Why You Should Consider Using African Shea Butter For Atopic Dermatitis
African shea butter comes from the seeds of Vitellaria paradoxa nuts . Not only is it an excellent emollient rich in antioxidants and possessing anti-inflammatory properties , butter made from the shea tree, which grows in many parts of Africa but primarily western Africa has another property many people with eczema are bound to already be wondering about. Shea butter is so unlikely to cause an allergic reaction that there is no scientific evidence that any cases of allergy to the shea nut’s oil has ever been reported!
Should you replace the commercial moisturizer you’ve been using for your atopical dermatitis with shea butter? One study notes that doing so produces no adverse effects. What’s more, the paper determined that shea butter was much more effective at reducing eczema symptoms than Vaseline was and that is, of course, what you ultimately want from your moisturizer. Shea butter was found to reduce:
- Redness
- The formation of papules
- The roughness of skin
You may further be interested in hearing that shea butter has traditionally been used to manage numerous skin conditions, including psoriasis, dry skin, and yes, eczema. People from cultures that have traditionally used shea butter as medicine continue to benefit from its properties, and so can you.
Benefits Of Shea Butter For Hair And Skin
When I first heard about the benefits of Shea butter, I decided to start using it on my sons skin because he had really bad eczema. He would itch to the point where he was bleeding and soon his skin was covered in scabs. After going to many doctors I still could not finding any solutions for my sons eczema.
So I desperately began looking for answers. I finally ended up buying some Shea butter and mixing it together with other natural ingredients, to create an all natural mixture. I began using it on him regularly and soon I noticed that his eczema started to clear up and his hair line started to grow back.
He had lost his hair line due to his excessive itching on his scalp, caused by the eczema.
Once I noticed how my all natural mixture was working on him, I started using it on my scalp, hair and skin. After some months of doing this, the bald spot where I had alopecia started to regrow hair. I was so amazed! Full the full story watch the video below where I explain more.
Ive done a lot of research to find out the many benefits of Shea butter.
Does Shea Butter Clog Pores: Wrap Up
Shea butter is a great moisturizer that can be used on your face or body, but it can clog pores in some people. To prevent this from happening, you should patch test products before using them all over and also use chemical exfoliants to keep skin clear of acne-causing bacteria. Additionally, shea butter has antioxidant properties which may help reduce the signs of aging while not being comedogenic for everyone!
Like anything with skincare, whether or not shea butter will clog pores and cause acne will be different for everyone. Thats why its important to patch test products, especially if you are acne-prone. Shea butter can certainly increase pimples, but its also been used for centuries to keep skin moisturized without issues.
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It May Help Soothe Muscle Soreness
Muscles that have been overextended can be affected by inflammation and stiffness as your body repairs muscle tissue.
Shea butter may help sore muscles in the same way it may help joint pain by reducing inflammation.
suggests that shea butter may help alleviate nasal congestion.
When used in nasal drops, shea butter may reduce inflammation in the nasal passages.
It could also help reduce mucosal damage, which often leads to nasal congestion.
These effects could be beneficial when dealing with allergies, sinusitis, or the common cold.
The benefits of shea butter come from its chemical makeup. Shea butter contains:
- linoleic, palmitic, stearic, and oleic fatty acids, ingredients that balance oils on your skin
- vitamins A, E, and F, antioxidant vitamins that promote circulation and healthy skin cell growth
- triglycerides, the fatty part of the shea nut that nourishes and conditions your skin
- cetyl esters, the waxy part of the shea nut butter that conditions skin and locks in moisture
Keep in mind that the exact makeup varies according to where the shea nuts are harvested from. You may also find shea butter mixed with added ingredients, such as tea tree oil or lavender oil.
Amazing For Oily Skin
Shea Butter isnt quite magic but we like to think it is, it has a comedogenic rating of 0 meaning it doesnt clog up your pores! Shea Butter contains high levels of linoleic acid and oleic acid. The two acids balance each other out making it easy for Shea Butter to fully absorb into your skin. Your skin wont feel or look oily after using and you can happily apply your make-up!
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Why Is It Excellent
It contains amazing healing butters and oils that work together to help treat eczema.
- This product is safe for children and/or babies.
- Sea buckthorn oil – contains high amounts of omega 7, reduces inflammation, heals burns, cuts, wounds, sunburn, rashes and skin damage
- Colloidal oats – helps relieve irritation, soothe itchy skin and normalise the pH levels in the skin.
- Coconut oil- has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties that can help soothe skin and reduce itchy flare-ups.
- Unrefined Shea butter- high in vitamin A which moisturises and protects the skin
- Safflower Oil- helps maintain the integrity of the outer layer of your skin to prevent skin from flaking.
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Black Seed Oil – helps to heal the skin, is rich in antioxidants, ability to fight viral, bacterial and even fungal infections. Helps soothe inflammation and improve the speed at which skin heals.
Is Shea Butter Good For Skin
You will no doubt have heard of the wonders of shea butter. It has been used to treat numerous conditions such as skin burns, dandruff, skin discoloration, stretch marks and dry skin, just to name a few.There are many benefits to using shea butter on your skin so its an easy yes!
Shea butter is an effective skin softener, keeping the skin moisturized and smooth due to its high levels of lipids and vitamin E. It can be used on the face and body and reduces inflammation, is filled with antioxidants, has antimicrobial properties all while helping to prevent signs of ageing.
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How To Apply Shea Butter To Your Hair And Scalp
Shea Butter is great for our skin and scalp, but it is also great for direct application to our hair. Raw unrefined Shea butter is solid, dense and not really soft. To apply it just scrape it out of the container with your finger, put it int the palm of your hands and rub your hands together. The heat from your hands will cause the Shea butter to melt and then just apply it to your hair and scalp.
While There Are No Medical Claims On Using African Shea Butter We Can Consider Some Skin Facts:
This tree butter contains large amounts of Vitamins A, E, and F. Vitamins A and E especially help maintain the skin to keep it clear and healthy looking. Vitamin F also acts as a skin rejuvenator, soothing dry, rough or chapped skin.
If you are having large breakouts with eczema, African shea butter could really help lessen the itchiness and swelling. It has high anti-inflammatory properties and is high in unsaponifiables . Compared to avocado oil , African shea butter has between 7-12% unsaponsifiables, while avocado oil contains between 2-6%.
Lastly, this butters properties easily penetrate the skin without clogging it. Something necessary if you want a skin-soothing lotion for eczema and contact dermatitis treatment.
For me, Ive been using it for 3 weeks now, and I can say my overall skin complexion has definitely improved! My skin doesnt get as dry as it used to , and I havent had any bad breakouts with my eczema.
So how about you? Are you also on the Shea butter wagon? What do you think of this miracle butter for eczema? Id love to hear your thoughts and answer any questions!
PS: Don’t know where to start? Sign up to my free series The Clear Skin Plan !
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Does Shea Butter Help Eczema
Those who suffer from eczema or parents that watch their babies suffering are often near despair. They should take the time to try and use some Shea butter as a lotion for their eczema. This is because regular application of Shea butter is able to immediately and effectively address and relieve some of the symptoms that characterize eczema. Within one week of daily use of Shea butter many usually start seeing and feeling some good results.
The symptoms of eczema, which include itching, flaking, peeling, and the appearance of irritated, blistered, and disfigured skin, will start to quickly disappear. Within a week, eczema will be cured and the skin will once again attain a smooth, radiant, and healthy quality. Continued use of a shea butter treatment will help make sure that eczema will not return.
Shea butter for eczema treatment a guaranteed cure!
Daily application of shea butter to the skin is a guaranteed help clear eczema due to the nature of this problematic inflammatory skin condition, and due to shea butters unique anti-inflammatory capability. Because shea butter contains powerful anti-inflammatory agents, most especially vitamin A, it goes to the heart of the skins abnormal allergic response and stops the inflammatory process. This results in the cessation of abnormal skin cell growth, and a rapid diminution of the problematic redness and itching that characterizes eczema.
Homemade Eczema Relief Salve
Although the cause of my eczema is not entirely known, for the days when I have flare ups on my hands and face, I know for certain, that I can apply my homemade eczema relief salve and feel instant relief without having to turn to steroid creams.
This homemade eczema salve is not a cure, however, applying this cream to bumpy, flaky, and itchy affected areas, drastically minimizes the symptoms.
In this salve, I use several ingredients which specifically help soothe eczema symptoms:
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What Ingredients Are Present In Shea Butter
Shea butter is a source of the below ingredients:
Linoleic acid:
- Our body cannot produce linoleic acid so we must get it either topically or through diet.
- It helps to strengthen the skin’s barrier, so it can retain moisture and keep out irritants.
Stearic acid:
- It is a type of fatty acid that helps oil and water to combine. This helps remove dirt and excess sebum from the skin and hair.
Palmitic acid:
- This fatty acid is generally used as an emollient or moisturizer, it can soften skin and boost skin water retention.
Oleic acid:
- This fatty acid is fantastic for treating aged or dry skin. It can deeply penetrate the skin and replenish lost moisture preventing further moisture loss.
- It can restore skin’s natural oils, without clogging pores that can lead to breakouts.
Cetyl esters:
- This is an excellent skin-replenishing and emollient ingredient, which moisturizes the skin.
Vitamin A:
Shea Butter For Eczema
Shea butter is a natural fat that comes from the kernels of the shea tree . Both historically and today, shea butter is used in cooking and for the skin and hair.
Shea butter is a common ingredient in many personal care products, such as lotions, face creams, moisturizers, shampoos, and conditioners.
You can purchase shea butter at health-food stores, farmers markets, or specialty stores that have a variety of natural products.
In some regions, shea butter is a staple when it comes to healing the skin. The pulp of the shea is known to be rich in vitamin C. The fat that is extracted and used in cosmetics and some medicines has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Due to the skin benefits that shea butter offers, it may ease some symptoms and serve as an eczema treatment because it heavily moisturizes and contains properties that reduce inflammation.
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What Causes Eczema Flare
Eczema is a skin condition that is not fun to have. It is also hard to tell precisely how long an eczema outbreak will last.
The reason for eczema isnt fully understood, though its thought to be brought on by an over-reaction in the human bodys immune system once it responds to an allergen attack.
Eczema is a very individual disease, and can stem from different factors for different people. This makes it a little bit tough to treat. It usually develops when an individual becomes overly sensitive to an allergen.
If you do suffer from eczema, it is crucial that you take note of what conditions cause a break out or flare-up. Some of the most common causes for eczema are ¹:
Maintain a record of your symptoms and the way you are handling them. Aggravating its symptoms repeatedly is one of the reasons why the overall bodys immune system has a tough time dealing with eczema and beating it for good.
Luckily, there are a number of easy things you can do to heal from eczema and get rid of the horrible itch it can cause.
Precautions To Take While Using Shea Butter For Babies
Observing some simple precautionary steps can help you use shea butter safely for babies.
Shea butter is a natural, plant-based product that can be safely used for babies. Choose raw or unrefined organic shea butter for your little ones skin and hair care regimen. However, in the case of persistent dryness or any other skin or hair condition, use shea butter only after a thorough consultation with the doctor.
References:
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What Does Shea Butter Do
Shea butter has saturated fats, such as oleic, palmitic, arachidic, linoleic, and stearic acids . The fatty acids, stearic and palmitic acids, help repair the lost lipids in our skins barrier, or stratum corneum. If the skins barrier is not functioning optimally, this can lead to infection and dehydration. Shea butter is a great emollient moisturizer and barrier repair cream which is non-comedogenic.
Shea butter is also a potent antioxidant because it contains vitamins A, C, and E, which help to rebuild collagen and protect the skin from premature aging by the sun These antioxidants scavenge up free radicals produced by the sun and get rid of them so they do not cause damage to your collagen or DNA.
Since shea butter contains oleic acid, it may even have some healing properties useful in the treatment of burn wounds .
Shea butter is anti-inflammatory as well, which makes it useful in the treatment of eczema . It stops the production of inflammatory cells and even some tumor cells. This anti-inflammatory effect is in part due to the linoleic acid it contains.
Also, it has a low SPF which can help protect against UV radiation from the sun. It should not be used as a true sunscreen because the SPF is too low to afford adequate protection.
How Do I Use Shea Butter For Eczema
When using Shea butter for eczema, a small amount should be applied to the skin first to make sure that an allergic reaction does not occur. If a reaction does occur, the product should be discontinued immediately and the health care provider should be notified. In addition, shea butter for eczema should be the type that contains no added fragrances or preservatives so that the eczema plaques are not further irritated. Since shea butter contains vitamins E and A, it may be beneficial in treating eczema and other mild skin irritations to restore moisture and relieve itching and irritation.
Shea butter for eczema can be applied by gently massaging it into the affected areas. Eczema is a dermatological condition where silvery and red plaques appear on the skin, causing itching, scaling, and irritation. In addition to using shea butter for eczema, other treatments include corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory medications, and coal tar preparations. When using shea butter for eczema, it is important that shea butter be the main product used, and not a component of another cream or lotion, as other ingredients in lotions may worsen the condition.
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