1. How much shea butter should I put on my skin?
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You do not need a large amount. Just rub a dollop between your hands to warm and soften the shea butter before applying to the skin.
2. Does shea butter smell?
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Yes, but it is only a light smoky nutty smell of the natural shea butter. Since the smell is not an added fragrance, it does not linger once it is absorbed into your skin and hair.
3. What is the texture of your shea butter?
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Our shea butter is handcrafted in small batches, and there may be light variations in color and texture between batches. Generally, our shea butter is considered to have quite a soft and creamy consistency for unrefined shea butter. Since it is a purely natural and handcrafted product, the consistency will not be perfectly uniform in the tin. This is normal and does not affect the moisturizing and healing properties in any way. Perfectly smooth shea butters are usually refined or reheated which causes the shea butter to lose its healing properties.
4. Why is some shea butter grainy?
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Unrefined shea butter can sometimes feel grainy. This grainy texture can form when the butter is melted slightly or reheated. Sometimes this melting can occur inadvertently during transport, or if left in a hot, sunny location. A grainy texture isn’t a sign of “bad” butter, and you can still use it safely on your skin.
5. How do I store my shea butter?
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Shea butter should be stored in a dry, cool place away from heat. Do not refrigerate shea butter as you do not want it to get hard and cold.
6. What is the shelf life of your shea butter?
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Our shea butter has a shelf life of one year.
7. Is your shea butter production environmentally friendly?
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Absolutely yes! From the hand picking of the fruit by Ojoba Women’s Shea Cooperative members to the traditional processing of our pure, unrefined shea butter in northern Ghana, we are in harmony with the natural world. During no step in the production process are any chemicals or synthetic agents used. In fact, the only thing added during the manufacturing process is purified water!
Our shea butter comes in reusable and recyclable containers and absolutely nothing is added to the tin except pure, unrefined shea butter.
8. Do you test on animals?
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Absolutely not! In fact, we regularly test on ourselves (daily!) but never ever on our furry or feathered friends.
9. Can I use shea butter on my baby?
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Yes, it is excellent to use as a treatment for diaper rash and as a general moisturizer. It is completely hypoallergenic, and has been safely used on infants and children in West Africa for a thousand years.
10. How can I be sure your shea butter is as good as you say?
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We test our shea butter at an internationally accredited laboratory for quality every year and we consistently score in the highest grade for shea butter.
The region we work in Ghana (Upper East) is known for some of the highest quality shea nuts and our cooperative members handpick the best quality nuts to ensure our high grade of shea butter.
11. What about organic certification?
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Traditional shea tree cultivation and shea butter production have always been natural and organic processes in West Africa. Shea trees grow wild in the dry savannah region, and don’t need any irrigation or fertilizer to grow. Most of the shea nuts we use are wild-harvested when the fruit falls to the ground at harvest time, and collected by individual villagers who live and garden near the trees. This is an important source of income for these villagers. In addition, our shea butter is produced in a remote and extremely poor region of Ghana where there is no large-scale commercial farming, and where local village farmers are simply too poor to even think about purchasing synthetic pesticides and fertilizers even if they wanted to. Since our shea butter is laboratory tested, we feel confident in saying that our shea butter is produced in accordance with the best organic practices.
There are many cultural practices in the far northern corner of Ghana where our shea butter is processed that make it difficult to ethically get third-party organic certification. This region is still very deeply rooted in tradition. The shea tree is greatly revered and respected by all, but no one is considered the owner of a shea tree. When ownership rules are not clear, then fencing off large sections of land for one group to label organic and have sole access to seems counter to our mission of alleviating poverty and inequity in rural West Africa. We are continuing to explore more ethical and culturally sensitive ways of getting organic certification for our shea butter.
12. Is shea butter safe for use by people with nut allergies?
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Shea butter is made from the kernel of a fruit that grows wild in West Africa. It is commonly referred to as a “Nut,” but, technically it is a “Pit” from the fruit of a fruit tree. The shea nut is more closely related to the pit of an avocado or apricot than a real nut like walnut and almond. We have searched, but not found any scientific tests done that link shea butter with nut allergies.
However, nut allergies can be serious and life threatening, and you should consult your physician before using shea butter if you have serious nut allergies.
13. Is shea butter vegan-friendly?
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Absolutely yes! Shea butter is 100% plant based, and no animals or animal products are used in the manufacture or testing of our shea butter.
14. Can shea butter be used in all seasons?
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Yes, shea butter can be used year-round! While it is a great moisturizer for extra-dry winter skin, shea butter does come from the tropics of West Africa were it is widely used to combat the harsh effects of the tropical sun.
