We’ve all probably heard about the benefits of Shea Butter by now, but how can you tell if you’re getting the best quality product? With unrefined Ivory Shea Butter, 100% raw and imported directly from Ghana, West Africa, it arrives sealed and to your door, and is designed to treat even the most dry skin, stretch marks, eczema, scar marks, boost collagen production, and relieve inflammation.
It is extremely safe and natural, and can even be used on children and women who are pregnant and nursing. It is also sealed, tightly pouched, and shipped in small batches to ensure freshness in every batch.
Before we begin, make sure you’re ordering Organic Shea Butter from a legitimate retailer, NOT from a counterfeit seller. For your convenience, here is the Amazon link to an authentic Organic Shea Butter retailer.
In terms of selecting the highest quality organic Shea butter available, across over 6000 reviews we searched online, Better Shea Butter (the manufacturer) had nearly perfect 5-star ratings and testimonials, and practices only fair-trade standards with above minimum wage salaries for every woman who produces the product.
Bonus points? At $15 for a 16-ounce block, it also comes with a free downloadable eBook of 20 different recipes you can make using organic Shea butter.
So is it worth the hype? We reviewed first to find out and experiment so you wouldn’t have to.
Review: Organic Shea Butter
Better Shea Butter’s Organic Shea Butter is sold in a 16 ounce size option (or you can select 8 ounces if you are unsure and have never tried it before) for under $16, and is pure and unrefined.
Designed for everyone, it’s rich with omega fatty acids, nutrients, proteins, vitamins, and antioxidants that enrich and hydrate the skin, and is perfect for those who are dry, sensitive, and acne-prone. It’s even ideal for those with topical conditions, especially in the treatment of eczema and rough scaly patches of skin that will not seem to heal and cause discomfort.
It can be warmed up in the hands and applied directly to the skin (that is typically how I use it). But it can also be melted, stirred, blended, and mixed together with other essential oils and filler ingredients to create different at home recipes, lotions, body butters, and even bath salts.
It helps in treating scar marks (stretch marks, acne scars), preventing stretch mark scars from forming or worsening, and can even be used in hair mix masks.
I tried it on the skin (only on the body, as it seemed a bit heavy to apply directly to the entire face, although some do), and it works remarkably to hydrate the hands, feet, dry patches of skin, and moisturize- especially after showers.
The organic Shea Butter has a warm nutty scent to it that lingers without being overpowering and does not feel greasy or sticky, or cling to your clothes or linens after use.
Mixing it up with essential oils (rosemary, castor oil, lavender) is also lovely and feels incredibly rich.
The best part? A tiny amount and slice goes so far that you will have the whole slab, even if its for your whole family as a household staple, for months and months of continual use, so this is one of the single best value items and investments you can possibly make if you’re a fan- in terms of bang for your buck.
*We not only selected this version and manufacturer to review and test out (as there are hundreds to pick from on the market) as the highest ranking with near perfect review scores, but because this Unrefined Organic Shea, while imported directly from Ghana, is a female-owned company that only participates in fair labor acts and practices.*
Organic Shea Butter: Ingredient Benefits
- Helps reduce redness, stinging, swelling, burning, and inflammation
- Nourishes, soothes, and repairs any irritated, dry, or aggravated skin
- Provides deep hydration and moisture for very dry skin, rough patches, scaly skin, or
- Creates a protective barrier on the skin to prevent from environmental damage, UVA/B rays, and pollution
- Can help stop skin itch (including from stretch marks during pregnancy)
- Helps to brighten the skin and provide anti-aging benefits
- Helps reduce signs of wrinkles, fine lines, scars (including acne scar marks)
- Rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and nutrients that support skin health, vibrance, and glow
- Safe for sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, and helps in treating skin conditions (eczema)
Organic Shea Butter: DIY Recipes
Here are a few at home recipes you can try using the organic unrefined Shea butter (although you can feel free to experiment with many more of your own selection and choosing at your discretion):
Shea Butter Whipped Body Butter
- Using 60% pure Shea, 38% carrier of your choice, and the rest (2%) essential oils of your choice, whip until it reaches a fluffy consistency (will have a shelf-life of about 6 months, but may vary based on ingredients used)
Rich Balm For Cracked Feet/Hands/Body Patches on Skin
- Melt 2 ounces of organic Shea butter, 1 ounce of beeswax, and 2 ounces of jojoba oil, add 30 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil, and place in fridge until it is hard and ready to use and apply
Rich Bath Salts & Treatment
- Using 1 ounce of epsom salt, 1 ounce of sea salt, 2 ounces of milk powder, and pour into a full bath. Soak for 20-3o minutes and wash and rinse, then follow by applying pure organic Shea butter or the whipped body butter.
