Shea Butter: How is Shea Butter made
Shea butter is a natural, rich, nourishing and healthy alternative to popular skincare products. It's not just that! We love the way it's made. You're not buying from a faceless corporation when you order a pound of organic, unrefined Shea Butter. Supporting a group of amazing women from Ghana, Africa who work hard to create high-quality Shea butter is a great way to support them. You can learn a lot about the making of Shea Butter.
Shea Butter Origins
Before we go into the details of how Shea Butter is made let's give you some background.Because shea butter provides income and employment to women in 19 African countries, it is often called "women’s gold". These countries are home to the Karite or Shea tree. This tree produces the nuts used in Shea butter. It can take this tree up to 50 years to mature and it is considered a valuable commodity because of the nuts it produces. Fair local trading in Ghana is where all our Shea butter comes from. The women who harvest Shea nuts by hand are the source of our Shea butter.
How is Shea Butter made?
A Shea butter block begins its life as a stack of nuts.These nuts areBoilIn a large saucepan, making it easier to break the shell.Once the nuts have cooled, they become firm.Extracted from their shells. The process of extracting the oil is done manually. Although it can be tedious, it is often performed by groups made up of women, who enjoy it as a social activity.The shells can be used to make cooking fuel while the seeds can be cracked.Roast.The roasted seeds then becomeBeat with waterThey are released into the air by the.These extracts can be found here Boil, skimmed and coolThis results in the Shea butter that we all love.
A family tradition
Making Shea butter is a family tradition for many women. The traditional techniques are passed on by mothers to their daughters. Although it's hard work, many West African women can make a living from this lifestyle. BBC News has more information.great photo seriesThis video shows how Ghanaian women transform Shea nuts into butter.
You can also visit this videoFor an explanation from a woman who lives this way, click hereThe demand for Shea butter has been increasing in recent years. This presents many opportunities for women across Africa and Ghana. There are many dangerous ingredients in many cosmetic products. This is becoming more apparent. People are turning to Shea butter for cosmetics. Shea butter is rich in vitamins A, E, essential oils, antioxidants, and vitamin E. It is a great base for body butters and lotions as well as eczema creams and deodorants. Order from Better Shea ButterYou'll get a free eBook with delicious recipes that will inspire you to make the most out of this beautiful ingredient.
We are so thankful
We are grateful to the women from Ghana for their hard work and talent. It isn't easy to make Shea butter. It is an honor to be part of this amazing women's work. We hope that you will join us in our appreciation of all that Shea butter has to offer and all that is required to make it.
