Wednesday, September 13, 2006

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

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

i) how can you test for cinnamic value
ii) Please help design a cheap lotion from my shear butter in Northen Uganda