Shea butter comes from the fruit of the shea tree. He is originally from Sudan and grows throughout West Africa.
The shea tree is robust and can reach 20 meters in height. It takes 25 years to produce fruit and reaches full production to 45-50 years. It has a life span of three centuries.
The collection mainly performed by women, is done from May to October. Shea butter does not grow in the wild and has never been “domesticated.” The production is fluid and varies considerably from one region to another, from one year to another. The weather, bush fires, the scattered trees, etc.. are all factors that may limit production. In addition, the collection can be dangerous for women because of the snakes that abound in the locations of trees (large areas of tall grass).
The fruit of the shea tree are used in the diets of local people. It is composed of pulp, a walnut and an almond. It is the latter that contains fat (42 to 48% of whole fruit), shea butter.
For butter, the almond is pressed after heated: to make 1 kg of butter, it takes 4 pounds of almonds. Butter crude thus obtained is then refined to remove impurities and its pesticide for bleaching; to give it a more pleasant odor.
Shea butter has very interesting properties, both in terms of therapeutic and culinary.
It has been used for centuries in Africa.
It is used to treat sprains, colds and sores. It would have a beneficial effect on joint and muscle pain.
Its soothing properties, moisturizing and protective also make a good cosmetic product. He mixed easily with other ingredients of cosmetics.
In Africa, the main product of dress for women and men.
It helps protect the skin against weather and sun (it is an excellent balm against the effects of cold), he fought against cracks, he serves as balm for dry hair, it nourishes the skin diminishing aging. The major cosmetics groups in Europe have understood the virtues of shea and introduce more and more in their products.
Shea butter is used as fuel and detergent in Africa.
Shea is finally used by Africans in their diet: it is sometimes the only fat they have.
It is also for its culinary properties that shea butter is imported into Western countries for making margarine, puff pastry, for example. But is the candy and chocolate that use the most. It is a good substitute for cocoa butter (only taste good but diverges refinery will limit the differences).
The shea virtues exceptional richness for African women. This is a good supplementary income. However, production is mainly traditional, but the African women have organized themselves and created groups (community groups) who aim to pool their resources in order to buy more powerful presses, for example. At the same time, these women are educated and literate.
Thus, shea butter has a significant impact in Africa. It is a bonanza of a business perspective but also social and human development.
