Shea Butter: Benefits and J-beauty Products for You!
Posted on November 01 2020
Hello Cosme Hunt readers! In the world of beauty products, there are a whole lot of fun ingredients to learn. From superfoods to powders to floral ingredients, it seems like nature can nourish our bodies in an endless number of ways. Lots of these can be seen in popular vegan and vegetarian diets too, making a long list of celebrity ingredients and foods to study.
Once again, this week I’m excited to share with you a new and popular beauty ingredient I’m sure you’ve heard of- Shea Butter! I know I’ve heard about shea butter in a huge number of situations, but never had a super clear grasp on what it was before doing some research. The huge benefits of shea butter are pretty clear, especially for skincare. Without further ado, let’s talk about them!
What’s so good about Shea Butter?
Shea Butter is a big name in the beauty world. There’s a popular rumor that Cleopatra actually ordered tons and tons of shea butter to Egypt back when she was Pharaoh. Presumably, it was so good for her beauty, it was worth importing on the royal budget! Considering shea butter is largely harvested in Africa across multiple countries, this all sounds pretty believable to me. It’s a huge export!
Because so many African countries export shea butter to the rest of the world, most of the popular shea butters we know are called African Shea Butter. That said, there are lots of commonalities between all kinds of shea butters to get to know.
In terms of skincare, the best thing to know about shea butter is that it is nutrient rich. Specifically, it is really high in vitamins A and E. These may not be as popular or well known as vitamins like vitamin C or D, but they’re great ones to keep an eye on too! Vitamin E especially is great for its antioxidant power.
You may have heard a lot about antioxidants already, but having them on your skin is a huge step up for anti-aging. How does that work you might wonder? Well a huge part of how our skin shows aging is in wrinkling and growing tired-looking due to sun damage. It may sound like this is inevitable, but careful research shows there are ways to avoid this!
Sun damage is really all about free radicals from the sun landing in our cells and causing damage. The only way to fortify ourselves against them is with proper nutrients! Vitamin E especially is important in restoring our natural barriers against these foreign particles, slowing down the wrinkling and wearing that happens on our skin.
This isn’t the only health benefit shea butter has, of course! It has a special role in building up layers of moisture locking and heat protection on your skin, or even hair. This is thanks to some naturally occurring fats in the butter. The benefits of shea butter grows and grows the longer you look into it!
Want to try Shea Butter?
Shea butter is a global all-star. It has important roots in being farmed all across Africa, being traded, cooked, and enjoyed in many ways. It is hugely trendy here in America, and I know I’ve been hearing about it for ages! Walking around stores, I see it in hand creams, shampoos, and so much more.
Do you think there’s a huge buzz surrounding shea butter in Japan, too? You bet! There’s tons of ways to consume nice enriching shea butter while sticking to your absolute favorite J-Beauty brands at the same time. There’s a whole world of them to explore, but let’s start by looking at some of our personal favorites here at Cosme Hunt!
SAN-X’s Rilakkuma Hand Cream Available at Cosme Hunt
First up, let’s take a look at San-X’s Rilakkuma hand cream. That’s right, even Sanrio’s adorable and famous mascots are interested in shea butter! Rilakkuma themself has a fine and high quality hand cream.
As you know now, getting some nice rich Vitamin E on your hands is exceptionally good for keeping them looking soft and young for a long time. No worries about sun damage or old tired looking hands — you have antioxidants on your side!
Beyond that, this blend uses some Macadamia nuts too. Rich in nutrients and a fantastic complement to shea butter, these really round out the moisturizing and enriching properties of the cream.
Delivered with not much stick and a nice long lasting fragrance, this little tube of cream is a great addition to any shea butter lover’s collection! Give the cute little bear cream a try!
Mon loulou’s 3% Shampoo Available at Cosme Hunt
Up next is a shampoo from Mon Iou Iou! Is shea on your hands not enough? If you want to spread the nutrition and moisturizing to your hair too, give a shea butter based shampoo like this a try!
As advertised, the shea butter will naturally create a barrier on your hair strands to lock in moisture and prevent heat damage. This is a huge help for keeping your hair healthy and young looking, sourced from such a nice and natural ingredient.
If you’re serious about your hair’s moisture, don’t hesitate to try some shea butter! This shampoo is available right on our website.
Like Shea Butter?
I hope that tour was exciting! Whether you want to be like Cleopatra and soak up natural nutrients in bulk, or just want a little natural way to keep your skin healthy, there is no going wrong with shea butter. It’s popular for a reason! I hope you learned something fun and have a nice shea butter product in mind from your favorite J-Beauty company!
To find out more, visit our website!
Arya Arsenault
Studies Japanese language and culture at the University of Massachusetts. Loves Japan’s pop culture and learning about its trends!
