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How do I Choose the Best Shea Butter Body Lotion?

Felicia Dye
Felicia Dye

Shea butter is a natural oily fat that comes from the seeds of the shea tree. This extract has vitamins A and E, it is regarded as an excellent moisturizer and emollient, and it is believed to have healing properties. Shea butter body lotion is generally marketed by highlighting many of these benefits. To choose the best of these lotions, you should consider the ingredients in each product.

People are often attracted to shea butter because it can help with a variety of beauty problems, including dry skin, eczema, and wrinkles. When extracted from the seeds and left pure, shea butter is usually soft and creamy. This makes it ideal for application to the skin in its pure form.

Shea butter body lotion.
Shea butter body lotion.

You will find that most advice suggests that the most significant benefits can be expected if you use pure shea butter. If the extract is diluted with a long list of other ingredients, you may experience many fewer benefits. The best shea butter body lotion is likely always going to be the one that is either 100% pure or close to it.

When choosing a body lotion, analyze the labels. A good rule to remember is that products such as these often have their ingredients listed according to the amount of the ingredient that it contains. The first ingredient is typically the main ingredient, while the last listed would be the item that was scarcely used to make the product. Look and see where shea butter falls in the list of ingredients. You may be surprised to find that a front label advertises a product as shea butter body lotion, but you may turn it around and find that it actually contains only a hint of shea butter.

A massage treatment at a spa may use hydrating shea butter to soothe sensitive skin.
A massage treatment at a spa may use hydrating shea butter to soothe sensitive skin.

It is also important to consider the other ingredients that are listed. If you are using shea butter in hopes of combating wrinkles or dry skin, you may be disappointed if you choose a product that contains an ingredient such as alcohol, which can dehydrate your skin. You want to make sure that the other items in the body lotion are not working against your goals.

Shea butter may help reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Shea butter may help reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

Perfumes and dyes are other items that you may want to avoid. Although these two things can be very attractive, you should remember that these are generally features for marketing purposes. Lotion is often made to smell like peaches or vanilla and then colored to match the scent to encourage you to buy a particular brand. Sometimes, however, these features can be distracting and lead people to buy inferior products. They are also more likely to cause a reaction in someone who has sensitive skin.

Discussion Comments

widget2010

@elizabeth23, that has been my experience with lotions as well, the natural ones usually have the most powerful effect. Whether you want a dry skin lotion or a thicker product like body butter, the more natural the better I think.

elizabeth23

The best shea butter lotions I have used have always been the most natural lotions. They typically have less of a focus on having extra fragrances and other ingredients, and instead are highly concentrated on the main ingredient, in this case shea butter. This also doesn't mean that organic shea butter lotions do not have scent, only that they're not as concentrated and overpowering.

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    • Shea butter body lotion.
      By: MM
      Shea butter body lotion.
    • A massage treatment at a spa may use hydrating shea butter to soothe sensitive skin.
      By: gofasadi
      A massage treatment at a spa may use hydrating shea butter to soothe sensitive skin.
    • Shea butter may help reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
      By: biancia
      Shea butter may help reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
    • Shea butter may be used as a topical treatment for eczema.
      By: Jingling Water
      Shea butter may be used as a topical treatment for eczema.