There are several advantages of shea butter for dry skin that makes it worth the hype! Shea butter is an ingredient extensively used in skincare and cosmetic products due to its moisturizing properties. It is an incredible emollient that is hydrating and packed with loads of moisturizing and healing benefits.
Shea butter is a type of vegetable fat that is extracted and processed using nuts from the African shea tree. The Shea tree is native to West Africa, though it can also be found in East Africa. The Shea nuts are cracked, pounded, and then extracted by boiling until the shea butter rises to the surface. Organic or raw shea butter usually has an off-white or ivory color. Immediately you apply it, the butter melts on contact with your body heat and your skin absorbs it instantly.
This nourishing butter is enriched with fatty acids like stearic, palmitic, and linoleic acids as well as vitamins A and E. It is beneficial and powerful in treating dry skin as it helps boost your skin’s hydration, strengthen the skin barrier, and lock in moisture. It’s great for dry or rough patches/ areas of the skin as it can be soothing and moisturizing. It also possesses anti-inflammatory properties that help minimize the effects of dry weather and skin irritation or inflammation.
In this blog post, we share some of the advantages shea butter offers in treating your dry skin type.
What are the Advantages of Shea Butter for Dry skin?
Dry skin type often lacks hydration, appears flaky, and feels tight. Dry skin is also prone to fine lines and wrinkles and can become irritated easily. During winters, the extreme temperatures can cause your skin to become dry. Your skin loses moisture more rapidly during winter which results in dry and flakey skin. This extreme dryness can result in itching and cracks developing on your skin.
Shea butter is known to be an excellent moisturizing agent. It is particularly useful for those with dry, cracked, sensitive, and irritated skin. Furthermore, it is useful in treating several skin conditions like UV damage, stretch marks, insect bites, and scars.
Shea butter is great for aging and mature skin as it helps replenish moisture loss and eases skin tightness. This is because shea butter also has anti-aging benefits due to the catechins (powerful antioxidants) present in it. Also, the rich amount of Vitamin E present helps reverse the effects of the natural aging process.
Through restoring hydration, shea butter can help reverse dry, chapped skin back to healthy, moisturized skin. Its healing and anti-inflammatory properties help soothe irritated and sun-burnt skin as well as help ease discomfort.
Some other advantages of shea butter for dry skin types include the following:
- It is rich in Vitamin E—a great antioxidant– that helps soften your skin and reduce wrinkles/fine lines.
- An excellent skin moisturizer that helps relieves itchiness caused by extreme dryness.
- Vitamin A and rich fatty acids present aids cell regeneration.
- The allantoin present in shea butter promotes the healing of inflamed skin and also acts as an occlusive to protect your skin.
- Helps boosts your collagen production to maintain the skin’s elasticity.
- Additionally, it possesses anti-bacterial properties due to the catechins present in it.
- Treats and relieves cracked, irritated, and sun-burnt skin.
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