Shea butter is a rich, creamy butter with a soft, nutty scent. It’s heavier and more cushioning than mango butter, which makes it our go-to for skin that needs deep, lasting comfort.

What is shea butter?

Shea butter comes from the nuts of the shea tree, which grows across the savannahs of West and East Africa. The nuts are crushed and gently processed to release their butter, which has been used for skin and hair care in the region for centuries.

Shea butter benefits for skin

Shea butter is rich in fatty acids and naturally occurring vitamins A and E. It helps soften dry skin and reduce moisture loss, leaving skin supple and comfortable. Its naturally occurring antioxidant compounds also help protect skin from everyday environmental stress.

Because of its rich, cushioning texture, shea butter is particularly well suited to dry, weathered or sensitive skin and to formulas designed for longer-lasting moisture.

How to use shea butter

Shea butter is most often found in rich creams, balms and body butters. On its own, warm a small amount between your palms until it softens, then press it into dry hands, elbows, heels or the ends of dry hair.

Shea butter in Twigroot skin care

Like mango butter, shea is one of the natural plant butters we use to give our creams their richness and body. We prefer to build texture and nourishment from ingredients that also have a purpose for the skin.

Shea brings deep, lasting comfort to our Nourish Facial Cream for dry or mature skin, and helps give our Night Balm its rich texture that melts on contact.

It’s part of the velvety base of our Blossom Body Cream and Summer Nights Body Cream, and helps protect dry, hardworking hands in our Herbiary Hand Cream.

Shea butter is not something we grow here on Cortes Island, so we source it from trusted suppliers outside Canada. As with all of our ingredients, we look for quality and responsible sourcing, choosing materials carefully for the role they play in our finished formulas.