The numerous benefits that come with using Shea butter and its versatility that seems to know no boundaries has made it a component in almost every cosmetic product such as lotions, shampoos, and other skincare products.
Shea Butter is a natural fat that comes from the seed of the African Shea Tree. It is a natural product and plant-based. You can find all you need to know about Shea butter in my previous articles.
As Shea Butter stands in skincare, it is only appropriate that soap that a soap whose base ingredient is Shea butter is made to compliment the already good works of the Shea Butter pomade, and also to give options on how people would want their shea butter.
Shea Butter Soap carries the same beneficial properties that come with Shea butter which includes; healing skin from radicals, calm irritated skin, etc.
Shea Butter’s fatty acids provide firmness to soap so it won’t fall apart or melt too quickly. And when Shea butter is mixed with other ingredients for the making of soap, it retains its emollient and anti-inflammatory properties.
Some of these benefits include;Provides natural protection from UV radiation.
It moisturizes pores without clogging them
It’s natural, so no side effects or reactions on those with sensitive skin
No oily residue over the skin after absorption
Gently cleanses dirt and dead cells and leave skin fresh and moisturized
Repair and refresh dry or aging skin
Excellent choice for dry, sensitive skin and damaged frizzy hair
It helps with certain hair conditions
Diminishes wrinkles
Treats acne, eczema, etc.
Soothes dry face
Soothes inflammation on the skin
Nourishes skin with antioxidants
Can be used as;
A complete bathing soap
A facial soap
To wash hair
The treatment of a specific skin disease (acne, eczema, etc.)
At Afrikinky, our Shea Butter Soap is made with the maximum amount of Shea butter and handcrafted in natural ingredients. Our Shea soap cleans with a rich lather leaving your skin feeling moisturized, fresh, smooth, and soft. They do not contain any harsh additives, therefore safe to use for all ages and skin types even babies.
If you have tried our Afrikinky Shea Butter Cream and Shea Oil, then you should give our Shea soap a try to enjoy and Experience Afrikinky.
I hope this blog enlightened you about another product of Shea Butter, and enjoyed learning about its benefits and properties. For more Blogs about our products and to purchase any of our Natural and Authentic African Products Visit www.afrikinky.com
Click here to learn a fun way to make your Shea soap useful during this Covid period.
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Shea Oil is also derived from the nuts of the Shea tree, similar to Shea Butter, containing essential fatty acids, and rich in Vitamins A, E, and F.
Though Shea Oil is also gotten from Shea Nut, it does not make it the same as Shea Butter and doesn’t make it so different.
In my previous article, I have written about the similarities and differences between Shea Butter and Shea Oil
Pure Shea oil can be used directly on the skin as a moisturizer since it contains no comedogenic ingredients, so you can use it on the face or body. It is also an effective emollient, so it can be especially helpful for dry elbows and feet.
Shea oil can help deliver nourishment to your hair, especially with hair that is dry and fizzy. Use it as a pre-shampoo (also known as a pre-poo) before shampooing to reduce the lost oils that come with the washing of hair. Use the oil on dry hair for 30 minutes, but consider keeping it overnight as well. This helps to lock in moisture so that your hair is more supple and smooth.
NB; if you have fine hair avoid applying it to your roots as it can cause an oily appearance. Apply oil to the ends only.
- Shea Oil For Nails
Make a simple nail conditioning treatment by mixing the following ingredients:
Mix together into a one-ounce dropper bottle. Shake to blend. Massage a few drops into cuticles and nails to soften and strengthen.
Shea Oil a better option when making one’s body oil blend as it's thinner and would mix easily and consistently. Shea nut oil could be a good alternative to olive oil, particularly as it doesn't have a strong smell and could be used when making a simple lavender oil.
USABILITY; Warm temperatures can make Shea butter solid, which can be difficult to use. In contrast, Shea oil is liquid at temperatures between 20°C and 35°C
VERY MOISTURIZING; Although Shea Oil has a softer texture and a lighter consistency, it is still as highly moisturizing as cream butter.
COMEDOGENIC OF SHEA OIL; the fact that the Shea nut oil comedogenic rating is two or less suggests it’s unlikely to clog pores.
CONSISTENCY; Its physical properties allow it to easily be absorbed into the hair, scalp, and skin promoting nourishing and moisturizing benefits.
