Winter Hair Care and Shea Butter

In earlier posts we mentioned how hard winter is on your skin, well the winter is also hard on your hair. The cold wind can dry out your hair and damage it beyond repair. Check out the tips listed below to help get you through the winter with the least possible damage to your hair.



1. Shampoo Less
Because excessive shampooing can strip natural oils from the hair, it is best to shampoo every other day or less frequently, if possible, unless you exercise regularly or work outdoors.

2. Reduce Usage of Hair Appliances
In order to avoid damage caused by hair appliances, it is best to let your hair air dry whenever possible. Blow-drying can dry out the hair and damage it even more. When using hot rollers or a curling iron, apply a light protective hair product to the hair to lessen the damage done by these appliances to your hair.

3. Increase Circulation to your Scalp
Massage your head daily for 5-10 minutes to promote blood flow to the scalp and improve the quality of your hair. This increases the circulation and stimulates the scalp while spreading natural oils throughout the hair.

4. Deep Condition Hair with Shea Butter
This thick and uber rich emollient is great for parched dry hair. Melt Shea Butter, and apply to hair as a hot oil treatment after shampooing. Comb thru and rinse for silky soft tresses.

Finally, be sure to eat enough protein, B vitamins and water-Beauty Begins Within.

Steph,
Purely Shea - The Leader in Shea Butter Skincare
www.purelyshea.com

Shea Butter and Stretch Marks

Stretch Marks are a form of scarring that can occur when a person’s skin is overstretched. Pregnancy and obesity are the two main causes of stretch marks.

There are a few ways to rid yourself of stretch marks if you suffer from them.

1. MICRODERMABRASION
In Microdermabrasion the surface layer of the skin is removed by using a special wand with a roughened surface that lightly sands the skin. The shed skin particles are removed via a suction device attached to the wand. There are a few options of microderm that actually use natural and organic ingredients to remove the surface layer of the skin.

2. DERMABRASION
In Dermabrasion the surface of the skin is literally removed by a process of sanding. The aim of dermabrasion is to remove the appearance of scars, damage from the sun or dark spots. This is a serious medical procedure that takes place under a general anesthetic, is very painful and can take several months to heal.

3. SHEA BUTTER
Mother Nature’s most potent healing emollient is high in Vitamin A and Vitamin E to diminish and prevent stretch marks. And using an Unrefined Certified Organic is especially safe and effective.

Please remember that the correct diet, nutritional supplements, rest, avoiding excessive sun exposure, can have a big impact on the skin’s ability to heal an look beautiful.

Steph,
Purely Shea-The Leader in Organic Shea Butter Skincare
http://www.purelyshea.com

CERTIFIED Organic Skin Care

People always have questions about certified organic skin care. The article below gives a great overview about this topic. Let us know what you think.
Steph,
Purely Shea- The Leader in Organic Shea Butter Skincare
www.purelyshea.com

Certified Organic Skin Care
Dave Owen

There are many products available in the market that contain toxic ingredients, which in the long run can harm your body and skin. Nonetheless, people buy and use them every day. You wonder why people would buy products that harm them. Well, the answer is they don’t know they are harmful. There are many popular brands of skin care products that fall into this category.

How Do You Ensure That You Get The Best For Your Skin?

Buy certified organic skin care products which will have their ingredients listed carefully on the label, so you will know exactly what you are buying and using on your skin. When you see a product that says, ‘certified organic skin care product’ you will know that it has been tested for purity and found satisfactory by a certified legal body, ensuring that it is safe for you to use.

There are many products out there that claim to be organic. But are they really? Since the trend is slowly shifting towards organic products for food, clothing, and cosmetics, there is much temptation to cut corners in manufacturing to increase profits. This has resulted in many questionable products reaching the market under the banner of being organic products.

This is why the label of certified organic skin care product is so important. Check whether your favorite organic product has been certified or not. If it has not been certified yet, you are advised to use it with caution. Only when you get a certified organic skin care product you can be sure that it is made of one hundred percent organic ingredients and it is safe to use.

There have been many instances in the past where people bought non certified organic skin care goods only to find out later that they contained chemicals and non-organic ingredients. Many times chemical products look and smell better than the organic counterparts.

It is your choice, whether you want to use a chemical cosmetic or an organic one, however, if you choose the latter be sure you know how to identify it when you shop.

