Shea butter, a fat that’s extracted from the nuts of the shea tree, has many skin care uses. It’s solid at room temperature and has an off-white or ivory color.

Shea butter has been used in skin care for centuries.

Shea trees (Vitellaria) are native to West Africa, and most shea butter still comes from that region. Its high concentration of vitamins and fatty acids — combined with its easy-to-spread consistency when warmed — makes it great for smoothing, soothing, and conditioning skin.

Curious? Here are 18 reasons to add it to your routine, how to use it, and more.

Shea butter is technically a tree nut product. But unlike most tree nut products, it’s very low in the proteins that can trigger allergies. Though unlikely, it could still trigger a reaction in some people with a tree nut allergy.

Shea butter is safe for most skin types. It has a low comedogenic rating, meaning it is not likely to clog pores for most people, but some people do say it makes them break out if they are prone to acne. Doing a patch test is the best way to see if it will work for your skin.

Shea butter is typically used for its moisturizing effects. These benefits are tied to shea’s fatty acid content, including linoleic, oleic, stearic, and palmitic acids.

When you apply shea topically, these oils are rapidly absorbed into your skin. They act as a “refatting” agent, restoring lipids and rapidly creating moisture.

This restores the barrier between your skin and the outside environment, holding moisture.

Shea butter contains high levels of linoleic acid and oleic acid. These two acids balance each other out. That means shea butter is easy for your skin to fully absorb and won’t make your skin look super oily after application.

That said, if you have very oily skin, it may be best to use an oil-free moisturizer.

The plant esters of shea butter have been found to have anti-inflammatory properties. When applied to the skin, shea triggers cytokines and other inflammatory cells to slow their production.

This may help minimize irritation caused by environmental factors, such as dry weather, and inflammatory skin conditions, such as eczema.

Shea butter has significant levels of vitamins A and E, which means it promotes strong antioxidant activity.

Antioxidants are important because they protect skin cells from free radicals, which can lead to premature aging and dull-looking skin.

A 2022 study suggests shea butter has antibacterial properties. Though more research is needed, topical application may decrease the amount of acne-causing bacteria on the skin.

Shea butter contains triterpenes. These naturally occurring chemical compounds are thought to deactivate collagen fiber destruction.

This may minimize the appearance of fine lines and result in plumper skin.

Shea’s moisturizing and antioxidant properties work together to help your skin generate healthy new cells.

Your body is constantly making new skin cells and getting rid of dead skin cells. With the right moisture balance on the surface of your skin, you’ll have fewer dead skin cells in the way of fresh cell regeneration in the epidermis.

It’s thought that shea butter helps stop keloid fibroblasts — scar tissue — from reproducing, while encouraging healthy cell growth to take their place.

While not a cure for stretch marks, this may help your skin heal and minimize the appearance and scarring.

By boosting collagen production and promoting new cell generation, shea butter may help reduce sun damage, which researchers call photoaging — the wrinkles and fine lines that environmental stress and aging can create on skin.

Shea butter can’t be used by itself as sunscreen. But using shea butter on your skin does give you minimal sun protection, so layer it over your favorite sunscreen on days you’ll be spending outside, but don’t skip the actual sunscreen.

Older research also suggests that oils may be beneficial for superficial (first-degree) skin burns, such as sunburn. But newer research says that to be effective, shea butter should be blended with other ingredients such as avocado oil and grape seed oil.

Its fatty acid components may also soothe the skin by retaining moisture during the healing process.

Though the use of shea butter is common, more research is needed to assess its efficacy.

Shea butter hasn’t been studied specifically for its ability to make hair stronger.

But an older 2017 study found that a chemically similar West African plant made hair significantly more resistant to breakage.

One way to treat dandruff (atopic dermatitis) is to restore moisture to your dry and irritated scalp.

In an older 2018 review, it was found that shea butter, when used in combination with other moisturizers, could help decrease dandruff flakes and reduce the risk of flare-ups.

