Odussa's Place :: Your Source for Shea Butter, Black Soap, and African Imports!!!

The discovery of Shea Butter has been around for more than 45 years. It is God's natural healer and can only be found in Ghana, West Africa. It grows during the rainy seasons (around May-August) and the natives there start to produce the product in September. The process takes about 4-5 days of cooking and 3-4 days to return solid.

Shea butter or Shea nut butter is a slightly yellowish or ivory-colored natural fat extracted from fruit of the shea tree by crushing and boiling. Shea butter is widely used in cosmetics as a moisturizer and an emollient. Shea butter is also edible. It is used as a cooking oil in West Africa, as well as sometimes being used in the chocolate industry as a substitute for cocoa butter.

The shea or karite tree, formerly Butyrospermum paradoxum, is now called Vitellaria paradoxa. It produces its first fruit (which resemble large plums) when it is about 20 years old and reaches its full production when the tree is about 45 years old. It produces nuts for up to 200 years after reaching maturity.

Many vernacular names are used for Vitellaria, which is a reflection of its extensive range of occurrence—nearly 5,000km from Senegal (west) to Uganda (east) across the African continent. The nomenclature history and synonymy of the shea tree followed a very tortuous evolution since the oldest recorded specimen collected by a European—Scottish explorer Mungo Park—dated May 26, 1797. It eventually arrived at the name vitellaria with subspecies paradoxa and nilotica. It usually grows to an average height of about 15m with profuse branches and a thick waxy and deeply fissured bark that makes it fire resistant.

The shea tree grows naturally in the wild in the dry savannah belt of West Africa from Senegal in the west to Sudan in the east, and onto the foothills of the Ethiopian highlands. It occurs in 19 countries across the African continent, namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Guinea.
Distribution of shea trees

In Ghana (FAO, 1988a), it occurs extensively in the Guinea savannah and less abundantly in the Sudan Savannah. The shea tree occurs over almost the entire area of Northern Ghana, over about 77,670 square kilometers in Western Dagomba, Southern Mamprusi, Western Gonja, Lawra, Tumu, Wa and Nanumba with Eastern Gonja having the densest stands. There is sparse shea tree cover found in Brong-Ahafo, Ashanti, and the Eastern and Volta regions in the south of the country.

It is, however, mostly for skin care that Shea Butter is hailed for its protecting and emollient properties. Many local soap manufacturers use Shea butter as a raw material. Protecting the skin and the hair from the harsh African climate is vital, and this natural product does so beautifully. Newborn babies are welcomed by a vigorous massage with Shea butter to protect them from the extreme weather.

As early as 1940, many scientific observations verified that, among the populations using Shea butter, the occurrence of skin diseases was scarce and the populations skin was exceptionally supple and smooth.

Almost all historical references we have from pre-19th century Africa mention Shea butter. Even as early as Cleopatra's Egypt, there is mention of caravans bearing clay jars of the valuable Shea butter for cosmetic uses. Many of history's great travelers recorded their observations about Africa's culture and its use of Shea butter. Ibn Batouta was a historian and ambassador entrusted by the Moroccan sultan with a diplomatic mission at the court of Mali. He traveled through West Africa in 1348 and reported various uses of Shea butter.

The first European to travel the Niger River was the Scot Mungo Park, who was also the first to describe the botanical characteristics of the Shea tree, and the various applications of the "butter" derived from it.

Shea butter is completely enmeshed with the history and culture of the wooded Savannah between Senegal and Nigeria. It is the link between the gathering civilization and agriculture - a product that grows and is harvested in the wild, and is processed for yearlong conservation.

Africa's relationship with Shea butter is intimate in nature. The funeral beds of late kings are carved in the noble wood of an old Shea tree, and Shea butter has always served as a staple of African pharmacology. It acts as an effective decongestant, for example. Used for its draining and anti-inflammatory properties, it is soothing in sprains and strains, and is a widely used anti-arthritic treatment.

This wonderful healing agent is also used for accelerating the cicatrization of the umbilical cord and after a circumcision. Shea butter is exceptionally versatile, as expressed in the usage of its by-products: for cooking (as a sauce or for frying), for lamp fuel, and as an insulating material for housing.

