Shea butter is one of the most famous butters in the cosmetic field, because of its beneficial properties on every kind of skin and in particular on the more mature or dry skins. It’s one of Malì’s favorite ingredients. Malì choses for its products only high-quality and vegan friendly raw materials, just like this refined butter. But where does the shea butter come from and what are its benefits?

WHAT IS SHEA BUTTER AND WHERE DOES IT GROW?

Shea butter is made of oily substances taken from the seeds of Butyrospermum parkii, a tree of the family Sapotaceae. It’s a woody, tall tree, that mostly grows in dry and hot areas, like in the savannah. A curiosity on the shea tree is that it’s also known as the “tree of youth”, in reference to the extraordinary nourishing and regenerating properties of their seeds.

HOW IS SHEA BUTTER PRODUCED?

Traditionally, the harvest of the fruits of the shea tree happens between June and September. To produce the butter, seeds are harvested and processed with special techniques. In the traditional process the seeds are toasted and then dried in the sun and later pressed to get a thick paste which is boiled following addition of water, and in the end it’s filtered. Modern techniques involve a mechanic compression of the seeds or the use of solvents which ease the production.

FEATURES OF SHEA BUTTER

Shea butter is a 100% plant-based ingredient, which composition is full of active substances, in particular fat acids, such as oleic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid. Other than those components, shea butter is rich of fat-soluble vitamins which have an antioxidant effect, like provitamin A and E, exceptional for the skin. Due to the richness of its composition, shea butter has many qualities, especially in the cosmetic field.

But what are the features of the shea butter?

• Hydrating properties 
• Nourishing properties
• Emollient properties
• Regenerating properties
• Antioxidant properties

Its efficacy as regenerating and antioxidant element, makes the shea butter a very appreciated product in the field of anti-aging cosmetic.

HOW DO YOU USE MALÍ BODY BUTTER?

In a perfect body care routine, body butter represents the final step. After cleansing and exfoliating the skin with a scrub, this last step is used to nourish and recover the hydration of the skin. To soften the butter, you just have to warm a small quantity with your hands and distribute all over the body, massaging intensely the areas where the skin is drier, just like the elbows. Malì’s body butter are enriched with organic and vegan products and exceptional fragrances which will make the daily hydration a pleasure for the senses.