African Black Soap is a soap that originated from West Africa, Nigeria to be precise. Currently, it is now produced in many other West African countries, such as Ghana. It has many names depending on its location. In Ghana, it is called 'Anago/Alata Soap' and it is referred to as 'Ose Dudu' in Nigeria which is a Yoruba direct translation of Black Soap.
In recent years, African black soap has gained recognition and acceptance in the market especially in regards to being an all-natural plant-based soap for healthy skin and hair.
African black soap is a handmade, natural, and plant-based soap. It is free of chemicals, dyes, fragrances, and other additives. But for commercial purposes some companies use these, so to be sure always check the labels of various products to be certain that it does not contain any.
The African Black Soap derives its dark-brownish color rather than black look from the roasted plant. The ingredients may vary based on the country in which the black soap is produced. Some do not have the cocoa pods and therefore use plantain leaves which gives similar benefits, and vice versa.
At Afrikinky, our black soap is made in Ghana which is the home of Cocoa, therefore we use ingredients like Cocoa-pods ash, Shea butter, coconut oil, and water without any additives or chemicals.
First, the plant matter (either the cocoa pods or plantain leaves) are sun-dried then burnt into ash. Next water and various oils like coconut oil and melted Shea butter are added. The mixture is placed on the fire to cook and continuously hand-stirred for hours for the soap to harden. After the soap hardens, it is scooped and molded into desired shapes.
African Black Soap can be used for both the skin and hair. There are many nutrients such as Vitamins A & E, antioxidants, minerals like potassium & magnesium, all within the ingredients used in making the soap unlike the lab-made nutrients found in other soaps.
Some of these benefits include;
It is anti-fungal, antibacterial making it a good replacement as a shampoo for hair washing to help prevent dry and itchy scalp.
It also leaves hair and scalp soft and moisturized after washing because it contains Shea butter and coconut oil.
It’s an exfoliating benefit, just like the skin, removes dead cells before they clog your hair follicles.
Its feed nutrients to the scalp; the vitamins and minerals listed above that are found in our Afrikinky black soap feed nutrients and healing to your scalp, ones that your hair follicles can use to aid
This recipe helps to clear dead skin and give skin a glowing nourished look. This mask can also help get rid of pimples, reduce sebum production and smooth out dark spots.
NB: Black soap is safe for all types of skin but could be drying and irritating to sensitive skin and other skin types when not used to it. Would help if the soap is mixed with honey or lathered in the palms before applying (rubbing the lather unto their damp skin, face, or hair) to reduce the harshness/irritation.
Preferred moisturizers or our Afrikinky Shea butter, Shea oil, and Cocoa butter should be applied after washing with Afrikinky Black soap.
Now that you have read this article, I hope it has enlightened and cleared any misconceptions about African Black Soap, and ready to Experience Afrikinky black soap to feel its goodness and freshness. Visit www.AFRIKINKY.com
Share some misconceptions you’ve had about African Black Soap or some good experiences you’ve had in the comment section below…
]]>A lot of people are familiar with Shea Butter due to its many uses and benefits. It has become a household product and is far known, unlike Shea Oil. Some presume Shea Oil is the melted form of Shea Butter, however, it is not.
The questions that come to mind regarding the two are if one is better than the other and if there are any major differences? Hopefully, by the end of this blog, these questions will be tackled and we will be more abreast with knowledge on both Shea Butter and Shea Oil.
Shea Butter is extracted from the nuts of a Shea-Karite tree found only on the continent of Africa. It grows naturally in the wild and the dry savanna belt of West Africa stretching to East Africa. It is often the only tree allowed to grow through its allotted lifespan of 400 years or more. A Shea nut starts producing fruit after 15-20 years or more and will reach full production in 40-50 years. It is edible and used in food preparation in some African countries. Shea Butter has been used as a cosmetic ingredient for most moisturizers and soaps because of its vitamins and fatty acids.
Shea Butter and Shea Oil are mainly made up of the same components since they are all extracted from the Shea nut.
They all contain; Stearic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Fatty Acids, Palmitic Acid, Antioxidants Vitamin E, and Vitamin A.
Shea Butter comes in;
Raw/Unrefined Shea Butter; water is the only thing that is used in the making of Shea Butter. The color will be based on the type of nuts used, with the color ranging from off-white to an actual yellow. The only drawback that comes with the Raw Shea Butter is the odor, which isn’t that bad and fades after it is applied.
Refined Shea Butter; this is highly more processed and deodorized. The more Shea is refined, the more its natural goodness is removed.
