Bulk Unrefined Shea Butter

INCI Name: Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii)

Our bulk shea butter is a creamy unrefined Fair Trade shea butter that is hand crafted by traditional methods.  This "raw" unrefined butter is not processed by hexane or any other chemical extraction methods. It is not bleached and there are no coloring ingredients or other additives (natural or artificial) in this butter. It is delivered to you in its purest 100% natural state.

Like all raw shea butters, our unrefined bulk shea butter has a nutty scent which disappears soon after application. This smooth firm butter comes from the Tamale region of northern Ghana. The soil of this area grows karite (shea) trees that produce a naturally lighter colored shea butter which is pale beige to off white and is called Ivory Shea Butter. 

Available for purchase in 1 lb. size.  Packed in heavy duty plastic bags for your convenience. 

Purchase Our Bulk Shea Butter:

Bulk Shea Butter         
   1 lb. $13.75
   

Unrefined Shea Butter vs. Refined Shea Butter: What is the Difference?

Unrefined shea butter is minimally processed and retains all of the natural components of shea butter including nutrients, color and scent. This butter has a nutty, or smoky aroma and is pale yellow to light grey-beige in color. Unrefined shea butter contains skin rejuvenating vitamins A and E and has a shelf life of 1 year to 18 months.

Unrefined shea butter has a distinctive nutty, smoky scent while refined shea butter is odorless.  After application the scent of unrefined shea butter soon disappears. 

Refined shea butter is raw shea butter processed via natural or chemical methods to remove the characteristic scent and color. It has a shelf life of 1 year to 18 months.  Shea butter refined naturally (via water extraction) produces an odorless white to off white butter that has reduced  therapeutic and nutritive values, but retains significant moisturizing properties for all types of skin care and bath products. Shea butter refined by chemical extraction, (hexane) yields white, odorless shea butter that may contain chemical solvent traces and lacks the true moisturizing, restorative and nutritive properties of unrefined shea butter.

Fair Trade Shea Butter

Our bulk shea butter is purchased via a Fair Trade partnership with Naasakle Ltd., a woman owned company primarily staffed by women based in Ghana West Africa. This joint venture enables our suppliers, Esan and our customers to contribute to the improvement in the lives of the African women who harvest, trade, process and market shea nuts and shea butter. 

Unrefined shea butter is a valuable natural resource for the people of Africa. Your purchase of these Fair Trade products allows the women who gather shea nuts and hand craft this remarkable beauty oil to receive fair and steady incomes increasing their standard of living, improving the lives of their families and building community self empowerment.