Skin Lightening Myth: Shea Butter

Photo Credit: ThreeGoddesses

Shea Butter is easily one of the most popular moisturizers out there.  There are two different variations of shea butter available – refined or unrefined (pure or raw shea butter). 

Refined Shea Butter is mainly different in its appearance and method of extraction. It is refined with hexane which gives it a white color. Raw or pure shea butter is extracted with water, and is a pale yellow-grey in color. Pure shea butter does not contain the mineral oils or the preservatives (not that there’s anything wrong with preservatives in skin care, but some sensitive skin types are reactive to them) as refined shea butter does.

If you do shop around for skin lightening products you most likely have stumbled across a shea butter based skin lightener in an ethnic beauty store or any beauty supply store for that matter. It is an immensely popular ingredient because it has several skin benefits.

It is marvelous in retaining the moisture barrier of the skin and adding lost moisture. The reason why it is so effective at moisturizing chapped, dehydrated dry skin is because it contains fatty acids like stearic and oleic acid. The lipids within shea butter hydrate and condition dry, ashy skin and promote healthy skin balance (excellent moisture levels are the key to smooth textured skin).

The skin lightening claims of shea butter are a bit far fetched.  It does not inhibit tyrosinase or disrupt melanogenesis, but its other properties/benefits promote the correction of pigmentation issues. There is no evidence proving that shea butter is a flat out skin lightening ingredient, but the fact that it moisturizes and conditions the skin to an optimal level of health helps to regulate a lot of pigmentation concerns like age spots, acne marks and mottled hyperpigmentation. You will find a lot of people who say shea butter works wonders in evening out their skin tone. Well that is because it corrects a lot of other ‘root problems’ in the skin that can lead to hyperpigmentation or uneven, ashy skin (dry skin, chapped skin, eczema, dermatitis etc.). When the skin is in optimal health, every facet of the cells work better – including evening of heavily deposited melanin.

This brings me into the last interesting fact about shea butter. It does contain a natural antioxidant/SPF property. The cinnamic acid content does offer mild free radical damage protection but obviously nothing compared to a real sunscreen.