Shea Butter for Dry Skin Care – Benefits and How to Use

Shea Butter for Dry Skin Care – Benefits and How to Use – Shea butter is a popular ingredient in face creams, body lotions etc, thanks to its skin nourishing as well as moisturizing benefits. It works extremely well for those with dry skin, and here in this article, we are going to discuss the benefits and few uses of shea butter for dry skin care. Along with moisturization, shea butter offers healing benefits for skin. Shea butter is a type of fat extracted from the nuts of African Shea tree. Shea butter is rich in nourishing fatty acids as well as vitamins A and E. It comes with powerful anti inflammatory properties which is why it is extensively used in skin moisturizers, hair conditioners, etc. Continue reading to know about the use of shea butter for dry skin care.
Check – How to Prepare Milk Face Pack for Soft Skin

Before we go on talking about various ways to use shea butter for dry skin care, take a look below to know what are the benefits of shea butter for dry skin care.

Why to Use Shea Butter for Dry Skin Care

• Shea butter is enriched with fatty acids, including oleic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid, etc. These fatty acids are extremely nourishing and moisturizing for our skin. Also it contains vitamin A and E, both of which are known for their skin nourishing benefits.
• Vitamin A helps in treating wrinkles, acne, etc by boosting cell growth. It also helps to heal dry skin by increasing sebum production by the sebaceous glands, whereas Vitamin E protects the skin from sun damage and also replenishes the skin with lost moisture. Vitamin E can reverse the natural aging process of our skin and has anti inflammatory benefits, that help in treating various skin conditions.
• Also, vitamin F is found in shea butter naturally, which is known for its skin benefits.
• Shea butter is also known for its anti inflammatory properties, which help to soothe dry and irritated skin.
• Shea butter has great emollient as well as humectant properties. It not only adds moisturization to dry skin, but also helps with moisture retention.
• Extreme dryness can cause itching and peeling as well as develop cracks on the skin. The moisturizing and anti inflammatory benefits of shea butter help healing the skin and provide relief from the discomfort. Shea butter penetrates the skin easily, nourishes the skin and soften rough skin.
• Shea butter has wonderful anti aging benefits. It helps in boosting collagen production in the skin, that helps with maintaining the natural elasticity of the skin and keeps the skin supple, nourished, glowing as well as youthful.
• Shea butter helps in improving blood circulation in the skin. As a result, it helps to nourish the skin cells and results in faster cell renewal. The catechins found in shea butter also have anti aging benefits. Regular application of shea butter is extremely beneficial in treating skin rashes, skin peeling after UV damage, stretch marks, burns, athletes foot, insect bites, acne as well as acne scars.

How to Use Shea Butter for Dry Skin Care

1. Simple Shea Butter Application

How to do?

Take 1 tbsp shea butter and melt it using a double boiler. Remove from the heat and let it cool down a bit. Apply the same all over the face as well as neck, massaging gently with the fingertips. Leave it on the skin for 20-30 minutes. After that, wipe off with a damp towel. Repeat every day. This is the easiest way to use shea butter for dry skin care.

Alternatively, take a tbsp shea butter and add it to some warm water. Once it melts, use it as the final rinse after your shower. This will create a protective barrier on the skin and keep it moisturized.

2. Honey and Shea Butter for Dry Skin Care

How to use honey and shea butter for dry skin care?

Melt a tbsp raw shea butter using a double boiler. Once it is melted, remove from the heat and let it cool down slightly. Mix it with a tbsp of raw honey and prepare a smooth paste. Apply it all over the face as well as neck and keep it on for 30 minutes. Use fresh water to wash off. Reapply this remedy with shea butter for dry skin care twice or thrice weekly.

Why it works?

Honey is a great remedy to treat dry skin, because of its moisturizing benefits. It has natural humectant properties. Honey draws moisture from the air and locks it into the skin cells, thus it moisturizes and hydrates our skin. Also, honey creates a protective barrier on the skin to prevent moisture loss.

Honey is a source of several skin nourishing vitamins and minerals. It contains thiamine (vitamin B1), niacin (vitamin B3), riboflavin (vitamin B2) and pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), zinc, potassium and selenium, organic acids, specially gluconic acid as well as 18-20 amino acids. These nutrients deeply nourish our skin and prevent dryness.

Honey contains a high amount of potassium, which is a vital mineral for our skin. It moisturizes and hydrates our skin. Potassium also improves blood flow to the skin cells and nourish them to further improve our skin texture. Exfoliation is must to get rid of dry skin. Honey contains several natural enzymes as well as AHA, that help to exfoliate the skin and remove the dead skin cells to soften our skin texture.

Furthermore, the anti inflammatory properties of honey help to provide relief from the discomforts caused by skin dryness. Honey has a soothing effect on our skin and it helps to reduce the itchiness and irritation of the skin caused by extreme dryness.

UV exposure also makes our skin dry and rough. The anti inflammatory properties of honey help to heal sun damaged skin. Honey contains several anti oxidants such as, chrysin, pinobanksin, catalase, pinocembrin, etc. and they also help eliminating dryness of the skin by boosting cell turnover rate as well as protecting our skin cells from oxidative stress.

