Shea Butter
Shea butter is the fat from the kernels of the shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa, also listed as Butyrospermum parkii), which grows wild across the West and Central African savanna. Kernels are collected, boiled, dried and crushed, then the fat is extracted by traditional kneading, mechanical pressing or solvent extraction. It can be sold as-is (unrefined) or refined, bleached and deodorized, and can be fractionated into softer and harder parts. In formulations it serves as an emollient and a structuring fat that adds body and raises viscosity in creams, balms and soaps.
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Butter that is filtered but not refined; ivory to yellow, with the characteristic nutty smell, and more variable from lot to lot.
Refined, bleached and deodorized butter that is white and close to odorless, preferred where color and scent must stay neutral.
The softer, liquid-to-semi-solid fraction separated by fractionation, used where a pourable or low-melt shea is wanted.
The harder, higher-melting fraction, used to add structure to balms and sticks and in some food fat systems.
Butter from certified organic collection and processing, often also certified under a fair trade scheme.
Esters, glycerides and other modified shea materials with their own INCI names, made for specific textures.
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
Store shea butter sealed in a cool, dry place away from light; heat and air speed oxidation, and repeated melting and cooling can make it grainy as different fats crystallize. Refined butter generally keeps longer than unrefined, which carries more natural components and moisture. Suppliers give a shelf life from production; peroxide value and free fatty acids are the usual retest checks for older stock.
Unrefined shea varies with crop year and origin, so record color, odor and acid value per lot and compare against your approved standard. Rotate stock FEFO, track the production date and shelf life from each COA, and keep refined, unrefined and fractionated grades as separate items.
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
The EU CosIng database lists BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII BUTTER, described as the fat from the fruit of the shea tree.
Source: ec.europa.eu (opens in a new tab)CosIng lists its cosmetic functions as skin conditioning and viscosity controlling.
Source: ec.europa.eu (opens in a new tab)Under MoCRA, the responsible person must list each marketed cosmetic product with FDA, including its ingredients.
Source: fda.gov (opens in a new tab)This is general information, not regulatory advice. Status differs by country and by how the ingredient is used, so check the rules for your product and market.
Manufacturers and distributors whose own websites say they sell it.
Manufacturer
Sells it as Lipex
Vegetable oils and fats producer that has sourced shea kernels from West Africa for decades and sells shea-based ingredients for personal care under the Lipex name.
Manufacturer · London, United Kingdom
UK specialty chemicals group known for rheology modifiers and antiperspirant actives; its personal care range also lists meadowfoam seed oil and shea butter.
Distributor · MA
Massachusetts wholesale supplier of bulk natural oils and butters that sells refined and virgin shea butter, including organic and fair trade options.
Distributor · Eastsound, WA
Washington State seller of cosmetic raw materials in small and bulk sizes, including actives, butters, waxes, emollients, emulsifiers and preservatives, for independent formulators and small brands.
Distributor · Oxford, CT
Connecticut supplier, trading as Praan Naturals, of certified organic and conventional carrier oils, butters, waxes, clays and botanicals for personal care manufacturers.
Manufacturer · Saint Léonard, France
Sells it as OLVE'True Shea
French vegetable oil company that produces shea butter at its own plant in Burkina Faso and refines it in France, with organic and fair trade options.
Distributor
Specialty chemicals distributor whose cosmetics and personal care catalog includes shea butter supplied by OLVEA.
Distributor · Des Plaines, IL
Illinois supplier of bulk oils, butters, waxes and soap-making bases, owned by Columbus Vegetable Oils, selling to soap makers and small personal care brands.
Manufacturer · Deerfield, IL
US oleochemical producer whose personal care unit (which absorbed Jeen International) sources, blends and refines natural oils and butters in cosmetic, food and pharma grades, and makes glycerin.
Suppliers are in alphabetical order and none pays to appear. Each claim is checked against the supplier’s own website on the date shown. Ask for the specification sheet and a recent COA before you order, and confirm details with the supplier.
Common forms include unrefined (virgin), refined (RBD), shea olein, shea stearin, organic and fair trade and shea derivatives. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
Expect free fatty acids / acid value, peroxide value, iodine and saponification values, unsaponifiable matter, melting point and color, moisture and impurities and contaminants and microbiology, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
Store shea butter sealed in a cool, dry place away from light; heat and air speed oxidation, and repeated melting and cooling can make it grainy as different fats crystallize. Refined butter generally keeps longer than unrefined, which carries more natural components and moisture. Suppliers give a shelf life from production; peroxide value and free fatty acids are the usual retest checks for older stock.
The EU CosIng database lists BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII BUTTER, described as the fat from the fruit of the shea tree. CosIng lists its cosmetic functions as skin conditioning and viscosity controlling. Under MoCRA, the responsible person must list each marketed cosmetic product with FDA, including its ingredients.
Request a free listing for the ingredients you make or distribute. No paid placement.