About the Author:
Dave is the owner of Acne Information and Resources , where you find information and resources to help clear up problem acne

Submitted at: Content-Articles.com'>http://www.Content-Articles.com/">Content-Articles.com - The Premier WebSite Content and Article Directory

Surprising Uses for Shea Butter

We have the most creative customers here at Purely Shea who often tell us about some surprising and unusual uses for Shea Butter. Here are the top 5 out of the ordinary uses for Shea Butter:




1. Applying Shea Butter to condition and provide an illustrious coat of fur for cats and dogs .

2. Using Shea Butter as a personal lubricant to enhance intimacy .

3. Melting the Shea Butter and applying it to the hair as a deep conditioning hot oil treatment.

4. Adding Shea Butter to a hot bath for a long moisturizing soak.

5. Putting Shea Butter on baby to prevent and heal diaper rash.

On another note, we are happy to announce that Purely Shea is featured on the uber chic website: IndieShopping.com where you will find all the news on current fashion and beauty trends from independent and emerging designers. They say that Purely Shea “…is a must-have to combat the effects of cold weather on your skin and keep it healthy-looking all season long.”

Click on this link to check it out: http://www.indieshopping.com/winter_spotlight.php?dept=4

Steph,
Purely Shea
www.purelyshea.com

Winter-Proof Your Skin and Shea Butter

Today is Decemeber 21 which means that
Winter is officially here in the Northern Hemisphere. The harsh winter weather can take its toll on your skin causing dryness, itchiness, and skin dehydration. We have some special natural skin care tips to ease your winter skin woes.


1. Use a Humidifier
A humidifier is great in the winter months to add the much needed moisture to the due the heating in our homes and offices as well as the cold weather which dry out our skin.


2. Exfoliate Your Skin
The harsh winter weather causes more dead skin to accumulate than normal. Exfoliating 2-3 times a week with a natural gentle exfoliant leaves skin supple and makes it easier for your moisturizer to penetrate and absorb into your skin.

3. Use a Steamer
In the winter, you can steam your face by soaking a washcloth with steaming water or using a steamer once a week to open up the pores, hydrate and deep clean your skin.


4. Rehydrate from Within
After checking with your licensed health care practitioner to make sure supplementation is okay, try adding more essential fatty acids to your diet to moisturize from within. Also check with your doctor to make sure your kidneys are in good shape so that you can drink 6-8 glasses of water per day for radiant skin.


5. Moisturize with Shea Butter
It is important to use richer, more hydrating products in the winter and too also use these products more often. Unrefined Certified Organic Shea Butter is thick, rich and super concentrated. Using this Shea Butter twice daily provides a much needed protective barrier to prevent moisturize loss and to sooth inter worn skin


Steph,
Purely Shea
www.purelyshea.com

Purely Shea is Featured on The Makeup Girl!

We are so excited to be featured today on the

The Makeup Girl!

This is an awesome skincare and cosmetics review site written by Lianne Farbes, a Professional Makeup Artist and former successful print and editorial model who has also worked for beauty giants Prescriptives Lancome, Clarins, and Borghese.


She says that Purely Shea "..works wonders on the driest of skins (like mine!), I have been using it for over a week now and the flakiness and redness I get in the winter has all disappeared."


Shea also mentions that "..if you haven't tried shea butter yet...try this one you will be glad you did."

Click Here Now to Read the Full Review!


Steph,
Purely Shea
www.purelyshea.com

Shea Butter Press Release

We just read an interesting press release from a couple of days ago about the Shea Butter Indusrty at the local level. Let us know what you think.
Steph,
Purely Shea-The Leader in Organic Shea Butter Skincare
www.purelyshea.com


Ghana: Don't Neglect Shea Nut Industry
Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra)
COLUMN
December 12, 2006
Edmond Gyebi
Tamale

ALTHOUGH SEVERAL organizations and individuals including experts have identified shea nut as one of the potential commodities that can enhance the economy of this country or reduce poverty levels amongst women in the three Northern Regions, yet still, successive governments seem to remaining nonchalance or insouciance to the promotion and development of the shea nut industry.

The Shea industry up till now still looks very unpopular and crestfallen, despite the various governments' promises towards the promotion of industries to exterminate poverty and hunger among the unemployed Ghanaians.

As a result of these lackadaisical behaviours by governments, most active people who are already in the shea business and investing almost all their time, energy and resources seem to be uncertain, as to whether or not they would one day smile out of their investment.

