Do you know that … Shea butter, known as butter from shea, is one of the biggest wonders of the Black continent.

joi, 21 august 2014

Do you know that …

Shea butter, known as butter from shea, is one of the biggest wonders of the Black continent. It is extracted from walnut kernels of Mangifolia tree

(Butyrospermum Parkii) and grows in the west African savannah .Its name means “life” and it is considered as sacred..The tree could not be cultivated and only grows in wild nature. Rises to 15-20 m height and its length of life is about 50 years . It begins to give fruits  after 15 years , but it even can takes 30 years to start giving  good quality kernels, rich in vitamins and fatty acids.

Fruits are small ,oval shape, dark green in color with almond like kernel, it ripens from July until  September.Cultivation and harvest of the plans is performed by  adult women.Only they could break the kernels and make the oil.. The kernels are dried and ground into a paste.This paste is knead continuously until it turns to shea butter - one universal product for the skin care, named " woman's gold". Women from Burkina Faso use it for massaging their newborn babies. It is said that the Egyptian  queen  Nefertiti owed its beauty to the regularly use of the shea butter,
Shea butter is extremely valuable due to its composition and effect on the skin. The great quantity of vitamin E in it provides protection from UV rays and the effects of free radicals. Prevents the appearance of wrinkles, smooths the fine lines and effectively counteract the aging processes.Vitamin F acts as skin protector. It has strong softening effect on rough, dry and scaling skin.
It is contained in  facial wash cream Gardenia and rose.