Shea Butter Oil Anita Grant

How is Shea Oil made?
First we need to look at the components of Unrefined Shea Butter which is a triglyceride (fatty acid) made up of stearic acid and oleic acid.

Unrefined Shea Butter contains approximately:
43% stearic acid
46% oleic acid
7% linoleic acid
4% palmitic acid

The process of fractionation involves separating 2 components of Shea Butter, the olein (oil) and the stearin (fat), through steam distillation. Once separated the levels of fat (stearic acid) are reduced, whilst the levels of oil (oleic acid) are increased.

Shea Oil contains approximately:
27% stearic acid
59% oleic acid
9% linoleic acid
5% palmitic acid

Fractionation is one of the most natural ways of:

• producing Shea Oil

• retaining its natural properties

Shea oil is extremely moisturising and suitable for both skin and hair:

• Oleic acid – well known anti-inflammatory

• Linoleic acid – aids in the repair of the skin’s top layer (epidermis) and purported to stimulate healthy hair growth.
Source:
Role of Arachidonic Acid in Promoting Hair Growth
Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine
 
At Anita Grant we sell 3 different types of Shea:

• Unrefined Raw Shea Butter – Solid fatty acid of the shea nut.

• Shea Oil – Fractionated Shea Butter, liquid at room temperature, as per the information above.

• Shea Olein (available mid-February 2017) – Contains slightly higher levels of stearic acid, semi-solid at room temperature, extremely soft with a golden yellow colour and a bland aroma. Shea Olein is thicker in consistency to that of Shea Oil.