Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Body Butters

The following frequently asked questions about our shea body butters will probably answer any questions you have. If you can't find the answer(s) to your questions, however, or if you require further assistance, please feel free to contact us.

1. What is body butter?

Body butter is a very thick emollient cream made of plant butters including shea and cocoa. It's a great all-purpose moisturizer to add to your skin care routines, but it's especially good for dry, cracked, sensitive, and/or irritated skin that needs a little extra love.

Back to Top

2. What are the main benefits of using shea body butter?

Using shea body butter has many benefits, especially if you use it regularly. Here are some of the amazing benefits:

• Hydration.
The primary reason shea butter became such a prized and coveted ingredient in cosmetics and skin care is its super hydrating properties. With its whole inventory of fatty acids — oleic acid, linoleic acid, and palmitic acid — there are few things on Earth that can supercharge your skin's moisture like shea butter can!
• Non-Greasy Application.
Shea butter is extremely good at hydrating and contains all those amazing fatty acids, but it goes on smooth and doesn't leave behind a greasy residue.
• Anti-Aging Effects.
Shea butter has great anti-aging properties because it contains polyphenols, which are antioxidants to help protect the skin from damage caused by free radicals. Less damage = delayed aging.
• Anti-Inflammatory Effects.
Shea butter is said to have anti-inflammatory properties to soothe and nourish irritated skin. While also reducing skin damaging irritation in dry weather.
• Hypo-Allergenic.
While it's not impossible to have a reaction to shea butter, allergies to it are very rare compared to other ingredients commonly used in lotions, moisturizers, and cosmetics.
• Sun Protection.
Shea butter has a natural SPF of 3 to 5, giving your skin that extra little boost in protection against the sun's harsh UV rays.
• Skin Firming.
The naturally-occurring triterpenes in shea butter give your skin a youthful tone by not only hydrating, but also boosting collagen for plumper, firmer, younger-looking skin!
• Reduces the Appearance of Stretch Marks.
Regular and consistent use of shea butter can help to reduce the appearance of stretch marks, as well as dark spots, scars, and cracked skin.
Back to Top

3. What ingredients are in your shea body butter?

Our shea body butters are made with the following ingredients:

  • Deionized Water
  • Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter
  • Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter
  • Emulsifying Wax NF
  • Stearic Acid
  • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
  • Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil
  • Glyceryl Monostearate
  • Camellia Sinensis (Tea) Leaf Extract
  • Tocopherol (Vitamin E)
  • Allantoin
  • Phenoxyethanol and Caprylyl Glycol (Optiphen ND)
  • Fragrance
Back to Top

4. Do your shea body butters contain any allergens?

Our shea body butter formulation doesn't contain any of the common big offender allergens (such as peanuts and common tree nuts, for example) but it is still technically possible to have an allergy if you happen to be allergic to one of the ingredients. That being said, shea butter itself is a very rare thing to be allergic to, as is the cocoa butter also used in this recipe.

Back to Top

5. Are your shea body butters vegan and cruelty-free?

Yes, our shea body butters are both vegan and cruelty-free. All of the ingredients are plant/mineral based, and none of our products are tested on animals. There is a whole blog post about our animal testing policies here.

Back to Top

6. Do your shea body butters contain natural or synthetic fragrances?

Our shea body butters are made with fragrance blends formulated from natural sources.

Back to Top

7. Do your shea body butters contain preservatives?

Our body butters are treated with a splash of a naturally-derived preservative, Phenoxyethanol and Caprylyl Glycol (Optiphen ND), which renders them largely inhospitable to microbes and keeps them nice and sanitary for a longer shelf life.

Back to Top

8. What scents are available in your shea body butter collection?

Our shea body butters are available in an assortment of scents. The four core scents in the collection — available year-round — are:

  • Coconut lemongrass
  • Ginger Fish
  • Orange Ginger
  • Pink Grapefruit

Additional seasonal scents are introduced throughout the year. These are:

  • Death & Decay (early autumn/Halloween)
  • Fall Harvest (Mid-late autumn/Thanksgiving)
  • I Want Candy!(Christmas)
Back to Top

9. Do you offer unscented shea body butter?

No, we do not offer an unscented shea body butter.