More research is needed to determine how effective shea is when used alone.

Shea’s anti-inflammatory properties help soothe skin and relieve itching. This may prove especially helpful for inflammatory skin conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis.

Shea also absorbs rapidly, which could mean quick relief for flare-ups.

Research even suggests that shea butter could work just as well as medicated creams in treating eczema.

Shea butter has been traditionally used to soothe bee stings and insect bites. Anecdotal evidence suggests that shea butter may help bring down swelling that bites and stings can cause.

That said, there isn’t any clinical research to support this.

If you’re experiencing severe pain and swelling from stings or bites, see a healthcare professional and stick to proven treatments.

Shea butter has long been used in traditional medicine to help heal wounds. It should not be used on open wounds but on closed wounds that are starting to heal.

Its protective fatty acids may also help shield wounds from environmental irritants during the healing process.

Arthritis is caused by underlying inflammation in the joints.

An older 2016 animal study on shea oil concentrate suggests that it can help reduce inflammation while also protecting joints from further damage.

This study focused on knee joints, but these potential benefits could extend to other areas of the body.

Muscles that have been overextended can be affected by inflammation and stiffness as your body repairs muscle tissue. Shea butter may help sore muscles in the same way it may help joint pain — by reducing inflammation.

The benefits of shea butter come from its chemical makeup. Shea butter contains:

  • Linoleic, palmitic, stearic, and oleic fatty acids: ingredients that balance oils on your skin
  • Vitamins A, E, and F: antioxidant vitamins that promote circulation and healthy skin cell growth
  • Triglycerides: the fatty part of the shea nut that nourishes and conditions your skin
  • Cetyl esters: the waxy part of shea nut butter that conditions skin and locks in moisture

Keep in mind that the exact makeup varies according to where the shea nuts are harvested. You may also find shea butter mixed with added ingredients, such as tea tree or lavender essential oil.

On skin

You can apply shea butter directly to your skin. Raw, unrefined shea butter is easy to spread.

Use your fingers to scoop a teaspoon or so of shea butter from the jar, and rub it onto your skin until it’s completely absorbed.

Shea butter is slippery and can keep makeup from adhering to your face, so you may prefer to apply it at night before bed.

On hair

Raw shea butter can also be applied directly to your hair.

If your hair is naturally curly or porous, consider using shea butter as a conditioner. Make sure your hair has absorbed most of the shea butter before rinsing and styling as usual. You can also use a small amount of shea butter as a leave-in conditioner.

If your hair is naturally straight, thin, or fine, consider using shea butter only on the ends. Applying shea butter to your roots may cause an oily-looking buildup.

Storage

Shea butter should be stored in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight, so that it stays solid and easy to spread. If stored too warm, it can go bad more quickly. If stored properly, it has a shelf life of around 2 years.

Always use a clean spoon or clean fingers when scooping out of the jar to ensure storage hygiene.

Shea butter is safe for most people to use.

That said, discontinue use if you begin experiencing irritation and inflammation. Seek emergency medical attention if you experience severe pain, swelling, or difficulty breathing.

If you want to get the most out of your shea butter, purchase it in its raw and unrefined form. The more that shea butter is processed, the more its amazing, all-natural properties are diluted.

For this reason, shea butter is rated starting with (raw) grade A, which is the purest form of shea butter you can buy.

Buying shea butter that’s raw and unrefined also helps more of your purchase count toward supporting the communities that actually harvest and grow shea nuts. You can go a step further by purchasing grade A shea butter that’s labeled “fair trade.”

Shea butter is packed with essential nutrients that can enhance your natural complexion and help your skin have a natural glow.

Although shea butter is considered safe, many products containing it contain other ingredients, so always check the label.

If you experience any side effects that you suspect are connected to a shea butter product, discontinue use and see a doctor or other healthcare professional. They can help determine what’s causing your symptoms and advise you on any next steps.