We’ve all heard of shea butter, and it can be found in countless beauty products, but what is it exactly, and what are its benefits? To find out, we turned to the American Shea Butter Institute, a bio-tech institute dedicated to shea butter that refers to it as “the skin’s best friend.” Turns out that shea butter contains all-natural Vitamin A, which is essential for moisturizing the skin and healing certain skin conditions. It comes from the seed of the shea tree, but it’s different from other natural seed oils because of its high concentrations of healing properties. ASBI publishes a list of “21 Reasons to Use Shea Butter”—here are just a few of those:
• Dry skin
• Blemishes
• Itchy skin
• Insect bites
• Eczema
• Poison ivy
• Stretch mark prevention during pregnancy
The folks at Balanced Guru knew about the amazing benefits of shea butter when they formulated the Balm Me Up that you’ll find in your spring Yuzen box. They combined the shea butter with cocoa butter to make it perfect for hard-to-soften places like elbows, knees, and feet. They also added mandarin, lime, and orange essential oils that invigorate your senses and get you ready to start the new day. It’s light and non-greasy, so you can smooth it all over your body.