Back to Top

10. Can shea body butter help with dry or flaky skin?

Yes, shea body butters are excellent for dry and flaky skin. The moisturizing, emollient nature and healing properties of shea body butters are hard to beat.

Back to Top

11. Is shea body butter suitable for all skin types?

Yes, shea butters are suitable for all skin types. If you have exceptionally oily skin, though, you might consider using our skin-balancing lotions instead.

Back to Top

12. Is shea body butter safe for sensitive skin?

Yes, shea body butters are safe for sensitive skin so long as whatever you're sensitive to isn't one of the ingredients.

Back to Top

13. Can I use shea body butter on sunburned skin?

Yes, you can use shea body butters on sunburned skin. Another option is to use our aloe butter-based After-Burn Beach Cream for the first day or two until the initial burning stops, and then switch to the body butter to keep the skin soothed and moisturized during healing. The shea butter will lend its own healing properties to the efforts, as well.

Back to Top

14. How do I properly apply shea body butter for best results?

Most people apply shea body butter once daily after the shower. After toweling off, apply the body butter liberally over your entire body, paying special attention to problem areas of skin damage or dryness. You can re-apply later if you feel it's necessary.

Back to Top

15. Can shea body butter be used as a moisturizer for the whole body?

Yes, you can use our shea body butters on your whole body — Your skin will love you for it!

Back to Top

16. Can shea body butter be used on scars or stretch marks?

Yes, shea body butters work wonderfully on scars and stretch marks. They're not a miracle cure by any means, but they certainly help. There are many factors — age, skin color and tone, genetics, sun exposure, etc. — that can effect your outcomes, so as the old saying goes, "your mileage may vary".

Back to Top

17. How often should I use shea body butter?

You can use shea body butters as often as you like. You do you. Follow your dreams. Do what makes your weird little heart happy... while some of our customers say they use it every single day, we find that full-body application about three times a week with spot treatments of problem areas — those pesky hands, elbows, knees, feet, areas of wrinkling and scarring — in between tends to be the average.

Back to Top

18. Can shea body butter be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding?

While there is nothing inherently toxic in our formulation, pregnancy and breastfeeding represent quite a serious phase in your life. As we are not medical professionals, we are ill-qualified to answer this question with any certainty or confidence. We therefore advise — out of an abundance of caution — that you consult with your OB/GYN prior to use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Back to Top

19. How long does it take for shea body butter to absorb into the skin?

The shea body butter feels amazing from the moment you put it on: silky soft and smooth; moist but not greasy. Over the next 15-30 minutes, it'll absorb into the skin. The noticeable softness will last for many hours, often all day and into the night.

Back to Top

20. Can I use shea body butter on my hair or scalp?

Shea butter and cocoa butter — both of which are in this product — are both amazing hair and scalp treatment ingredients! That said, we've never tested our own shea butter formulation for hair and scalp conditioning, so we can't recommend it. If you happen to try it, let us know how it turned out.

Back to Top

21. Can shea body butter be used in hot or cold weather?

Shea body butters can be used in any weather. You get an extra bonus in cold weather, though, because it will help prevent that cold-chapped skin!

Back to Top

22. Is shea body butter comedogenic?

The ingredients in our shea body butter formulation are generally considered to be non-comedogenic. However, people with especially delicate skin could still have breakouts with it.

Back to Top

23. Can shea body butter be used on the face?

Shea body butters can be used on the face, and are minimally comedogenic so they shouldn't cause blackheads or trigger pimple breakouts. If your skin is sensitive or more delicate than the average, you may wish to do a small patch test for a few days before applying to your entire face.

Back to Top

24. Are your shea body butters tested on animals?

No, we do not test our shea body butters — or any other product, for that matter — on animals. We test our products on human volunteers — usually family & friends — instead. There's a whole blog post about this practice right over here.

Back to Top

25. Do you offer gift packaging options for your shea body butters?

No, at the moment we do not offer gift packaging for our shea body butters.

Back to Top

Did we answer your questions?

If you were unable to find the answer to your question(s) or require further assistance, please contact us!

!