The She tree has many names in Africa: it is called Karite' in Wolof, kare or kolo in Peuhl. the English name Shea, is derived from the word se, used by the Bambaras of Central Africa.

Shea Butter Properties

Shea butter is known especially for its cosmetic properties as a moisturizer and emollient. It is also a known anti-inflammatory agent. Shea butter is marketed as being effective at treating the following conditions: fading scars, eczema, burns, rashes, acne, severely dry skin, blemishes, dark spots, skin discolorations, chapped lips, stretch marks, wrinkles, and in lessening the irritation of psoriasis. Shea butter provides natural ultraviolet sun protection, although the level of protection is extremely variable, ranging from nothing to approximately SPF 6. Shea butter absorbs rapidly into the skin without leaving a greasy feeling. In Nigeria, it is known to be very effective in the management of sinusitis and relief of nasal congestion. This is due to its emollient properties which helps in relaxing the tension in the face skin thus easing respiration. All one needs do, if one has sinus problems or congestion, is rub a considerable amount of the butter in and around the nostrils. Scarcity of supply results in an erratic market price.

The Shea nut is a tree that grows in the Savannah grassland on the west coast of Africa. The tree grows to a height of about 55-60 ft. Millions of Shea nut fruit are harvested in the raining season within the months of May - August. The fruit is very delicious. The Shea nut seeds are collected and usually sun dried. At the end of the season when the nuts are well cured and dried, they are threshed and picked to separate the white nuts from the yellow nuts. The grinding process is the most tedious in the production system because the Shea nut seed is as hard as a pebble.

In West Africa, we do not have a grinding machine. Big size wooden mortars are used to pound the nuts to powder. The powdered Shea nuts are boiled in large clay pots for 4 or 5 days. The effervescent is collected and this is the end product - 100% Natural Shea Butter.

Note that the Shea nuts were separated during the threshing and picking process into white and yellow Shea nut seeds. These nuts although produced on the same branch during the season, have different characteristics. The White Shea nut processed separately will produce White Shea butter (Off White Color). The Yellow Nuts produce Yellow Shea butter (Off Yellow Color).

The producers must take their time to separate the nuts before processing. If not, the end product will not be Shea butter. The butter produced from such a process is very corrosive butter that cannot be applied topically. The corrosive shea butter, plus the Shea nut shaft, the residue of the processed nuts, some cut branches and leaves of the Shea nut tree at the time of harvest are put together and burnt to ashes. The ashes are gathered into large clay pots and boiled for 4-5 days. The thick layers of foam that bubble to the top of the boiling liquid. It is carefully collected and left on a surface to solidify. This product is 100% Natural Shea Butter Black Soap.

This process of making black soap was developed in Africa by our forefathers and the technical know how is handed down from generation to generation. It has therefore become a tradition of the land and a culture of the people which is embraced because it enhances good health and a better lifestyle. Shea butter and Shea butter black soap have numerous uses and advantages.

How does Shea Butter benefit my skin?

Shea Butter nourishes the skin with Vitamins A, E, and F. Vitamins A and E help maintain the skin and keep it clear and healthy. They are particularly helpful for sun damaged skin. They help prevent premature wrinkles and facial lines. Vitamin F acts as a skin protector and rejuvenator. It soothes rough, dry or chapped skin and helps soften dry or damaged hair. Shea Butter is high in unsaponifiables (a type of fat). Shea Butter has between 7-12% unsaponifiables. For comparison, avocado oil, a well known skin conditioner, has between 2-6%. This high level of unsaponifiables is one of the properties that makes Shea Butter so invaluable in treating the conditions listed above. Also, Shea Butter easily penetrates the skin allowing the skin to breathe and not clogging pores. Shea Butter has a high level of cinnamic acid, a natural sun screen. So, it provides some degree of protection from the sun. Shea Butter is also anti-inflammatory making it useful in treating rheumatism.

The process of making shea butter, or karite, is long and arduous for the women of Africa. They awake early and trek up to 15 km (9 mi) to collect the fruits of the Karite Nut tree. With up to 40 kg (88 lbs) of fruits upon their heads, the women and children head back to the village to begin the process of extracting the butter from the kernel of the fruit. The pits are first removed from the fruit, boiled, sun-dried and finally roasted. When the pits have been completely dehydrated, they are hand crushed. This laborious work takes an average of 20 hours to produce 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of shea butter.

