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