Shea Butter: The Ultimate African Superfood for Your Skin

To find the origins of Shea Butter we must go back to the Motherland,  Africa. Though it is grown in roughly 21 different countries, quality shea butter can be found in abundance in Ghana, Northern Uganda, and Nigeria. All of the countries in Africa that are able to produce this resource are known as the “African Shea Belt.” In the shea butter nut family there are two different sub-species. From West Africa comes the Vitellaria Nilotica, and the second species is called the Vitellaria Nilotica from East Africa. Both types of shea trees can take anywhere from 40 to 50 years of maturing before they begin to produce nuts.

Even though they both take the same amount of time to mature, each species creates a very different type of shea butter than the other. The shea butter grown in East Africa has a more creamy consistency, compared to the shea butter native to West Africa, that is more of a clay texture.

Both species are high in quality and nutritional value. One of the most recognized health benefits of the shea butter is the wonders it does to create healthy skin. It is packed with fatty acids and vitamins that soften the skin, and is also used as an anti-inflammatory. When shea butter is used on the body, and the face especially, it can condition the skin to be more smooth, clear, and toned. Here at The Diaspora Collective we take pride in using 100% Shea Butter in our body butter, body soap, body scrub and bath bomb. Using the Diaspora Collective Bath and Body collection nourishes your skin and  connects you to the motherland, Africa and traditional skincare routines.