Consequently, the Executive Chairperson of the Northern Ghana Community Action Fund (NOGCAF), Madam Anna-Maria Fati Paul has re-alerted the NPP government and other stakeholders to give the shea industry the requisite attention it deserved in order for the commodity to attain its proper role in the economic development of the three Northern Regions and Ghana as a whole. She made this call at a three-day Regional Conference on the development of the shea industry organized by the Tung-Teiya Shea Butter Extraction Women's Association (TUSEWA) in the Northern It was aimed to deliberate on issues pertaining to the development of the shea butter industry in the Northern Ghana and to also identify priority areas for intervention by government and other stakeholders and to synthesize regional action plans for future research and development activities.

Madam Anna-Maria indicated that women in the Northern Regions primarily used the few incomes generated from the shea products to raise their families and meet the needs of the household. She however regretted why the production, commercialization and consumption of shea had not yet received the needed attention and assistance in many areas.

According to the NOGCAF Director, the excessive poverty in Northern Ghana was largely due to the fact that the shea nut/butter business was increasingly being abandoned. "It is a fact that when the industry is developed, it will go a long way to make the goal of the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) II and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) be achieved".

The Chairperson of NOGCAF however entreated the participants to come out with a communiqué at the end of the conference that would influence government for proper action on the industry.

The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris through the Deputy Regional Coordinating Director, Abubakari shaibu Abdulai acknowledged the numerous roles TUSEWA and other women related NGOs are playing to ensuring women empowerment and poverty reduction.

According to the Minister, the NPP was fully aware of the enormous potentials in the shea nut industry and was committed to its growth and sustainability, so as to reduce poverty among the women who were the majority in the industry. Mustapha Ali idris challenged the shea dealers to be innovative in making the product more attractive on the local and international markets.

The Chairperson of TUSEWA, Madam Stella Nitori gave a brief history about TUSEWA which she said involved over 400 members who are into shea butter business and other eleven vibrant community groups in five Districts of Northern Ghana.

Madam Nitori mentioned that as part of the association's achievements, TUSEWA had been able to: secure good market for its members, train members in quality control of their products, empower some women groups economically to cater for their wards in school and has also provided some women groups with grinding mills to facilitate their businesses.

However, TUSEWA awarded some beneficiary communities that supported its infrastructural, water and sanitation projects funded by its development partners, "Body Shop".

The Making of Shea Butter Part 3-Deodorization of Shea

We are often asked here at Purely Shea about the smell of shea butter. Many people notice that when they use many of the commercially available “pure” shea butters, there is no smell and they wonder why.



The Smell of Unrefined Shea Butter
First of all, natural, unrefined and pure shea butter will have a distinctive aroma. It has a smoky, nutty, and earthy scent that disappears shortly after it is applied. Please note that shea butter should never have a foul order! If it does, dirty utensils and water were probably used during processing and this shea butter should not be used.

Deodorization Process
During another step involving the “refining” of shea butter, a process called deodorization occurs. The odor is removed using steam at temperatures of 240-270 degrees F.

Why Should You Care?
Well not only is the odor removed during this process, but it also removes many of the Shea Butter’s vitamins, anti-oxidants, and other healing factors. Those who are seeking nourishment and healing from a deodorized Shea Butter will be disappointed in its ability to provide therapeutic results.

Steph,
Purely Shea-The Leader in Organic Shea Butter Skincare
www.purelyshea.com

Purely Shea Raves

Just wanted to take a quick moment to tell everyone to check out our new "As Seen In" page at www.purelyshea.com!

It features some great write-ups and reviews. Let us know what you think!


Technorati Profile

The Making Of Shea Butter Part 2-Hexane Extracted Shea Butter

These two images are what you would find in the official Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) under Hexane. It’s scary to realize your skincare and cosmetics are made with such substances.

Shea Butter is often extracted using hexane which is a dangerous petro-chemical. The shea kernels are placed into hexane which removes the shea butter from the kernel itself. Traces of the solvent remain in the Shea Butter, even after purification.

This form of extraction produces a larger yield than the traditional processing of shea butter, which is why most commercially available shea butter’s are produced this way.

This is potentially very dangerous to who anyone who may use hexane-extracted shea butter, because according to the MSDS, Hexane may cause the following:

• Impaired Fertility
• Harmful by Inhalation
• CNS Depression
• Prolonged exposure may cause serious health damage.
  
