Shea Butter For The Skin: 5 Major Benefits, Products & DIY Tips  

Well, we love it too. So much so we decided to provide a breakdown of all the benefits, DIY uses, and info about the ingredient.

Shea butter is made from the fat extracted from the nuts of the Shea tree, a plant native to West Africa (almost all of the shea butter used today still comes from this region). Historically, it's been used by the people of the region for ages—both topically and as a cooking butter (food-grade shea butter is still used for cooking today). And currently, it's most famous for its use in beauty, be it homemade options, hair care items, or skin care products. 

Why is it so popular in beauty? Well, the nutrient profile will give you an idea: It's rich in triglycerides, fatty acids, and vitamins—all components of effective skin care items. Used topically, shea butter is an excellent emollient and skin soother and can help skin reduce moisture loss. It's so popular, we wager it will likely show up on the ingredient list of your favorite body lotion, hand cream, and more—it reads Butyrospermum Parkii on the list, in case you're having trouble finding it. 

Without further delay, here's everything you can expect from adding in shea butter to your skin care regimen—or what you're getting already if it's already in it:

While we're just discussing skin benefits here, it's an equally beloved hair care ingredient as well—especially those with kinky, coily, or curly strands, as it's deeply moisturizing. "Shea butter is great for adding moisture to the hair, as it's infused with vitamins and fatty acids that keep hair strong," says hairstylist Miko Branch, founder of Miss Jessie's. And there are several ways you can use the ingredient for the hair from DIY mask and split-end mender to scalp soother and heat protector. 

Shea butter is a star ingredient for DIY—and can make any at-home project simply sing: 

Finally, it's a very popular addition to many body care products, from body butters and lotions to hand creams. If you're afraid of at-home kitchen action, you can probably find a formula that already has the ingredient in the lineup.

Plenty of the most popular lip balms on the market already are infused with shea butter. That's because to make a balm, you typically need an oil, wax, and butter—and well, shea just happens to be one of the most popular. (Cosmetic chemist and founder of BeautyStat Ron Robinson notes that it's so in-demand thanks to being high in fatty acids, like oleic and stearic acids.) Check out these easy lip balm recipes for more info. 

Body scrubs are actually some of the easiest to tackle, as you really only need two ingredients: a physical exfoliator and a base. From there, there are tons of variety that comes into play, as you can opt for something more abrasive (which basically means you use more exfoliant than hydrating base), or you can make something more moisturizing (which means you use a thicker, creamer base). Shea butter, being so dense, definitely helps you pull off the latter type of scrub. In fact, there's a hydrating body scrub option in this DIY scrub guide. 

You can use shea butter in its natural state—you'll need to warm it in your hands to melt it into a liquid, much like you might do coconut oil—or you can DIY a whipped-up version. There are different methods you can try, but this is a good basic option for beginners:

There's a good reason this product is so loved in the beauty space—by experts and consumers alike. Its long history of use not only accounts for its effectiveness, but it has the research to back it up. If your parched skin needs some help, this is for you.