The wonders of Shea Butter

For me it's not the clocks going back or the darker evenings that signal the approach of winter - it's my hands!! They seem to become instantly dry and chapped by the changes in the weather and I have to go into full blown care and protect mode otherwise they really do become painful and unsightly. I find that I have to moisturise my hands several times a day, particularly before and after going outside and always after washing my hands. As a result I have become slightly obsessed with hand creams because I know from my experience what really makes a difference! So here are my top tips for protecting your hands and preventing chapped and dry skin.....

SHEA BUTTER 

But what is Shea Butter and why does it get us excited? - Shea Butter is an off white tryglyceride (vegetable fat) extracted from the nut of the African Karite (Shea) Tree. It's high in vitamin A and oleic acid both of which are known to help to keep skin supple. Oleic acid is a saturated fatty acid with a very similar molecular structure to sebum which is naturally produced by our skin. This means that Shea Butter is able to be easily absorbed by skin rather than just sitting on the surface. It also has healing and anti-inflammatory properties and is a well known anti-ageing ingredient. 

Other ingredients that are high in Fatty Acids, vitamin D and E that have proven skin moisturising and anti-ageing benefits are Sweet Almond Oil, Rose Oil, Argan Oil and the newest and latest beauty miracle oil - Prickly Pear Seed Oil, I will talk more about this little miracle in a separate blog. 

Try our French Marseille Soaps with Shea Butter perfect for hand washing without drying out your skin; creamy, moisturising, fragrant and such a treat. Try them and see what we mean! (P.S. my favourite is Fig, no I mean Almond, no its Olive....) why not try the Bath Bar size?