  But you needn't fear. There are a few companies, Purely Shea included, which do not use hexane-extracted shea butter. Be sure to question the source of your shea butter products if you are not sure.
  
  Steph,
  Purely Shea
  www.purelyshea.com

The Making of Shea Butter Part 1-The Traditional Process

How does the picture to the left, which is shea fruit, become shea butter?

Many of you are aware that most of the commercially available Shea Butter that you see in stores today has been extracted using a toxic and dangerous petroleum by-product called hexane. However, there are several companies that use only Shea Butter that has been traditionally extracted such as Purely Shea.

Here is how Purely Shea Shea Butter is made using traditional shea butter processing method WITHOUT chemicals.

1. The fallen fruit from the Karite Tree (Shea Tree) has become ripe and falls to the ground and is picked-up by women.

2. The fresh fruit is then eaten leaving behind the shea kernel.

3. The kernels are sorted and hand-washed with fresh clean water.

4. Next, the kernels are boiled and then allowed to sun dry.

5. Then, the nuts are pounded with traditional wood pestles and placed in cast iron kettles and dry roasted.

6. The dry roasted kernels are ground to produce a paste which is then hand mixed and kneaded with hot water. It at this step that you finally have Shea Butter.

7. After this, the shea butter is purified by heating with clean water where the impurities fall to the bottom.

8. Finally, the shea butter is filtered when poured in to clean stainless steel storage drums.

Steph,

Purely Shea

http://www.purelyshea.com

Shea Butter and National Healthy Skin Month-Part 4

So this is the final installment in our National Healthy Skin Month series. The two remaining topics we will touch on today involve using Shea Butter to help with nail care and rosacea.



NAIL CARE

One of the natural components in Organic Unrefined Shea Butter is latex. This substance forms a protective film and barrier over the skin making it a very effective nail and cuticle treamtment. Just a side note about your cuticles, the cuticle is the skin that grows from the finger onto the base of the nail (nail root). It is recommended that the cuticle not be pushed back NOR removed because leaving the cuticle intact helps to prevent infection.

Another natural component, cinnamic acid, appears to have antibacterial, antifungal, and parasite fighting abilities. This makes Organic Unrefined Shea Butter a wonderful aid to assist with nail and cuticle care of the feet as well.

ROSACEA

First, as mentioned in yesterday's post, if you have this condition you must understand that Shea Butter is NOT A DRUG and therefore you should contact a licensed practitioner before using anything to help with this condition. Many people find that a whole-body approach, i.e diet, exercise, meditation, visualization are necessary to treat this condition.

Unrefined Organic Shea Butter has helped the conditions of those with rosacea due to its high healing fraction as well as its extraordinarily high moisturizing fraction. The fact that it contains an abundant of all-natural anti-inflammatory agents also makes it helpful for rosacea.

Steph,
Purely Shea
www.purelyshea.com

Disclaimer: Pure Unrefined Certified Organic Shea Butter is not intended for the use in treatment for specific medical diseases. For treatment of health ailments, please seek diagnosis and recommendations from a licensed practitioner. Please seek advice from your health care provider.

Shea Butter and National Healthy Skin Month-Part 3

Welcome to the third installment of our NATIONAL HEALTHY SKIN MONTH series. Today we’ll talk about Shea Butter’s helpful uses for the following:
Premature Aging
Eczema and Psoriasis
Sun Damage

Premature Aging
One of the best ways to prevent premature aging is to keep the skin soft and supple by moisturizing daily. One of Mother Nature’s most powerful moisturizers is Certified Unrefined Organic Shea Butter. Not only does this plant butter help to reduce premature aging of the skin, the high amounts of vitamin A in Certified Unrefined Organic Shea Butter also help to promote epidermis cell development and fibroblast activity. Vitamin E is also abundant in this plant butter serving as an anti-free radical agent thereby preventing wrinkles.

Eczema and Psoriasis
First, if you have either one of these conditions you must understand that Shea Butter is NOT A DRUG and therefore you should contact a licensed practitioner before using anything to help with these conditions. Many people find that a whole-body approach, i.e diet, exercise, meditation, visualization are necessary to treat these conditions.

At Purely Shea we have received countless testimonials about the effectiveness of Certified Unrefined Organic Shea Butter for these conditions. The phytosterols also known as plant sterols contribute to the improvement of eczema and psoriasis. Shea Butter contains several of these sterols which are responsible for its Anti-Inflammatory effects. Certified Unrefined Organic Shea Butter also contains a remarkably high amount of nonsaponifiable matter. This is the healing fraction Shea Butter responsible for nourishing the skin.

