Centuries Old Treasure: Shea Butter History

Traditional uses of shea butter are being preserved today, despite its popularity throughout the world. African continent has been using shea for centuries and is entirely enmeshed within the history and culture of the West African wooded savanna.

Shea butter is mentioned in nearly all documents of African history and has always been attached to African pharmacology. Also, it is included in references tackling Cleopatra, which mention caravans bearing clay jars of shea butter for cosmetic purposes and where funeral beds of kings were carved in wood of old shea butter trees.Commonly known as Karité, Shea Nut Tree (butyrospermum parkii) is the common source of shea nut butter growing in the western part of Africa- Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso and other Savanna Regions of West Africa.

After 20 years, the shea butter tree bears fruit and produces a full crop after 45 years living up to two centuries, and can reach a maximum height of 15 to 20 meters. It blooms from June to July, cannot be cultivated and bears dark green fruits which fall to the ground when ripe. Each fruit contains a nut with a solid white kernel which is the source of the Shea Butter. It has been the practice for centuries in Ghana for a prayer to be offered before making shea butter to thank Mother Nature for providing the shea butter tree and to show respect for collecting the shea butter tree’s fruit.

Various families in West Africa have their own traditional ways of making shea nut butter depending on the process passed down from generations. The essential process of making shea butter, done by hand, is similar in most families and has been practiced for centuries. Shea nuts are collected, cracked, grilled and crushed to extract the butter. It is then boiled in water for hours until the shea nut butter rises to the surface. It is then scooped into gourds, left to cool and set. Although mass shea butter cannot be produced by this procedure, it is still the efficient

method to extract because there is no need for chemicals or synthetic agents to be added to extract the shea nut butter.

Aside from cosmetics, African shea butter was used for many other purposes before it was introduced to the world. Karite shea butter was used for centuries to treat patients and during certain traditional ceremonies shea butter is used to prepare certain dishes and for spiritual cleansing.

Shea butter has been also studied as an anti-inflammatory cream, and helpful in treating arthritis, rheumatism, nasal decongestant, eczema, dermatitis and heal bruising and soreness.

Shea butter can be used for all forms of massage, used as an excellent base for the addition of essential oils for smooth and most therapeutic deep tissue work. And it is an essential ingredient in beauty products and soaps, lotions, moisturizers and hair care solutions and is efficient in diminishing wrinkles.

Now shea butter attracts the interest of cosmetic companies more and more, as they aim to acquire their share of the shea butter market. As more and more companies choose this line of product, consumers are being presented with more and more choices relating to shea butter. Do not be confused or misled. Not all karate shea butter are similar.

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