Shea butter, organic

Shea butter is one of the most popular products in our range. We offer it in two qualities: The raw organic shea butter is light beige and has a typical, slightly sour smell, the refined organic shea butter is white and almost odourless. The soft and supple butter contains a balanced proportion of stearic acid and oleic acid. The raw shea butter also has a high content of valuable ingredients such as phytosterols and tocopherols. In cosmetic products, it strengthens the skin barrier and preserves moisture in the skin thanks to its occlusive properties.

Shea butter is produced from the kernels of the fruits of the shea tree Vitellaria paradoxa subs. paradoxa. It is also known as the shea tree and belongs to the sapote family. In East Africa, the subspecies Vitellaria paradoxa subspecies nilotica is also found.
The wild tree grows in West and East Africa between Senegal, Burkina Faso and Uganda. It bears fruit only after 25 years. The oil-containing kernels are about 4 cm in size and are colloquially known as shea nuts.

For our shea butter, we have established several supply chains in Africa to support different projects and local communities. Shea butter is also known as "women's gold" because the collection and processing of shea nuts is traditionally in women's hands. As a result, the extraction of shea butter provides a livelihood for many women and their families.

Our shea butter is BIO, COSMOS, NATRUE and KOSHER certified and can be stored for at least 18 months.

Raw shea butter in particular contains valuable secondary plant substances that cannot be saponified. Besides tocopherols or catechins, the phytosterols are the focus of shea butter. These are similar to the skin's own cholesterol and thus strengthen the skin's natural lipid barrier. Moisturising creams to support the skin barrier are trendy and are recommended by skinfluencers on Instagram or TikTok.

Shea butter preserves moisture in the skin and has a smoothing and moisturising effect. It is ideal for the care of dry, rough skin, as the film-forming, occlusive stearic acid reduces the loss of moisture from the skin. At the same time, the oleic acid also contained in shea butter ensures that the skin is intensively cared for and that active ingredients are channelled into the skin. In body butters, rich creams and in hand and lip care, shea butter protects the skin from wind, cold or the dry air of air conditioning. It is also valued as a consistency enhancer in creams and lotions.
Sensitive or neurodermitic skin benefits from the soothing effect of shea butter, which supports the skin barrier. It is also used for scar care.
Shea butter is also suitable for the care of curly, frizzy and damaged hair. It can be used in hair masks or a repairing hair balm.

Product ideas for shea butter

A classic for dry body skin is "shea butter cream". For this, it is mixed with an oil, e.g. sesame oil, and whipped.

For a skin barrier supporting facial emulsion for sensitive, dry and mature skin, shea butter can be combined with regenerating rosehip seed oil and argan oil.

Shea butter together with vegetable waxes or beeswax form the basis for a protective winter hand care.

The nourishing properties of our shea butter were confirmed in a cosmetic study in October 2015. The results can be requested from us.

We source our shea butter from Ghana, Burkina Faso, the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire and Uganda. In doing so, we support local cooperatives, rural communities and various projects. One example is the Wechiau Community Hippo Sanctuary: the nature reserve in northern Ghana protects the habitat for hippos. As shea butter is traditionally produced by women, they can earn their own income and thus enable their children to go to school. The wild shea trees grow to be over 100 years old and provide financial security for families for generations.

The production of shea butter is complex: After collecting the fruit and peeling off the pulp, the seeds are dried, peeled, roasted and then crushed. By adding water and constantly kneading the mass, an emulsion is formed from which the fat can finally be skimmed off. Many steps of the production are done by hand, the use of smaller machines relieves the women of the physical hard work.

With the supply chains we have established, we support fair trade and women's independence. Thanks to the production of shea butter, a large part of the added value remains locally in Africa. Rural habitats thus remain attractive and migration to the big cities is reduced.

We source our shea butter from several countries in East and West Africa - including Ghana, where we work closely with the Shea Savannah Fruit Company (SFC).
Read a report about the SFC.

Sustainability plays a crucial role for AOT. From the very beginning, we have focused on organic farming. It protects the climate, ensures soil fertility and protects the environment. Synthetic fertilisers and pesticides are not used. The shea nuts for our certified organic shea butter come from trees that grow wild.
You can find out more about our company's sustainable approach here.

Since always we feel responsible for social standards, sustainability and the people who work along our supply chains. On a regular basis we travel to our partners and suppliers to support them and monitor all these things.
A week in another world – our purchase manager Carsten Richter travelled to Africa and visited some of our cultivation projects for Shea Butter - "Womens Gold".
Read the full travel report here.