Sun Damage
The high amounts of Vitamin E serve as an anti-free radical agent thereby aiding in preventing the deleterious effects of sun and environmental exposure to the skin. Certified Unrefined Organic Shea Butter also contains an all-natural UV absorber with an SPF of about 5.

Tomorrow we will wrap up this series. We hope you liked it!

Steph,
Purely Shea
www.purelyshea.com


Disclaimer: Pure Unrefined Certified Organic Shea Butter is not intended for the use in treatment for specific medical diseases. For treatment of health ailments, please seek diagnosis and recommendations from a licensed practitioner. Please seek advice from your health care provider.

NEW-Purely Shea® Shea Butter in Stores!

We just wanted to take a moment to let everyone know that you can now buy Purely Shea from Akin’s Natural Foods Market in Tulsa, Oklahoma (Fontana Store) and in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Mayfair Store) as well
as Chamberlin’s Market and Café in Winter Park, Florida.

Purely Shea is proud to partner with Health Food Associates, Inc., the owners of Akin’s and Chamberlin’s because they sell only the purest and highest quality natural foods, food supplements & cosmetics.

They stand behind the products they sell because they know that they are nutritionally superior, the purest, and the healthiest available anywhere. They only deal with reputable manufacturers and suppliers whose integrity has been proven. They make it easier for you to shop because they read the labels first.

Feel free to visit their website at http://www.akins.com/home_ie.htm

If ordering online isn’t for you, stop in one these stores to check out Purely Shea® Shea Butter today!

Steph,
Purely Shea
www.purelyshea.com

Shea Butter and Acne

The photo to the left depicts the beginning of a pimple which is caused when excess oil or sebum combined with dead skin cells clogs the pores. Bacteria then accumulates in the pores causing the following:
Inflamed pimples
Whiteheads
Blackheads

Contrary to many popular beliefs, even acne prone skin needs a good moisturizer after cleansing. Shea Butter is excellent because of its high healing fraction to provide relief to inflamed skin. It has also been found to have antimicrobial activity helping to kill bacteria responsible for pimples.

We recommend using a small, pea size amount after cleansing the face with a natural Shea Butter based cleanser twice a day for best results. A lot of our clients tell us that dietary changes, along with the Shea Butter regimen has done wonders for their acne prone skin. They have noticed decreasing scarring as well.

Steph,
Purely Shea
www.purelyshea.com

Disclaimer: Pure Unrefined Certified Organic Shea Butter is not intended for the use in treatment for specific medical diseases. For treatment of health ailments, please seek diagnosis and recommendations from a licensed practitioner. Please seek advice from your health care provider.

Shea Butter and the Healthy Skin Connection

November is National Healthy Skin Month!

Well today begins the launch of the ninth annual National Healthy Skin Month sponsored by the American Academy of Dermatology. This public education initiative showcases treatment options for various skin conditions including the following:

• Acne
• Eczema
• Nail Problems
• Premature Aging
• Psoriasis
• Rosacea
• Skin Cancer
• Sun Damage

The skin is the largest and most visible organ of the human body. Its job is to protect the body, so it is important to protect your skin. Since Unrefined Organic Shea Butter is truly one of Mother Nature's superb skin conditioners, we will provide detailed information on the use of Shea Butter for each of the conditions mentioned above.

In addition to Shea Butter, we will also focus on some other all-natural ways to provide healthy skin during National Healthy Skin Month.

Steph,

Purely Shea

www.purelyshea.com

Shea Butter and Safe Cosmetics

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics challenges all of us as consumers and manufacturers to question the toxic chemicals in our products and to do all we can to remove them. According to this organization, the chemicals in any one consumer product alone are not likely to cause harm. However, we are repeatedly exposed to industrial chemicals in our cosmetics and personal care products from many different sources on a dialy basis.

Some of these chemicals have been linked to cancer, infertility, birth defects, and many other diseases. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is asking cosmetics companies to to sign the Compact for Safe Cosmetics. This is a pledge to not use toxic chemicals and to make safer reformulated products readily available in the U.S. and in every market they serve. They are also pushing for smarter laws to protect our health from toxic chemicals.

