Does shea butter lighten the skin? Or does it darken the skin? Let’s analyze and settle this issue once and for all.
Does Shea Butter Lighten the Skin?
Many people want to lighten their skin and I’m not going to go into the politics of skin lightening/skin bleaching, although it is undeniable that the system is designed to make people feel the need to buy expensive skin bleaching products to achieve the highly coveted light skin.
I have no qualms with those who want to lighten their skin for whatever reason but my only squabble is why should we waste our hard earned cash to line the pockets of those with malicious intent, who are promoting harmful bleaching products that are packed with synthetic, toxic and even life-threatening chemicals that are proven to cause cancer?
Why not turn to mother nature and make use of shea butter, which indeed lightens the skin IF USED CORRECTLY.
Where to Buy Shea Butter
Shea Butter Lightens the Skin
Best known for being a highly effective emollient, shea butter is praised for its ultra-moisturizing properties and its rich nutrient profile. The natural plant butter, extracted from the nuts of the African Karite tree, has been used for centuries as sun protection for the skin against the harsh sunlight.
Some of the nutrients in shea butter and their benefits are as follows:
→ Vitamin A: This important vitamin helps to promote the healthy functioning of skin, enabling shea butter to be useful in all types of skin ailments including acne, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis and more. Vitamin A is also very crucial in preventing premature aging and sagging of skin. It improves blood flow to the skin and exfoliates the upper most layer of the skin, revealing lighter, younger skin cells beneath and evening out the skin tone.
→ Vitamin E: Known as “the Skin Protector”, vitamin E heals and regenerates the skin by promoting faster renewal of skin cells. This makes shea butter helpful in blemish reduction, scar removal and eveing out of skin tone as well as reducing hyperpigmentation.
→ Vitamin F: This is a term used to profile all the long chain and short chain fatty acids that exist in food and cosmetic products. Shea butter is in fact rich in unsaturated fats like omega 6 and omega 3, as well as in linoleic acid, oleic acid and more, making it very good for skin hydration, moisturization and promoting youthful, supple skin. It also helps balance overproduction of sebum, which is the leading cause of acne and pimples in some people.
Further more: Is Shea Butter Good for Skin Lightening?
Mistakes Made when Using Shea Butter to Lighten the Skin
Avoid the following mistakes when using shea butter to lighten your skin:
→ Applying shea butter before going out: This is a big NO-NO if you are looking to lighten your skin. The shea butter will actually make your skin darker if you step out into the sunshine, when exposed to UV light. So always apply shea butter at night to enjoy it’s skin lightening properties. Don’t miss: Shea Butter as Sunscreen | Natural Alternatives to Sunscreen
→ Using refined shea butter: How will you achieve skin lightening with shea butter if you are using the refined shea butter, which is stripped of its rich nutrients? It is those nutrients, which help lighten the skin, even out skin discoloration and reduce hyperpigmentation. So please use raw, pure and unrefined shea butter if you want to achieve light skin.
→ Using shea butter without properly exfoliating and cleansing your face: This is a recipe for clogged pores and acne/pimples, which will leave behind dark scars and blemishes, which will affect the overall fairness of your skin. This is not a flaw in shea butter, but rather a flaw in your skin care routine. Make sure you always wash your skin at the end of the day with a good cleanser to remove all the dirt and impurities accumulated throughout the day. Next, gently exfoliate your face with a good skin scrubber. It’s only after creating a clean canvas that you should apply shea butter, or any other oils/facial creams for that matter, in order to lighten your skin.
Use Essential Oils along with Shea for Skin Lightening
This may be something new to you, but mixing shea butter with essential oils is an exemplary way of achieving light, even and toned skin. Essential oils are concentrated plant essences extracted mainly through steam distillation of various plant material such as stems, flowers, roots and leaves.
There are literally hundreds of essential oils that exist out there, but a few are recognized in the skin lightening world as being effective for lightening skin, evening out skin tone, correcting hyperpigmentation, lightening dark spots and blemishes and producing toned and radiant looking skin.
Don’t miss: Mixing Shea Butter with Essential Oils
Note: Only use 6 – 12 drops per ounce of shea butter. Please do not use more essential oils in the hope of getting faster results – it does not work that way. Lightening skin takes time and if you use more than the recommended amount of essential oils, it can be neurotoxic and can leave chemical burns on your skin.
Here are the top essential oils that you can mix with shea butter for skin lightening:
- Carrot seed essential oil (get it here)
- Lemon essential oil (get it here)
- Lemongrass essential oil (get it here)
- Turmeric essential oil (get it here)
- Sandalwood essential oil (get it here)
Other Tips to Help Lighten Skin
- Always use a high quality sunscreen when stepping out in the sun. Protect your face using a hat or umbrella wherever there is harsh sunlight.
- Use a yogurt face mask to refresh and lighten your skin. Yogurt is rich in lactic acid, which naturally lightens skin. It is also rich in probiotics, which can help fight and prevent acne.
- Do not throw away your used lemons. Save them for a facial scrub, that you can use at night time as part of your skin cleansing routine. You can use it 3 – 4 times per week. Lemon is rich in citric acid, which is good for skin lightening.
- Check out Papaya Seed Oil for Skin Lightening + How to Use It
More Helpful Tips:
- DIY Hyperpigmentation Cream
- Using Shea Butter on Your Face at Night
- Shea Butter and Scars | It Really Works!
My friend’s wife used it as body cream for her light skinned baby and she said it lightened her inner parts that where dark before.So i agree with you that it can lighten skin color when properly used. I found that every oil darkens the skin in the sun.I’ve started to use it yesterday.
How is it a good sunscreen when you cannot use it in the day time?
Hey there! Shea butter may tan olive skin when out in the sun. If you don’t have any problems with this, then go ahead and use it as a sunscreen! But please note that using shea butter alone as a sunscreen works only for those who don’t burn in the sun like those with olive/brown skin tones.
Okay thanks…. i burn alot with severe itching and one time i noticed it darkens me. Will just continue to use it for my natural hair.
I do have sunburn, please do you know of any sunscreen diy to use. Thanks
I haven’t uploaded a sunscreen recipe to this blog yet though I do have a facial cream recipe with SPF. 🙂 You can check it out here: https://www.ilovesheabutter.com/homemade-face-moisturizer-with-spf/
Okay will try that out..when I eventually get all the ingredients. Can it be used for the whole body too?
Can someone use these essential oils mentioned at once?
Please can I use only Shea butter without an essential oil for skin lightening?