Help! Do I Have an Allergic Reaction to Shea Butter?

Allergic Reaction to Shea as a Food Ingredient

Did you know that the shea nut, from which shea butter is derived, is distantly related to the Brazil nut? If you’re allergic to nuts and carefully check the ingredients list of many foods before munching on them, then you’d be alert for foods containing tree nuts or processed in a factory that also processes tree nuts. Now tree nuts were classified as the most commonly allergenic foods in the US by the US Congress when they passed the Food Allergen Labeling & Consumer Protection Act in 2004. But it wasn’t until 2006 that the list of exactly what tree nuts cause allergies was supplied by the FDA.

A member of the Sapotaceae family, the Shea nut was included in the list! But fear not, below we explore in detail if you can actually have an allergic reaction to shea butter.

Should you Worry About an Allergy to Shea Butter in Cookies/Confectionery?

I found a similar question answered by a doctor on ItchyLittleWorld.com (1):

“Should you worry about an allergy to shea butter?”

“Probably not. The shea butter found in candy and beauty products is usually made from refined oil extracted from shea tree nuts. Unlike other nut butters (almond or cashew butter, for instance), which are protein-rich purees of whole nuts, the protein (the allergy-causing particle) in shea butter has been removed in the refining process, but not necessarily for raw or unrefined shea butter. One study identified extremely small amounts of protein in shea butter, but saw no IgE binding, that is, no allergy potential. In fact, there is no clinical evidence of allergy to shea butter—or to shea nuts, for that matter.”

pastries-756601_1920 — ‘Shea’ this cookie with me. I promise it doesn’t have shea butter! 😀

Could those with Nut Allergies Have an Allergic Reaction to Shea Butter?

According to research conducted by Dr. Chawla of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, a true allergy to shea butter is very unusual. The study found that shea butter contains a very miniscule amount (1/30^th) of proteins found in cashew nuts and a lesser amount in peanuts. (2)

To test if those with tree nut allergies could have a reaction to shea butter, Dr. Chawla found that no allergic reaction occurred when shea butter was introduced into blood samples of those with tree nut allergies. (3)

Allergic Reactions to Shea Butter Used Topically

Some people complain of having itchy skin after using a product containing shea butter such as body wash, scrub, etc. If you’ve already checked for any defects with the product you’re using such as contamination, impure ingredients used, other skin irritating ingredients, expiry date, etc, and you’re sure it’s specifically the shea butter that’s bothering your skin, then these might be other causes:

UNREFINED OR REFINED SHEA BUTTER: Research also shows that refined, bleached and deodorized shea butter poses no harm in those with nut allergies because the refining process removes some of the rich nutrients, leaving you with a good emollient with effective moisturizing properties but not many of the healing properties found in unrefined shea butter. However, take note that other people do better with the rich healing unrefined and raw shea butter rather than its refined counterpart! So try both grades of shea butter and see the one that’s suitable for you. Many store-bought beauty products nowadays include refined, bleached and deodorized shea butter while natural organic beauty products would rather contain raw and unrefined shea butter.

SHEA NUT ALLERGY: As we already discussed above, if you have a nut allergy then remember there’s only a teeny weeny chance that you’ll have an allergic reaction to shea butter. However, stay safe by using a patch test on your inner elbow or wrist. To do a patch test, rub a pea-sized amount of the shea butter product on your inner elbow and monitor the area for about 4 hours. If you notice any uncomfortable itching, redness or rashes developing, then immediately rinse the area with warm water and soap and do not use the product on your body.

SHEA BUTTER LATEX ALLERGY: Shea butter, as well as cocoa butter, contains natural latex that people with TYPE B latex allergies may react to. The natural latex is not precisely the same as the sappy latex extracted from the Rubber tree (scientific name: Hevea brasiliensis) but they both have similar chemical compositions. However, the latex content in shea butter is very little and depends on the type of shea butter you’re using: the west shea butter (scientific name: Vitellaria Paradoxa) from West Africa, that is: Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso, etc, has more latex than the east shea butter (scientific name: Vitellaria Nilotica) from East Africa, that is Uganda.Key point to note: Not everyone with a latex allergy has an allergic reaction to shea butter. Some people with major latex allergies have absolutely no allergic reaction to shea butter. So once again, be sure to use a patch test to see if you’re good to go.

SUPER DUPER SENSITIVE SKIN: Remember every one’s skin is unique. What works for someone else may not work for you. If you find yourself getting itchy and red after applying pure shea butter on your skin, don’t fret – instead, try buying small samples of other shea butters like refined shea butter or Shea butter Nilotica and do patch tests. If you cannot use shea butter at all on your skin, try other natural plant butters like mango butter, avocado butter, etc or oils like jojoba oil, apricot kernel oil, etc! There are so many nourishing and skin loving natural emollients out there for healthy skin! Keep exploring to find one that you can safely use 🙂