Purely Shea is a proud signer of this pledge along with more than 300 other skincare companies. 100 % Pure Unrefined Certified Organic Shea Butter is one of the most effective and safest skincare products available. Please visit http://www.safecosmetics.org/index.cfm to get more information about this campaign.

Steph,
Purely Shea
http://www.purelyshea.com

Fair Trade Shea Butter

October is Fair Trade Month!

Thank you for joining us for this e-celebration of Fair Trade. Fair Trade products ensure that farmers and other workers throughout the world receive a fair price for their products. This allows them to decrease poverty in their communities and to provide for their families.

Here at Purely Shea, fair trade is extremely important to us. We deal with several women’s cooperative groups that provide high-quality, Certified Organic Shea Butter at competitive and fair prices. However, Fair Trade is much more than a fair price, it also provides:

Fair Labor Conditions

Direct Trade Opportunities

Democratic Organizations

Community Development

Environmental Sustainability

The only third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the U.S. right now is TransFair USA. Currently, the only products that they certify are coffee, tea, herbs, cocoa, chocolate, fresh fruit, sugar, rice, and vanilla. At this time, they do not certify Shea Butter. They have received several requests for this certification, so hopefully we will see this in 2007.

Steph,
Purely Shea
www.purelyshea.com

PURELY SHEA BABY

Whether you are a brand new parent or grandparent or just simply a friend looking for a great baby gift, choosing all-natural, gentle products for baby’s skin is an absolute necessity since young ones are highly sensitive to chemicals.

One of the staples of baby care should be 100 % Pure Unrefined Certified Organic Shea Butter. This superior moisturizer will nourish and protect an infants delicate skin. It will also provide an excellent barrier when applied during each diaper change to prevent diaper rash.

Here are some other tips to prevent diaper rash:
Rinse baby’s bottom w/warm water as part of each diaper change
Don’t scrub, simply pat dry with a clean towel
Don’t over-tighten diapers
Use diaper liners and diaper covers
Don't forget Purely Shea shea butter!

Steph,
Purely Shea
www.purelyshea.com

Essential Oils and Shea Butter

Well I am back from a much needed vacation! One of the things I enjoyed most while getting some R & R was a truly decadent Shea Butter massage. The massage therapist used a fragrant blend of essential oils mixed with the Shea Butter. I was left feeling uplifted and energized as well as really relaxed. She informed me that the essential oils have wonderful emotional benefits. The following is just a brief list of what essential oils are good for various emotions:

ANGER
Bergamot, Orange, Rose, Neroli

ANXIETY
Clary Sage, Frankincense, Lavender, Patchouli, Vetiver

DEPRESSION
Grapefruit, Helichrysum, Jasmine, Lavender, Lemon, Mandarin, Orange, Rose, Ylang Ylang

FATIGUE
Basil, Bergamot, Black Pepper, Ginger, Cypress, Rosemary, Sandalwood, Lemon, Grapefruit

IRRITABILITY
Lavender, Mandarin, Neroli, Chamomile, Sandalwood

STRESS
Geranium, Lavender, Mandarin, Neroli, Rose, Vetiver, Ylang Ylang

Just because essential oils are derived from plants does not mean they are automatically safe to use. After handling essential oils,it is "essential" to wash one's hands carefully with warm waterand soap. Avoid touching your eyes or putting your fingers inyour mouth.

Because essential oils are so concentrated, it is usually necessary to dilute them with a neutral carrier oil, such as sweet almond, jojoba, or Certified Organic Shea Butter to avoid irritating the skin.

Steph,
Purely Shea
www.purelyshea.com

Shea Butter for Smooth Winter Lips

The tips listed below are to help you keep your lips soft and smooth during the upcoming winter months.

1. Always apply a natural lip cream, such as Unrefined Certified Organic Shea, several times a day to protect your lips.

2. Massaging lips with the butter and leave a thin layer of it on your lips overnight for natural protection.

3. Apply a thin coat of the butter on your lips before applying lipsticks.

4. In order to increase the moisture level on lips, dip a black tea bag in warm water and press it on lips for three to four minutes.

5. Do not lick lips repeated. It may feel good temporarily, but it strips the lips of natural oils and only makes matters worse.

Winter is just around the corner and with these tips, everyone will be envious of your soft smackers!

