Snapshot
- Overview
- A rich, nourishing butter that softens and moisturizes dry skin.
- Category
- Barrier Support, Hydration, Skin Conditioning, Soothing, Sensitive Skin
- Type
- Emollient
Shea Butter
Shea Butter is a lipid from Vitellaria paradoxa nuts, made mainly of triglycerides with notable unsaponifiables. It's used in creams and balms for rich emolliency, soft slip, replenishing surface lipids, and reducing moisture loss.
Like this ingredient?
Our take
Is Shea Butter a Good Ingredient?
Shea butter earns a Great rating because it's a well-established, stable emollient with a strong track record for barrier comfort and a low rate of irritation, which makes it reliably effective even for dry, sensitive skin.
What it does
Skin Benefits
It nourishes and softens, easing tight, flaky skin and leaving a cushioned, supple feel. It also helps reinforce the outer skin layer, adding comfort and flexibility.
Where you'll find it
Uses in Skincare & Cosmetics
It's a staple in body butters, rich moisturizers, hand creams, and lip balms for parched skin, and it shows up in balms and overnight masks aimed at heels, elbows, and cuticles.
Before you use it
Safety
It's generally well tolerated, including on sensitive skin. Those with very acne-prone skin may find rich butters too occlusive, so patch testing is worth doing if that's a concern. It's tree-nut derived, though allergenic protein content is typically low.
Products with Shea Butter