Shea Oil is a byproduct or fraction of the Shea Butter making process. Like the Shea Butter, Shea Oil is also extracted from the nut of the Shea tree. It is rich in essential fatty acids, Vitamin A, E, and F.
During the cold pressing process, all of the nourishing ingredients in Shea butter are drawn out into concentrated oil, while the compounds (Stearic acid) that make the butter solid and waxy are left behind giving it a rich but light texture. It is harder to come by Shea Oil than Shea Butter as is more labor-intensive.
When it comes to similarities, both Shea products (butter and oil) offer very similar benefits. This includes;
The most obvious difference between the Shea butter and Shea Oil is their texture, as by their name one is butter (solid) and the other oil (liquid). This difference comes about because of their Chemical composition, specifically in their Stearic Acid content, which is high in Shea Butter giving it a waxy and thick texture and vice versa.
The uses of Shea Butter and Shea Oil are superabundant which runs through medicinal and cosmetic usage. I doubt we would be able to list all of its uses in this article, these are some of its uses;
Here are a couple of recipes you can create with the use of Afrikinky Shea products
½ cup virgin Coconut oil
½ cup Almond oil (or any other oils of your choice)
fragrance (optional)
Mix the Afrikinky Shea butter and Coconut oil by melting them in a double boiler
Stir till they are completely melted into a liquid state
Allow cooling for 3-4 minutes
Add Almond oil (or any other oils of choice) and mix well
Place in a refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to solidify, but not so hard too
Once it solidified, remove from the refrigerator and whip the oil blends with a hand mixer/ kitchen aid mixer until you get a thick, creamy consistency
Add drops of your preferred fragrance if needed and stir till completely mixed
Transfer into an airtight container.
NB; Some may decide to use this for their hair also (whatever works for you)
Your lip balm is done, use it as preferred.
Now that you have read up on these amazing natural products, are you ready to delve in? The possibilities are endless with Afrikinky Shea butter, and Shea oil. Visit www.AFRIKINKY.com to create your own magic, while embracing authentic, all-natural, hand-crafted products.
]]>When one thinks about Cocoa butter, the thought of the rich chocolatey scent comes to mid. In this article, we will take a deeper look at cocoa butter as used for skin, hair, and in beauty products. Continue reading to learn more about why you should definitely have some AFRIKINKY Cocoa Butter among your cosmetic collection.
Cocoa butter is an edible plant-based fat that is harnessed from the Cocoa bean. Theobroma Cacao, also known commonly as a Cocoa tree is the tree that produces the Cocoa beans that are used to make Cocoa butter, it’s been grown in the wet tropical areas of West Africa. It has a pale yellow color similar to Shea butter. Similar to how Shea butter is extracted from Shea nuts, Cocoa butter is extracted from Cocoa beans. But unlike Shea butter, Cocoa butter has a yummy natural chocolate scent that makes you want to eat it.
Refined Cocoa butter is stripped of its color and chocolaty scent and mixed with other additives, but at Afrikinky, our Cocoa butter is raw and has a chocolatey scent. To be certain of the type of cocoa butter you are purchasing, be sure to read the label to confirm.
Cocoa butter has been used for ages in high-quality cosmetics, it is used by African women and found in skincare products worldwide as it’s been accepted throughout the globe in recent years due to its benefits.
Cocoa butter is fat pressed from the beans of the Cocoa tree either with an expeller, hydraulic press, etc. After removing the beans from their shell, they are thoroughly cleaned, roasted, and ground into a paste form, the oil is then pressed to extract the fat and left to solidify into big chunks.
Raw Cocoa butter usually comes in a solid and hard state but melts at body temperature. It needs to be melted to be used in DIY recipes.
Cocoa butter especially in its raw state is versatile, and can be used for skin, hair and because it is edible, it can also be used for cooking. It is high in fatty acids (stearic acid, oleic acid), contains antioxidants, vitamins E & K, and anti-inflammatory properties. The benefits of Cocoa butter are as follows:
NB: Cocoa butter is highly comedogenic and may not be best for your face because it can clog your pores.
Note: This mixture also works as a great after-shower body moisturizer for dry skin.
Add Afrikinky Cocoa Butter to your life and fall in love with the chocolatey goodness, order yours now from our online shop at www.afrikinky.com
Shop our other collection of products which include Shea butter, Shea soap, African Black soap, Shea oil, Neem oil. Neem powder, Moringa powder, Hibiscus powder, and Baobab powder.
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