Steph
Purely Shea
www.purelyshea.com

Shea Butter Massage

A relaxing massage is truly one of life’s healing pleasures. There are dozens of massage techniques as well as a variety of products to use such as:
Oils
Lotions
Butters

OILS
Most massage oils are light oils such as apricot kernel, canola, soy or safflower. They provide low-friction slip and are highly absorbed allowing them to be excellent with a deeper massage technique. These oils serve as nice moisturizers but each have a very low healing fraction.

LOTIONS
Lotions are usually easier to handle than liquids because they will not drip and roll out of your hands. Most lotions and creams are composed of 50-90% water and therefore have a very small healing fraction and serve as just minimum short-term moisturizers.

BUTTERS
There are a HUGE variety of butters available such as Aloe Butter, Avocado Butter, Cupuaco Butter, Muru Muru Butter, Kokum Butter, Hemp Butter and of course our favorite, Unrefined Certified Organic Shea Butter.

We feel that a massage using Butters is superior to Oils and Lotions because they provide great slip, are not messy and drippy, and because they are superior moisturizers with a very high healing fraction.

Enjoy the following tips for giving a great massage:
1. Warm the massage product before starting
2. Dim the lights, turn off the tv and phone
3. Play soft soothing background music
4. Add pure organic essential oils to the product
5. Warm your hands before starting
6. Use Purely Shea Shea Butter!

Steph,
Purely Shea
http://www.purelyshea.com

4 Ways to Eat Shea!

We are often asked the following question here at Purely Shea: 'How safe is Shea Butter to put on my skin?' We always respond by saying is safe enough to eat! Everyone is amazed when we tell them how Shea Butter is consumed all over the world. So here are the four ways to eat shea:


1. SHEA FRUIT
During the summer months, the Karite tree produces an abundance of green-orange shea fruit which is about the size of a large apricot. The deliciously sweet Shea Fruit is eaten and is very rich in Vitamin C. After the fruit is eaten, the remaining kernel is used to make Shea Butter.

2. CHOCOLATE INDUSTRY
Shea Butter is used extensively to make fine European Chocolates and is known as a CBE (Cocoa Butter Equivalent). Shea butter is used to replace some or all of the cocoa butter in confectionery applications.

3. BUTTER SUBSTITUTE
Shea Butter is quite popular in Japan as substitute for margarine and butter.

4. COOKING OIL
Shea Butter is used throughout western African Savannahs as a cooking oil during food preparation.

Since Shea Butter is safe enough to eat, it is safe enough to gently moisturize your baby's skin as well as soften your lips during the winter. However, our products here at Purely Shea are for external use only.

Steph,
Purely Shea
http://www.purelyshea.com

Tripterpenes and Latex in Shea Butter

Welcome back to the final installment in our "The Healing Fraction of Shea Butter" series! Today we will focus on both triterpenes and latex in Shea Butter.



TRITERPENES
These are substances which contain 6 isoprene units or thirty carbons per molecule hence the prefix 'tri.' They are found in a wide variety of plant and animal sources and often exhibit antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal activity.

In Shea Butter, they exhibit anti-inflammatory properties as well as the capacity to renew the skin. There is also a noted potential to inhibit protease activity as well.

LATEX
This is a complex emulsion that contains resins, proteins, alkaloids, starches, and oils. Most people are familiar with latex from the tissue beneath the bark of the rubber tree responsible for the multitude of rubber products.

In Shea Butter, latex forms a protective film and barrier over the skin making Shea Butter a super long-lasting moisturizer. Latex also contributes to its ability to protect the skin from sun damage. It should be noted, however, that anyone with a known latex allergy should do a patch test before using. To date, there have been no Shea Butter Latex allergic reactions reported to the FDA.

This concludes our five part series about the "Healing Fraction of Shea Butter." Let us know what you think!

Steph,
Purely Shea
http://www.purelyshea.com

You are probably wondering what does the nonsaponifiable or unsaponifiable matter of Shea Butter have to do with the picture the left. Well, the unsaponifiable matter is the part of a natural fat which does not turn into soap during the saponification process. (We’ll talk more about soap and shea butter next week!) In other words, it is the component of Shea Butter which can not be broken down into an acid, alcohol, or salt.

The unsaponifiable matter is therefore very beneficial to the skin as it restructures, regenerates and protects the epidermis since it remains constant and can not be broken down any further.

This component is small in most natural oils. For example, olive oil has an unsaponifiable fraction of approximately 1.5 % and refined shea butter about 1-2%. The exciting news about Unrefined Certified Organic Shea Butter is that it has the highest unsaponifiable fraction ranging from 6-17% than any other oil used in cosmetics!

