Shea Butter refined

Shea butter – skin care from the ‘sacred tree of life’

In the scorching Sahel zone of central Africa, which stretches from Senegal to Uganda, grows the gnarled shea tree, which reaches a height of up to 12 m. This zone is therefore also known as the ‘shea belt’. Two different subspecies (abbreviated ssp.) are distinguished: Vitellaria paradoxa ssp. paradoxa grows mainly in West Africa; the second subspecies, Vitellaria paradoxa ssp. nilotica, mainly in East Africa. The latter has a more delicate scent and is more expensive. The name shea is probably derived from the African Bambara language, in which ‘si’ means sacred. The tree is revered as a sacred tree of life by the extremely poor population, who live in the most difficult climatic conditions. It must not be felled, as it provides people with food and with material for traditional remedies and skin care. The tree is called the ‘saint of the savannah’ or the ‘tree of life’. Such symbolic names. The shea tree can live for more than 100 years, and its fruit can be harvested up to that age. However, it takes 20 to 30 years before it bears its first fruit. The apricot-sized berries contain a chestnut-sized kernel. Shea butter is obtained from these seeds – a yellowish, crumbly, butter-like fat with a distinctive odour. For this reason, it is often deodorised. In its hot native region, the fat is oily.

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