Also read

List of Best Cleanser for Dry Skin in Winter – Must Know

How to Use Coconut Oil for Dry Skin – 10 Simple Methods

Simple Homemade Fruit Face Pack for Dry Skin in Winter

3. Aloe Vera, Olive Oil and Shea Butter for Dry Skin Care

How to use aloe vera, olive oil and shea butter for dry skin care?

Take a tbsp shea butter and melt it with the help of a double boiler. Remove from the heat, let it become a little cool and add one tsp pure aloe vera gel to that. Also add a tbsp olive oil to these and mix all the ingredients together. Apply the resultant mixture all over the face and neck, massaging gently with fingertips. After 15-20 minutes, wash off using fresh water. Reapply this treatment with shea butter for dry skin care 2-3 times every week.

Why it works?

Aloe Vera –

Aloe vera gel contains 96% water as well as over 200 healing phyto nutrients and 18 amino acids. No wonder, it works great to resolve almost all of our skin problems. Being high in water, aloe vera offers great moisturizing benefits.

It works for all skin types. Aloe vera is non comedogenic, which means aloe vera doesn’t clog pores and it can be used safely on all skin types, including sensitive skin. With regular use, aloe vera eliminates the dryness and softens the skin.

When used on the skin, aloe vera can reach in to deep layers of our skin and adds a boost of moisturization. This helps to heal dry skin from within. Exfoliation is important to drive away dryness. Aloe vera helps to exfoliate the upper layer of the skin and remove the dead skin cells and other impurities, thus making the skin softer, brighter and healthier.

Aloe vera is extremely beneficial to boost collagen synthesis in the skin, which also leads to soft, smooth and youthful skin. It a source of ‘gibbereline’, a growth hormone and ‘glucomannan’, a polysaccharide, both of them help increasing collagen content in the skin. The anti oxidants present in aloe vera also help healing dry skin by boosting cell growth and protecting the skin cells from free radicals as well as environmental elements.

Aloe vera contains several vitamins A, B, C as well as E. They help repairing the damaged cells by providing nourishment. Also these vitamins can strengthen the skin tissues to further improve our skin texture.

Aloe vera contains mucopolysaccharides, a long chain sugar molecule, that help balancing the moisture level of our skin. It also boosts collagen production in the skin, thus maintaining healthy and youthful skin. Furthermore, the polysaccharides in aloe vera accelerates skin cell regeneration to restore healthy and soft skin.

UV exposure also damages our skin. Aloe vera comes with anti inflammatory properties, that help to treat sun damaged skin and provide immediate relief from the itchiness, redness and dryness.

Olive Oil –

Olive oil contains healthy fats, such as omega 6, omega 9, oleic acid, etc. that moisturize and heal dry skin. Also olive oil helps to retain skin moisture by forming a protective layer on the skin.

Olive oil contains a natural organic compound, squalene, which is known for its wonderful moisturizing properties. Squalene moisturizes our skin and also forms a protective barrier on the skin to inhibit the growth of micro-organisms and further enhance our skin health.

Extremely dry skin can lead to psoriasis, which causes flaking of the skin. Olive oil contains mono unsaturated fatty acids, that moisturize the skin and keep the flaking under control.

Vitamin E present in olive oil also helps with dry skin treatment. It is an anti oxidant, which prevents oxidative damage to our skin cells and keeps dryness at bay. Also it can replenish the skin with lost moisture to heal dryness. Furthermore, the anti inflammatory properties of vitamin E soothes dry skin, while its anti oxidant properties defend cell damage due to psoriasis.

Eczema can also develop due to extremely dry skin. It can make the skin rough, itchy, inflamed and even bleed. Regular application of olive oil nourishes the skin and softens it and also soothes inflammation caused by eczema. Furthermore, olive oil prevents bacterial infection on the affected parts of the skin with its anti bacterial benefits.

Olive oil is a good source of vitamin A, that helps to repair dry skin by boosting sebum secretion in the skin. Also it boosts cell growth to further repair our skin texture.

4. Coconut Oil and Shea Butter for Dry Skin Care

How to use coconut oil and shea butter for dry skin care?

With the help of a double boiler, melt 1-2 tbsp raw shea butter. Once it is melted, add in 1 tbsp coconut oil and keep stirring in low flame until the ingredients mix together. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cools down slightly. Apply it all over the face and gently massage with your finger tips for some time.

After 15-20 minutes, wipe it off with a damp cloth and splash fresh water onto the face. Reapply this remedy with shea butter for dry skin care twice or thrice weekly.

Why it works?

Coconut oil works wonderfully to moisturize dry skin. When used with shea butter for dry skin care, it works even better. Coconut oil is a great source of medium chain fatty acids which are highly moisturizing for our skin. They not only moisturize the skin, but also prevents moisture loss by forming a protective layer on the skin. This is why, coconut oil is considered a great natural remedy to treat dry skin.

Coconut oil is fast absorbing, because the fatty acids found in coconut oil are structurally similar to the fatty acids present on the cells on the top layer of skin. This helps with easy absorption of coconut oil. It helps to nourish the skin cells from within by providing a boost of moisturization, thus repairing the dryness.

