Shea butter ranges from an ivory, to pale yellow, to a slight green shade and has a mildly "nutty" aroma. It is derived from the Karite Nut tree in Africa and has been known for thousands of years for it's many desired properties and it's important role in Africa due to trade and also being commonly used as a food source.

Shea butter is mostly widely known today in most areas today as a skin moisturizer but it's effects have been known to go far beyond this. Shea butter is not only hight in essential fatty acids and vitamin A & E and contains the rare vitamin F, but also has cinnamic acid which gives aid in protection from UV-B rays to the skin- giving it slight sunscreen properties. Shea butter has been known to increases local capillary circulation which triggers cell re-oxygenation which assists in the excretion of metabolic wastes from pores and is useful in the treatments of small wounds, skin ulcers and prized by the many cosmetic companies for the role it's been known to play in anti aging skin treatments. The benefits of shea butter are both endless and priceless- especially to soapmakers. For all the reasons above and the fact that she has a high percent of unsaponifiables (unsaponifiables are parts of the oils that do not react to the soapmaking process, leaving it behind to nourish the skin)- shea butter is truly a wonderful addition to any soap.

Here are just some benefits & uses of shea butter to sum it all up:

skin moisturization, decongestant for colds, anti-inflammatory for sprains and arthritis, wrinkles, scars, stretch marks, psoriasis, massage, hair care, burns , chapped lips, sun damage, insect bites, small wounds and scrapes, diaper rash, etc.