Shea butter is best known as a super emollient and it is hailed for its deep moisturizing properties, blemish-diminishing qualities and its role in helping heal psoriasis and eczema. But less known about shea butter is its role in helping prevent and heal acne and acne scars!
For me, it’s not surprising at all that shea butter is good for acne – why not? I mean, shea butter is brimming with high quality nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants! These can only help hydrate and nourish your skin, balancing it and making it healthy and free of pesky pimples and annoying acne.
Are you Suffering from Acne?
So many shea butter users come to me with concerns about whether using shea butter will exacerbate their acne. But not a single person has complained that shea butter gave them acne – in fact, many find that shea butter improves the quality of their skin and reduces acne!
If you are suffering from acne currently, you may be wary of applying shea butter on your face. But I want to put all those fears to rest with one, important scientific fact: the comedogenic index, also known as the comedogenic rating.
The Comedogenic Rating of Shea Butter
The comedogenic index is a dermatological term derived to measure the degree to which a product can cause the skin pores to get blocked, thereby causing ‘comedones’. Comedones refer to a type of pimple, which is infact the least severe form of acne that appears as a result of a clogged pore.
The comedogenic rating chart is from 0 – 5, with 0 meaning non-comedogenic and 5 meaning high comedogenic. If a product has a high comedogenic rating (4 – 5), that means it will block your pores and lead to pimples or acne in a matter of 1 – 3 days.
Now here’s a list of oils with their comedogenic ratings:
- Coconut oil – 4
- Cocoa butter – 4
- Jojoba oil – 2
- Avocado oil – 2
- Almond oil – 2
- Olive oil – 2
- Castor oil – 2
- Neem oil – 1
- Hemp seed oil – 0
So what’s the comedogenic rating of shea butter, you ask? It’s 0! As in ZERO, zilch, nada!
Doesn’t Shea Butter Clog Pores?!
Not at all! As we have seen above, shea butter has a comedogenic rating of 0, therefore it does not clog pores. HOWEVER, I must warn you that if you use shea butter in an insalubrious way, you may very well end up with blocked pores, as with any other oil, even non-comedogenic oils.
That’s why proper knowledge of skin care is very important. What do I mean by this? Well, if you slather shea butter on dirty, unwashed skin – duh, you’ll clog your pores. If you fail to wash/cleanse your face properly – yes, you may clog your pores.
Basically what I’m saying is that you need a proper skin care system, especially if you suffer from acne or occasional breakouts.
Before using shea butter, make sure that you:
- Take of all your makeup with a good makeup remover.
- Wash your face thoroughly with a good cleanser.
- Regularly exfoliate your face to slough off dead skin cells.
- Pat your skin dry gently with a clean towel or disposable tissues.
- Now go ahead and use your shea butter (or even better, a DIY anti-acne cream with shea butter – recipe below!) – using clean fingers to dip into the cream.
- Sleep on a clean pillow with your hair tied back so that it doesn’t get on your face during the night.
Now take a look at this easy and wonderfully effective shea butter night cream that is great for keeping the acne at bay!
DIY Acne-Fighting Shea Butter Night Cream
Ingredients Needed
- ½ cup of Shea Butter (get it here)
- ¼ cup of Aloe Vera gel (get it here)
- 2 tsp of Manuka Honey (get it here)
- 8 – 12 drops of Geranium Essential Oil (get it here)
Take a look at how each of these ingredients help acne!
→ Shea Butter: As I mentioned above, shea butter is brimming with Vitamin A, E, K and F, which are all important in promoting healthy skin from the inside out. It helps moisturize the skin, helping to regulate the overproduction of sebum (the skin’s natural oil) that is caused by dry skin; it helps regenerate the skin, allowing fresh young skin to shine through, it heals acne scars and blemishes and it protects the skin from UV damage.
→ Aloe Vera: A cooling natural gel extracted from the succulent leaves of the aloe plant, aloe vera is an amazing skin healer that works wonders to help heal acne. It helps regenerate and heal the skin, it has antibacterial properties that fight off acne-causing microbes and it has anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce the redness and swelling of the affected skin.
→ Manuka Honey: Raw Manuka honey is a powerhouse of so many vitamins, minerals and compounds that scientists still haven’t managed to fully record to date. Manuka honey is amazing for health when taken internally but is also a miracle for skin when applied topically. It is a natural antiseptic that kills off acne causing bacteria and it is a powerful disinfectant that sinks deep into the pores and cleanses them.
→ Geranium Essential Oil: This is my number one recommended essential oil for all skin problems, including acne. Geranium essential oil is a romantic-smelling oil that smells like a spicy rose. It is known for balancing the skin and is the perfect fix for hormone-related acne in adolescents and people with hormonal imbalances.
How to Make your Anti-Acne Shea Cream
- In a double boiler system, melt the shea butter until it becomes fully liquefied.
- Now take the shea off the heat and add in aloe vera gel, manuka honey and mix it thoroughly with a spoon.
- Finally add in the geranium essential oil and stir it in using a popsicle stick (so that you don’t contaminate your kitchen tools – most essential oils should not be ingested). You could even use the back of a spoon to do this.
- Pour your mixture into a clean container, like a salve tin, and allow it to set overnight in the refrigerator.
- The next morning, take out your container and take a look inside – the cream is now beautifully set and looks luscious! You can now add this anti-acne night cream to your skin care routine and watch your skin become clear, radiant and healthy!
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