shea butter

shea butter, edible fat made from the seeds of shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa; family Sapotaceae) fruit. Shea butter is used in cosmetics, as a skin moisturizer, and as a cooking oil. It is also thought to have medicinal properties.

The shea tree is indigenous to the dry savannah region of West and southern Africa. It typically grows about 45 feet (14 meters) tall. It is slow growing, taking about 15 to 20 years before beginning to produce fruit, with full fruiting potential reached at about 30 to 40 years. In favorable weather conditions, a single shea tree can produce as much as 110 pounds (50 kg) of fruit annually; typical fruit production, however, is about 33 to 44 pounds (15 to 20 kg). The green oval-shaped fruit has a fleshy pulp that can be eaten and also made into a jam.

Shea tree fruit contains two to four seed kernels, or shea nuts, which are removed and turned into butter using various methods, typically involving roasting, pounding, grinding, and boiling the kernels. When boiled, the kernels produce fat that rises to the surface and becomes solid at room temperature, similar to coconut oil. The resulting shea butter is used in food preparation and is a popular component in cosmetics and herbal medicinal treatments. In Burkina Faso, evidence for the use of shea butter dates to 100 ce or earlier.

Shea butter is a triglyceride fat derived from stearic acid and oleic acid. The fat contains vitamin A and vitamin E and triterpene acetates and cinnamates, which possess anti-inflammatory properties and potentially have inhibitory effects on skin tumors. Because of its emollient properties, shea butter is popularly used as a moisturizer and is thought to help treat acne, burns, and other skin conditions; however, there has been little scientific research into such uses. Unrefined shea butter is cream colored and has a mild scent; when it is processed and becomes refined, it is white and has no scent. Refined shea butter is popular in products for sensitive skin, but some nutrients are lost during the refining process.

In African countries shea butter has long been used as a cooking fat. Research in Ghana, where shea butter is commonly used in cooking, has indicated a link to reduced blood pressure, suggesting that there may be a connection between cooking with shea butter and cardiovascular health. Internationally, shea butter is used as an alternative to cocoa butter in the manufacture of chocolate candies and as an ingredient in baked goods instead of palm oil, which has high levels of saturated fat.

Shea butter is of vital importance to the African economy. Harvesting and processing of shea nuts provides jobs to otherwise financially disadvantaged communities. In 2022 the global shea butter market was estimated at $2.17 billion; the estimated annual growth rate through 2030 is significant, as shea butter is increasingly accepted into food and other products.