry skin that doesn’t fare well with using standard commercial creams and lotions.
One of West African Shea Butter's best qualities is that it is non-comedogenic, so if you apply it to your face, it will not clog your pores or increase the likelihood of breakouts.
All Shea Butters are not made the same. That's why we take pride in our Shea Butter + Neem Dream Cream, our best-selling head-to-toe face and body cream that will hydrate and moisturize even the most troublesome dry skin. West African Shea Butter is the star ingredient in Dream Cream, along with Neem - a heaven-sent ingredient to help keep your skin soft and dewy all year long!
EAST AFRICAN SHEA BUTTER
East African Shea Butter, or Shea Niloteca is oil-enriched, possessing a light silky texture and is quite emollient. This elusive form of Shea Butter is a rare commodity that’s beginning to make its way to the spotlight due to the multiple skin care benefits and different needs it’s able to accommodate.
Some people have been fortunate when it comes to trying the ever-rare Shea Niloteca, or East African Shea Butter and have loved being able to include it in their skin routine. East African Shea Butter is extremely enriching to the skin and packed with beneficial moisture and care. We are grateful for the farmers and East African women that work their hardest to cultivate this reclusive treasure, making sure that they achieve the most quality results during processing and refining this handcrafted butter gold.
The texture of East African Shea Butter is so soft, airy and smooth. It has a lower melting point than the solid form and will melt into your skin on contact. This form of shea butter is ready to use and doesn’t need any other ingredients or products to be one of the greatest moisturizers you can get your hands on. It has a very high form of oleic acid, a fat thicker than most acids that can help to increase moisture and seal hydration into the skin.
Oleic acid is also what gives East African Shea Butter the power to penetrate your skin effectively enabling it to infuse your barrier with softening and moisturizing power, resulting in dewy, lubricated hydrated skin inside and on the surface.
Shea Niloteca also contains vitamin F, a fat compound that will enhance skin penetration and help further in eradicating dryness and dullness. It will also help to provide protection to your skin barrier and keep dry air and other moisture suckers out. Vitamin F also helps to promote elasticity in the skin to firm and encourage a youthful supple appearance. Shea Niloteca is also non-comedogenic despite its high oil content. This silky version is great for all types of skin just like its counterpart and can also provide the same moisturizing and beautifying rewards!
Our latest body butter, Nubian Gold is made entirely with only our rarest and most exotic 100% Shea Niloteca. Nubian Gold is fit for royalty as it houses the rare Shea Niloteca thatenriches it to provide a royal skin care experience, while beautifying and promoting a radiant canvas every queen possesses.
Shea Butter is one of the best ingredients to promote dewy bouncy skin, and making both versions of this multi-use ingredient the stars of our Best Butters Gift Set was the perfect opportunity to show off their glowing prowess! Our exclusive collection comes with three butters, all handcrafted to provide your skin with the care and tenderness it deserves.
We know that this holiday season will be one to remember when your give your friends and family this beautifully handcrafted trio of skin care gold!
This creamy delectable trio includes our fan-favorite Dream Cream, and our two new additions Cocoa Rich$ and Nubian Gold!
Both Dream Cream and Nubian Gold make great moisturizers that can be used on their own to give your skin the nourishment it needs to look its most beautiful. Even though they come from different sides of the Diaspora and have different textures, it all comes down to preference as to which you prefer and like the most.
No matter which version of shea butter you prefer, whether it be West African Shea Butter or East African Shea Butter, both of these butters will give your skin the delectable glowing appearance every person craves for themselves. Shea Butter is truly the original moisturizer!