- INCI Name:Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter
- Ingredient Name:Shea Butter
- Chemical Name:Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter
- Functions:Skin Protectant, Fat Replacer, Fat & Oil
Shea Butter is extracted from the nut kernels of the shea tree (Butyrospermum parkii), which contain 45 to 48 percent fat. Botanically, we distinguish between two subspecies: an East African and a West African variety. The latter can be found from West Africa to the Upper Nile region. Shea Butter is mainly produced in Mali, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, The Gambia, Nigeria and Benin. Shea Butter Nilotica – in Swahili referred to as "muyao" – is the East African variant. It is mainly cultivated in Uganda, Sudan and Kenia.