Join me tomorrow in our final installment about the 5 important tests that reveal the quality of the Healing Fraction of Unrefined Certified Organic Shea Butter.

Steph,
Purely Shea-The Leader in Organic Shea Butter Skincare
http://www.purelyshea.com

Sterols in Shea Butter

Don’t be frightened by the photo to the left. This is not a chemistry lesson! It is simply a 3-D image of the molecular structure of a plant sterol.

Phytosterols or Plant Sterols are naturally occurring components in many vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, oils, and other plant sources. They are essential structures of plant cell membranes and structurally resemble cholesterol and other animal sterols.

Shea Butter contains several all-natural plant sterols. The majority of sterols in Shea Butter are spinasterol, stigmasterol, and Beta-sitosterol. These compounds provide the following anti-inflammatory benefits for using shea butter:
Relaxes Tired Muscles
Reduces Swelling
Decreases Itching
Soothes Allergic Reactions
Helps Treat Hemorrhoids

Mother Nature’s anti-inflammatory compounds, plant sterols, are found throughout nature. They are especially abundant in Shea Butter and lend to its powerful healing properties.

Steph,

Purely Shea

http://www.purelyshea.com

Cinnamic Acid in Shea Butter

The picture to the left depicts a polarized light image of cinnamic acid. Isn't it beautiful? Well this gorgeous looking acid is naturally found throughout nature in various plants including cinnamon, balsam, and Shea Butter. Cinnamic acid derivatives are important metabolic building blocks in the production of lignins for higher plants. It also appears to have antibacterial, antifungal, and parasite fighting abilities.

The cinnamic acid value in Shea Butter is the best indications of the product's environmental history and the post-extraction conditions. Shea Butter that is unrefined and stored in proper conditions gives a value in the range of 95 or better.

Cinnamic acid contributes to the following clinical properties of Shea Butter:

• Absorbs radiation in the ultraviolet spectrum in the range of 290 to 320 nm
• Inhibits Elastase which is an enzyme that degrades the protein that allows the skin to stay elastic, and maintain its youthful resilience
• Acts as an anti-inflammatory

Steph,

Purely Shea

http://www.purelyshea.com

Vitamins A & E in Shea Butter

Unrefined Certified Organic Shea Butter contains an abundant of vital nutrients including Vitamin A and Vitamin E. It is interesting to note that refined shea butter is lacking in both of these nutrients

VITAMIN A
This vitamin is very necessary for healthy skin. A serious lack or excessive intake can cause dry, rough skin, among other problems. Synthetic vitamin A-like compounds called retinoids, such as treatments, applied directly to the skin have been used to treat acne and skin wrinkling and mottled pigmentation caused by chronic sun exposure.

Unrefined Certified Organic Shea Butter is an all-natural Vitamin A cream. Vitamin A is important for improving a number of skins conditions, including dermatitis, blemishes, wrinkles and and eczema. It is also promotes epidermis cell development and fibroblast activity.

VITAMIN E
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant which helps to prevent free radical damage. Based on the observation that skin damage caused by the sun and other environmental agents are induced by free radicals, there is the possibility that vitamin E may be effective in preventing skin damage. It is being used in more and more skin preparations as a way to fend off this damage.

According to the American Shea Butter Institute, the vitamin E in Unrefined Shea Butter helps the skin (1) by increasing the micro-circulation to the skin, which results in increased blood supply to and from the skin; (2) serving as an anti-free radical agent, thereby aiding in preventing the deleterious effects of sun and environmental exposure.


Steph,
Purely Shea
http://www.purelyshea.com

Healing Fraction of Shea Butter

Shea butter has been used for thousands of years to heal a variety of skin conditions. There are 5 important tests that reveal the quality of the Healing Fraction also known as the nonsaponifiable fraction:

1. VITAMINS A & E

2. CINNAMIC VALUE

3. STEROLS

4. NONSAPONIFIABLE MATTER

5. OTHERS: TRITERPENES & LATEX

Various amounts of the above ingredients are sometimes not captured during the extraction process of shea butter resulting in the decreased healing of certain skin conditions. Remember: ALL SHEA BUTTER PRODUCTS ARE NOT EQUAL!

This week we will focus in-depth on each of the healing factors listed above.

Steph,

http://www.purelyshea.com