SHEA BUTTER

Description

Shea butter is a slightly yellowish or ivory colored natural fat extracted from the seed of the African SHEA TREE by crushing and boiling. It is widely used in cosmetics as a moisturizer and salve. Shea nuts are primarily grown in West and Central Africa in the semi-arid Sahel, referred to by traders as the “Shea Belt”. Vitellaria paradoxa and Vitellaria nilotica are the two main varieties. Vitellaria paradoxa is exported in the largest volume and grows throughout the West African region. Vitellaria nilotica is produced primarily in northern Uganda and southern Sudan. Shea Nut products, the solid fat (butter or stearin) and the liquid oil (olein), are ideal for use as raw materials in cooking oil, margarine, cosmetics, soap, detergents and candles, but it has found its primary market niche as a substitute for cocoa butter in the chocolate and confectionery industry.

Harvest:

Shea nut trees grow widely and naturally in West Africa. They only begin to bear fruit after about *0 years and do not reach maturity for *5 years. They may continue to produce nuts for up to **0 years after reaching maturity. The nuts, which are embedded in a soft fruit, fall to the ground during the harvesting period (typically June through August). They are then buried in pits which cause the pulp to ferment and disintegrate and produce enough heat to prevent germination. The nuts are dried for a few days and are later shelled and winnowed, usually by hand. The kernels are dried further to reduce moisture content from about *0 percent to about 7 percent.

Locations:

Sheanut grows in the wild across the Sudan-Sahelian region of Africa. The major producing countries are: Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Ghana, Uganda, Mali, Burkina Faso and Central African Republic. Nigeria is currently the leading producer of Shea Nut in the world

Specifications/Grades:
Shea butter is graded based on a number of factors. For some buyers, it could be based on the percentage of the expected vital constituents present in the sample while some other buyers use the level of refining and contamination present as their criteria. Based on the percentage of the expected vital constituents present, Shea butter can be graded as shown in the table below;
Based on the level of refining done and contamination present, shea butter is now classified into five grades:

A. Raw or unrefined, extracted using water

B. Refined

C. Highly refined and extracted with solvents such as hexane

D. Lowest uncontaminated grade

E. With contaminants

Commercial grades are A, B, C. The color of raw (grade A) butter ranges from cream (like whipped butter) to grayish yellow, and it has a nutty aroma which is removed in the other grades. Grade C is pure white. Grade A retains the most natural vitamins, especially vitamin A and vitamin E, which are partially lost in the other grades.

Uses

Traditionally, African Shea Butter is used for cooking oil, as a water proofing wax, for hairdressing and for candle-making; and also as an ingredient of medicinal ointments.
Industrially, Shea Butter is used in cosmetics production, such as moisturizer creams and emulsion, and hair conditioners for dry and brittle hair. It is also used by soap makers, typically in small amounts (**7% of the oils in the recipe), because of its property of leaving a small amount of oil in the soap. Shea butter is also used as an ingredient in chocolate fillings.
Medicinally, Shea butter is used as a base for medicinal ointments, and has been claimed to have anti-inflammatory properties emollient and humectants. Shea butter has been claimed to be effective treatment for the following conditions: fading scars, eczema, burns, rashes, severely dry skin, dark spots, skin discolorations, chapped lips, stretch marks, wrinkles, and in lessening the irritation of psoriasis.

New Commercial Uses includes:

1. Dry skin

2. Skin rash

3. Skin peeling, after tanning

4. Blemishes and wrinkles

5. Itchy skin

6. Sunburn

7. Shaving cream for a smooth silky shave

8. Small skin wounds

9. Skin cracks

*0. Tough or rough skin (on feet)

*1. Cold weather

*2. Frost bites

*3. Stretch mark prevention during pregnancy

*4. Insect bites

*5. Healthy skin

*6. Muscle fatigue, aches and tension

*7. Use before and after strenuous exercise

*8. Skin allergies such as poison ivy or poison oak

*9. Eczema

*0. Dermatitis

*1. Skin damage from heat (hot grease while cooking, radiation treatment for certain medical problems, etc.)

Other Commercial Uses includes:

A. Shea based adhesives, resins, and composites

B. Shea Plastics and compounding

C. Shea conversion into chemicals, solvents, and fuels

D. Nutritional value and characterization

E. Total utilization of Shea materials for new commercial uses