The Benefits of Shea  Butter

The Shea (Karite) tree grows in the grasslands of West Africa. It will often grow to a height of 50 feet or more; and produces shea nuts from which natural shea butter is extracted. The tree grows slowly, taking up to 20 years to produce fruit. The nuts of the shea tree are normally harvested during the rainy season and sun dried over an extended period of time afterwards. Once sufficiently dried, the nuts are crushed and pounded into a powder. The powder is then boiled for four to five days to create the Shea butter. The process is the same that has been used and perfected through the generations in West Africa.

Africa's relationship with Shea butter is intimate in nature. The funeral beds of late kings are carved in the noble wood of an old Shea tree, and Shea butter has always served as a staple of African pharmacology. It acts as an effective decongestant, for example. The leaves and bark of the shea tree also are used extensively in herbal remedies. The fruit is edible.

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