Shea butter is a vegetable fat obtained from the seeds of the Shea tree. It is excellent for cosmetic applications; it soothes reddened skins, its high content of vitamin F allows it to improve the elasticity of the skin, as well as its
great moisturising capacity.
Composed mainly of palmitic acid (2-6%); stearic acid (15-25%); oleic acid (60-70%); linolenic acid (5-15%); linoleic acid (<1%), as well as an original unsaponifiable fraction that gives it a great moisturising and emollient capacity.
It contains antioxidants such as tocopherols (vitamin E) and catechins (which are also found in green tea). Other specific compounds have been detected such as triterpene alcohols, which have anti-inflammatory properties; esters of cinnamic acids, which have a limited ability to absorb ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and lupeol, which prevents the effects of skin aging by inhibiting enzymes that degrade skin proteins. Shea butter also protects the skin by stimulating the production of structural proteins by specialized dermal cells.
This fat is known above all for its moisturising properties, which is why it is used in the composition of numerous cosmetic industry preparations.