Coconut oil contains a large amount of vitamin E. It is an anti oxidant, that helps to prevent oxidative stress on the skin cells, thus protecting the skin against various damages, including dryness. UV damage can also make our skin dry, and vitamin E is very effective to fight off UV damage. Further, it helps replenishing the skin with lost moisture as well as strengthens the connective tissues of the skin, that further improve our skin texture.

Dry skin is prone to skin infections. Coconut oil comes with anti fungal as well as anti inflammatory benefits, that help curing skin infections. The anti inflammatory benefits of coconut oil help to soothe the irritation caused by dry skin. The proteins present in coconut oil help to repair damaged skin tissues and improve our cellular health to further boost our skin health.

Coconut oil helps to boost collagen production in the skin, thanks to its high amount of nutrients as well as anti oxidants. Thus, it enhances the natural elasticity of the skin, and keep dryness at bay.

Exfoliation is must to soften dry skin. Coconut oil has gentle exfoliating benefits. It helps to dissolve the dead skin cells and other impurities from the skin surface and eliminate them, thus making skin softer and smoother.

5. Milk and Shea Butter for Dry Skin Care

How to use milk and shea butter for dry skin care?

Take two tbsp shea butter and melt it using a double boiler. Remove from the heat and wait until it cools down a bit. Add some cold milk to that and mix together. Apply the resultant mixture on the face and neck. Gently massage for some time. Wash it off after 10-15 minutes with fresh water and reapply this face mask with shea butter for dry skin care once in every three days.

Why it works?

Milk, specially raw milk is an excellent natural toner for all skin types. It works particularly good for dry skin type. When used as a toner, raw milk tones the skin and improves the natural elasticity of the skin to keep dryness at bay.

Milk is a wonderful natural moisturizer for our skin. It  can reach deeper in to the skin layers and adds a boost of nourishment as well as moisturization to repair and restore soft, supple skin.

Milk is the powerhouse of various vitamins that help with skin nourishment. It contains vitamin A, which boosts sebum production and repairs dry, flaky skin. This, along with vitamin B6 boosts new cell formation and replace the dry and damaged skin cells with newer, healthier skin cells. Milk has vitamin B12 in it, which also helps to get soft and smooth skin.

Milk contains vitamin D, which has anti oxidant benefits. It helps in boosting collagen production and keeps dryness at bay by maintaining natural skin elasticity. It also contains biotin (vitamin B7), which helps to revitalize dry and dehydrated skin.

Deficiency of certain minerals, like calcium and potassium can cause dry skin. Milk contains both potassium and calcium, which help keeping the skin layers hydrated and moisturized internally. Milk also contains magnesium that helps in slowing down the aging process of the skin.

The proteins present in milk help in repairing the connective tissues of dry skin and helps to get soft and smooth skin.

Exfoliation is very important to get rid of dry skin. Milk contains lactic acid, which belongs to the AHA family and it helps in exfoliating the skin, thus keeping it supple and smooth.

6. Yogurt and Shea Butter for Dry Skin Care

How to use yogurt and shea butter for dry skin care?

Melt 1-2 tbsp shea butter using a double boiler. Once it is melted, remove from the heat and wait till it cools down a bit, but does not solidify. Add a tbsp fresh yogurt to that and mix both the ingredients together. Apply the resultant mixture all over the face and neck.

Gently massage with your fingertips and wait for 15-20 minutes, before washing off with fresh water. Reapply this treatment with shea butter for dry skin care twice every week.

Why it works?

Yogurt is one of the best natural remedies for dry skin. It has great moisturizing and exfoliating benefits that help to repair skin dryness.

Yogurt is a by-product of milk, hence it contains lactic acid that belongs to the AHA family. Lactic acid exfoliates, nourishes as well as moisturizes our skin, thus restoring healthy and supple skin naturally. Lactic acid can dissolve the dead skin cells and other impurities from the skin surface, thus eliminating them easily and softening the skin texture.

Along with lactic acid, yogurt is a good source of B vitamins, which help to improve skin texture by adding hydration and moisturization. Vitamin B2 present in yogurt has anti oxidant benefits. It protects our skin cells from oxidative stress caused by free radicals, thus preventing skin dryness and various other skin damages. Also it boosts healthy cell growth and manufacturing of healthy cellular fats, to further improves our skin texture.

Vitamin B5 and B12 in yogurt also moisturize and hydrate dry skin. Deficiency of vitamin D can cause dry skin and if not treated on time, it can even lead to psoriasis, which is the result of extremely dry skin. Yogurt is a good source of vitamin D, that helps to fulfill the deficiency and prevents skin damages due to dryness.

UV exposure is another major factor that makes skin rough and dry. Yogurt contains a high amount of zinc, a vital mineral that helps treating sun damaged skin with its powerful anti inflammatory properties. Along with zinc, yogurt is a good source of calcium, which is another very important mineral for healthy, soft skin.

Hope you liked these 6 simple ways to use shea butter for dry skin care. Do you like using shea butter for skin care? Let us know below in the comments.