Organic Shea Butter: Pros and Cons
Overall, for the price point and versatility, and considering how long the product itself lasts, Better Shea Butter’s Organic Shea was amazing to use and feels great on very dry skin. It’s probably the number one multi-use product, in terms of how many different ailments and issues it can treat, and how many different uses and at home recipes it can be made into. It is simple and easy to use it as an ingredient for the skin, hair, to treat any irritated skin, the nails, and it’s completely safe and natural for nearly everyone who tries it.
With that in mind, here are some main pros and cons to consider prior to purchase:
Pros
- The organic Shea butter comes with a free e-book with DIY recipes that you can easily whip up at home to treat and cure different ailments
- You can easily start whipping up your own recipes at home for different DIY lotions, treatments and at home masks
- Safe for all skin types, even those who are sensitive, acne-prone, and those with topical conditions (can be used on women, men, children, and even pregnant and nursing women)
- It can be melted (it comes as a hard block), however it is soft enough to simply put in a bowl and use a spoon and wire whisk to remove any clumps, or can simply be melted into the palms and applied directly to skin
- Can be used to soften the skin and promote a more youthful complexion, treat stretch marks (existing and beforehand), topical skin conditions and irritation, inflammation, scar tissue, and boost collagen and elastin (anti-aging benefits)
- Can even be used in the hair or nails if desired
- Female owned company that pays above fair trade and above minimum wage standards to all of its workers and manufacturers
- You can slice off the exact amount you need without any grease, stick, or mess during the process
- If you really love the product, there are subscribe and save options, so you can get deliveries at your request/door at a discount or in bulk
- Cruelty-free: the organic Shea is derived only from pure tree extracts and no animal product is used in the making of the product or during any of the manufacturing or trade processes
- The product is naturally non-comedogenic and free of any harmful additives or ingredients that can be irritating to the skin or harmful over time
- An extremely small amount of product goes a very long way, so you should have it for quite some time (adding a lot of shelf-life and value)
- Has a creamy texture and does not feel too greasy or sticky or leave behind any residue on any surfaces, clothes, linens, etc.
- Every batch of product is imported and distributed in small quantities to ensure freshness
Cons
- This is not a con but rather a clarification: the Shea butter may vary in color but this does not mean it is not unrefined, unrefined colors may have slightly different shades and tinges (i.e. slightly yellow or off white, but this does not impact the purity of the product at all)
- The scent is slightly nutty and smokey (which I personally enjoy and any typical organic Shea will smell this way), but some people do not enjoy this scent, which is a matter of personal preference
Better Shea Butter’s Money-Back Guarantee Policy
If you have very sensitive skin or have not used Shea Butter products in the past, the return and exchange policy in this case may be a highly important factor for you.
The manufacturer, Better Shea Butter, has a strong return and exchange policy that honors full refunds upon dissatisfaction or allergy, and this policy favors the consumer, both new and returning.
If you are dissatisfied with the use of Better Shea Butter’s Organic Unrefined Shea Butter, or if it does not work for your skin to provide suitable hydrating, skincare, anti-inflammatory, and soothing benefits, or you experience any product allergy or reaction to the formulation, you may elect to return it at any time.
In this case, you will receive a full refund equal to the entire purchase price of the item, if purchased via Amazon.
In this case, the formulation of the unrefined organic Shea butter was gentle enough to use even with very sensitive and acne-prone skin and did not cause any redness, dryness, irritation, or breakouts, but due to any personal sensitivity concerns this policy may help your fears. But this product is designed to be so soothing and gentle it is safe for nearly everyone and allergy is rare (even in pregnant women and children).
Organic Shea Butter: Worth It Winner?
Better Shea Butter’s Organic Shea Butter is one of the best, if not the best multi-use products for its price (and in general) that is all natural, can be made at home into different DIY recipes of your choosing, and helps cure and treat a variety of common ailments and complaints all at the same time.
Even for pregnant and nursing women, this is a great product to help prevent and heal uncomfortable stretch marks and nourish the skin at the same time safely.
It’s also great for simply soothing rough and scaly dry patches of skin on the body, can be used as a hair or nail treatment, can be used to treat patches of eczema for relief, redness, skin irritation, and you can even use it safely on your kids (that’s how gentle it is)!
The organic Shea butter, while incredibly hydrating and rich for the body, is also never greasy and does not leave behind any messes or residue after use.
If you’re looking for value, this is probably one of the best options and most natural value products are known to woman and man. A tiny piece works wonders, and an entire slab will last you months (and you can use it however you’d like).
Plus, you can search online for even more homemade recipes if the additional e-book it comes with and the optional subscription service are not enough free goodies to go along with it.
We have to fully agree with the nearly perfect review rankings online in this case, the Organic Unrefined Shea Butter by Better Shea Butter is a nearly perfect product that is a go-to staple in everyone’s household and great for the entire family for so many different purposes.
I was just expecting better skin, but what I found with this product was an entire range of uses I never even anticipated!
Definitely recommended!