News from LovingScents

SHEA BUTTER (Butyrospermum parkii) is also known as Karite. The Karite tree grows in the savannahs of equatorial Africa, and is regarded as mystical by many of the native population - in fact, some have reported that Karite means "Life" in the native tongue. This tree produces fruits that contain seeds from which the butter is extracted. The native people where this tree grows use the butter for cooking as well as for treating sprains, muscular pain, and inflammation. This highly moisturizing, luxuriant, semi-soft substance is used in Aromatherapy as a carrier of essential oils especially where there is pain, damaged, dry or aging skin. Shea butter is used to treat skin ulcers, prevent stretch marks, improves capillary circulation, and to protect the skin from the sun (rated as about 8 SPF). We carry both yellow and white wildcrafted shea butter. Yellow Shea has a sweet, nutty smell and is a little heavier but is absorbed into the skin quickly and leaves a silky feel without a greasy residue. White Shea has virtually no scent and is a little lighter in texture. It too is quickly absorbed into the skin leaving the skin soft and supple.

Shea Butter is wonderful to use in massage, with or without essential oils. Any of our Shea butter blends could be used in massage, but many massage therapists have used Shea ++ which is made from a blend of White Shea Butter and Fractionated Coconut oil. Some have added a drop of an essential oil selected specifically for their client into a tablespoon of the Shea ++ for a full body massage...a little goes a long way! Its organic, all nature created, creamy, goes on smoothly and does not leave a greasy feel. What a treat for client and therapist alike!

With the cooler, dryer weather approaching many of us experience dry skin, sometimes to the extent where there is flaking, itching, redness, and skin irritation due to scratching. One of our best Shea Butter Balms is Maxi Moist. This is made with Yellow Shea Butter, Jojoba oil, and the essential oils of Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens), Rosewood (Aniba rosaeodora), and Frankincense (Boswellia carteri) essential oils. The Geranium is for the itching, sluggish lymphatics, and damaged skin. Rosewood is for dry, sensitive, inflamed, and damaged skin. We use Frankincense for dry, aged, wrinkled skin and skin that is slow to heal. This is also a great blend to use if the damage has become a wound or if there are pressure sores. It smells heavenly and works very well.