Shea Butter
In plain terms
A rich, soothing plant butter and one of the gentlest moisturizers around. Despite coming from a nut, it almost never triggers nut allergies, since the refined butter carries little of the protein that causes reactions.
What the evidence shows
Shea butter is a fatty plant butter pressed from the nuts of the West African shea tree, loaded with oleic, stearic, and linoleic acids plus vitamins A and E. It is one of the better-tolerated emollients in skincare: the CIR panel reviewed it and found it safe, non-irritating in human tests, and non-sensitizing, and the FDA recognizes it as safe. It moisturizes by sealing in water and adds mild antioxidant and soothing benefits, which suits dry, sensitive, and irritated skin. Its comedogenic rating is low, so for most people it does not clog pores, though very oily or congestion-prone skin may find heavy amounts too rich. The one worry people raise is the nut connection: shea comes from a nut, but the refined butter contains very little of the protein responsible for tree-nut allergies, and shea-specific reactions are rare, so even many people with nut allergies tolerate it. A patch test is sensible if you are highly nut-allergic, but for nearly everyone shea butter is a safe, dependable moisturizer.
On the label
Listed as butyrospermum parkii or shea butter. No real catch here; if your skin is very oily or breakout-prone, use it in lighter amounts or as part of a formula rather than as a thick raw butter.