Family: Bignoniaceae
Latin name: Crescentia cujete
Vernacular name: Huingo

Ethnobotany

Huingo (calabash) produces very large green fruits that have a hard thin shell and soft pulp inside. Reaching the size of a large melon, the shell of the fruits is used for containers, scoops, cups, crafts, and artwork. When canoeing, people will use it to bail out water and scoop up a fresh drink as needed. The wood is very hard and stiff. Small branches are fashioned into sticks for use in disciplining children. The stiff wood delivers painful blows to the body and wicked raps across the knuckles.

Agroforestry
Calabash cuttings are selected from productive trees with a desirable fruit size and shape. They are then shoved in the ground. This species requires very humid environments and alluvial soils, preferably flooded conditions. Calabash requires full sun, and grows well in association with Mauritia flexuosa, Myrciaria dubia, Grias peruviana, Spondias mombin, and Genipa americana. It is increasingly cultivated for crafts and artwork.

Shea Butter can provide relief from everything from just dry skin to many minor dermatological diseases (if you have a serious skin condition, you should see a doctor). It has been clinically shown to provide benefits. Here are some of the benefits of Shea Butter for the skin:

Perhaps it was that time when you were sitting happily watching a movie, and then suddenly yearned for the credits to roll so that you could run into the restroom and scrape the burning itch on the sole of your foot. Or maybe it was that time that you were taking that brisk nature walk, and wandered a little too closely to the camper’s greatest foe next to lack of toilet paper: poison ivy. Indeed, it doesn't’t matter who we are, what language we speak, where we live, or what we do, we all know what it feels like to have the itch that you just can’t scratch.
However, for millions of people around the world – including children – the itch that you can’t scratch is beyond a mere annoyance, or an unpleasant episode that takes care of itself in a few days. These people are suffering from a debilitating, life-altering health problem called eczema. It’s a serious skin condition that, quite frankly, can make even the simplest of life’s tasks – going for a walk, eating a meal, watching TV – unbearable.
Since you’re reading this, it’s a safe bet that you’re either dealing with your own bout of eczema right now, or someone that you care about is in the throes of this seemingly merciless health problem. Well, while it’s a sincere shame that circumstances have caused you to learn about eczema, you can take heart from the fact that you are reading the right article! In the next few pages, we’re going to cut through the confusing medical jargon and understand the causes, symptoms, and natural remedies for treating eczema.

What Is Eczema?
Also known as dermatitis, eczema is an inflammation of the skin that affects children and adults worldwide. The areas that are most commonly affected include the arms, elbows, face, and knees; though it can also spread to other parts of the body, including the back (see picture, left).

Eczema is viewed as a dysfunction of the immune system1, which sounds somewhat more frightening than it is. Many people are surprised to learn that the skin is actually an organ; in fact, it’s the body’s largest organ (by far!). And one of the core functions of an organ is to cleanse the system; that is, to remove toxins that would otherwise pollute the body. Therefore, when the immune system is malfunctioning – that is, when the body cannot optimally ward off harmful microorganisms and other attackers -- skin ailments are almost always present. If you recall the last time you had a cold or the flu, you will likely remember seeing red or blotchy patches of skin on your body and face.
Though eczema is not contagious – which means that it won’t spread from person to person – it is nevertheless a rather unsightly problem that can cause severe emotional distress, particularly among children who may find the disease quite terrifying and socially stigmatizing.
Symptoms and Causes of Eczema
We’ve briefly touched upon some of the symptoms and causes of eczema For example, allergic contact dermatitis (as the name itself suggests) is caused by an allergic reaction. On the other hand (no pun intended!), discoid eczema appears as small “disc” or circular shaped patterns on the skin.

Generally, however, all eczema appears as a reddening and a flaking of the skin. Over time, the dryness caused by itching – which can take place at night without you being aware of how much you’re scratching! – can turn the area white. Severe itching can bore into the skin past the outer layer (the epidermis), and can cause permanent scarring and a hardening of the skin (called lichenification). It can also lead to serious health ailments, such as ulcers. The diagram on the following page shows the different layers of skin, and gives you a sense of how little it takes to scratch past the top layer of skin (the epidermis).

Regardless of the type of eczema you have, general symptoms include: