NK SHEA, 100% Pure Shea Butter, is produced in MALI West AFRICA
by a group of women at the
CENTRE POUR LE DEVELOPPEMENT DES FEMMES – CDF MALI.
This learning facility was founded by THE MALI FALA FUND in January 2009.

The women buy the nuts from local villages, the nuts are then crushed to a powder.
Adding water to the powder the women then “beat” the mixture by hand for many hours to create a thick, smooth consistency.The mixture is then heated over a fire to boiling point. The shea oil separates and is scooped off and left to solidify.
see more pictures in “PHOTOS”

NK are the initials of my Malian name – NASSOU KEITA, given to me by the village Chief of KAMALE.
The “Lady and Child” art work on the label was taken from a painting by
GARY PALMER. See “SPONSORS” for Gary’s website and view more of his beautiful paintings.

Get the latest Flash Player to see this player.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SHEA BUTTER

Shea Butter comes from the nuts of the Shea-Karite trees which are found mainly in West Africa.
The Shea-Karite tree bears fruit after about 15 years and can take up to 30 years to bear a quality crop of nuts with a high content of irremovable fatty acid. It is this irremovable fatty acid that gives Shea Butter its unique healing properties.
Shea Butter is solid at room temperature and it quickly liquefies right around body temperature.
This Shea Butter is called unrefined Shea Butter or raw Shea Butter.  Since Shea Butter is an all natural product, it can vary widely in quality, appearance and smell depending on where it is produced from and how it is refined or extracted.

Pure Shea Butter can be found in three types of extractions.

RAW or UNREFINED – extracted using water. The color ranges from cream like to grayish yellow.  This is the original form of Shea Butter.
REFINED – is more highly processed and has many of its natural components still intact.
HIGHLY REFINED or PROCESSED – solvents are used to increase the yield (hexane is an example).  The color is pure white.

Raw or lightly refined Shea Butter from Mali has a natural nutty smell, which is not unpleasant to most people. Over time the smell of the Shea Butter will diminish.

Shea Butter does not need to be refrigerated.
After two or three years Shea Butter will begin to lose some of its effectiveness. As the natural ingredients begin to break down, some of the healing benefits will be reduced, but the Shea Butter will continue to be an effective moisturizer. Store Shea Butter is a cool (not necessarily cold) place.

Shea nuts will vary in color from almost white to yellow.  Therefore, refined Shea Butter will vary in color. You will not be able to determine the authenticity or quality of Shea Butter based strictly on its color. There is even a naturally golden yellow colored Shea Butter. Most Shea Butter is a creamy color. Shea Butter that is pure white is highly refined and may or may not have its healing properties intact.

Here are some of the uses and benefits of Shea Butter for the skin:

DAILY MOISTURIZER – Initially, Shea Butter appears very oily but your skin will absorb it quickly without clogging the pores. If the Shea Butter is hard when you take it from it’s container, rub it in the palm of your hands and it will soon liquify – making it easy to apply to the skin.

SCALP & HAIR CONDITIONER – Warm Shea Butter until liquified, using cupped hands, apply to scalp, massaging the scalp and pulling through to the ends of the hair. Gentle brush hair to distribute butter. Leave on scalp and hair for as long as you like. Especially beneficial for damaged and treated hair.

HELPS RESTORE LUSTER.

STRETCH MARK PREVENTION – During pregnancy apply daily to whole body.

SOFTENER FOR TOUGH SKIN – Like heels.

DIAPER RASH

WRINKLES

SKIN PEELING AFTER TANNING

SUNBURN

MINOR BURNS

EVEN SKIN TONE – Reducing blemishes and scarring

HELPS RESTORE ELASTICITY TO SKIN

LIP BALM

CUTICLE SOFTENER

RELIEVE ITCHING DUE TO DRY SKIN

MASSAGE

The vitamins A, E and F in shea butter will nourish the skin. Vitamins A and E help maintain the skin and keep it clear and healthy. They are particularly helpful for sun damaged skin. They help prevent premature wrinkles and facial lines. Vitamin F acts as a skin protector and rejuvenator. It soothes rough, dry or chapped skin and helps soften dry or damaged hair. Also, Shea Butter easily penetrates the skin allowing the skin to breathe and not clog pores. Shea Butter is also anti-inflammatory making it useful in treating rheumatism.

All Shea Butter is not the same and refining techniques will vary.
Highly processed Shea Butter will not be as effective. If Shea Butter is mixed with other ingredients that will reduce its benefits. There are products that add very little Shea Butter but manufacturers are taking advantage of the Shea Butter buzz by adding a little Shea Butter and prominently display “Shea Butter” on the label. Check the label – Ingredients on the label should be listed in the order from the ingredient that is the most to the least. Therefore, you should look for Shea Butter products that list Shea Butter early on the list of ingredients.

The differences between raw, refined and highly refined Shea Butter lie in how the Shea Butter is extracted from the nut and how it is processed after that. Manual extraction processes leave more of the raw ingredients in the Shea Butter. After it is extracted, it can be further refined removing color and impurities that some people don’t like. This further refining can also remove some of the smell. The raw Shea Butter will give the best benefits.