If you have oily skin, then I totally understand why you would be a bit hesitant to use shea butter on your face. Okay, a lot hesitant.
Since shea butter is known to be a moisturizer with a thick buttery consistency, people immediately think it’s for only those with dry chapped skin and wouldn’t dare use it for fear of greasing up their already oily face. There’s also another fear that using shea butter on oily skin will give you breakouts with the excess oils getting clogged up in your pores.
But…what if I told you that all that is false and you can actually use shea butter on oily skin without any problems?! This ultra nourishing plant butter can be used for people with oily skin too!
How Does Shea Butter Work on Oily Skin?
Before we move on, I’d like to get something straight – oil is not necessarily bad for oily skin. Okay, some oils are but others actually help reduce excess oily skin. How? Certain oils help control oily skin by dissolving the stale oils and excess sebum found deep within the pores of oily skin, thereby getting rid of excess oily skin. Some oils also balance sebum secretion and the skin’s natural moisture levels, preventing oily skin.
You might find that hard to believe but it’s the same thing with fat. To get rid of that excess fat stuck on your stomach, you actually need healthy fat (like avocados, olive oil, etc) which will break down and efficiently burn the old fat (read about it here). So – fat to get rid of fat and oil to get rid of oil. It’s just like the theory of like attracts like.
Now, to determine which oils can be used and are in fact good for oily skin, you have to know their comedogenic ratings.
A comedogenic rating is basically a scale of 0-5 that shows the pore-clogging potential of different products or oils.A comedogenic rating of 0 means the oil is non-comedogenic or will not clog your pores while a rating of 5 means it is highly comedogenic (pore clogging). For normal skin types, sticking to products with comedogenic rating of 0-2 is ideal but if you have oily skin, then specifically look for a comedogenic rating of zero. Here are some oils and butters with a comedogenic rating of 0:
→ Argan Oil
→ Hemp Seed Oil
→ Mango Butter
→ Sunflower Oil
and….
→ Shea butter!
As you can see, shea butter is one of the few oils/butters that have a comedogenic rating of ZERO! That means it won’t clog your pores at all and is very safe to use for oily skin!
It might be surprising that shea butter, being a plant butter – meaning that it’s thicker than other oils like rosehip oil – has no comedogenic rating at all! But it makes sense because when you apply shea butter, you must have noticed how it immediately sinks into your skin without leaving a heavy and greasy feel like with oils such as olive oil.
Shea butter is good for all skin types – whether you have severely dry skin or a shiny oily face, this natural nourisher helps balance out your skin’s oil production, making it just right for your particular skin type.
But Shea Butter Has Oleic Acid?!
If you have oily skin and have been searching for skin care products to help manage it, I’m sure you’ve come across information saying go with linoleic acid and avoid oleic acid. This is because ingredients containing oleic acid are said to be heavy and pore-clogging. Although we discussed above that shea butter is non-pore clogging, you might still be wary of the oleic acid content in shea butter.
Shea butter Nilotica (Vitellaria Nilotica) is actually higher in oleic acid than West Shea butter so go with West Shea Butter or Vitellaria Paradoxa as a moisturizer for oily skin. Once again, to me, what mostly matters is the amount of moisturizer you apply on your oily skin.
I believe that it’s obvious if you slather a lot of moisturizer on your oily skin, even if it’s a non-pore clogging one, then you’ll surely get a breakout. So my advice is whichever shea butter you have, just use a tiny amount to apply. That’s what I do anyway and it works.
Other Benefits of Shea Butter for Skin
Don’t forget that applying non-pore clogging shea butter on your skin also has other benefits, apart from moisturizing it without clogging pores:
- It’s antibacterial hence wards off skin irritating germs and acne-causing bacteria.
- Forms a protective barrier over skin, shielding it from harsh winds and cold weather.
- Deeply nourishes skin, making it soft, smooth and supple.
- Has a natural SPF of about 6 which deflects harmful UV rays from the skin.
- Gives skin a natural glow.
- Has powerful anti-aging properties that prevent premature aging and promote wrinkle-free skin.
How to Use Shea Butter on Oily Skin
Even if shea butter is non-pore clogging and can be used on oily skin, if you use it wrongly, you will end up with a greasy face. There is a specific way to apply shea butter on oily skin and I’m going to list for you the steps:
- Wash your face with warm water and your facial cleanser. Splash your face with cold water to close the pores.
- Pat your face dry with a clean towel.
- Now scoop out less than a pea-sized amount of shea butter from the jar or if you bought it in a block form, then break off a teeny tiny piece.
- Rub it between your clean palms to melt it gently with your body heat.
- Then gently apply it all over your face.
- That’s it! Your face will look moisturized and glowy! Even if you feel it looks oily, just wait for some time and it’ll sink in. You can also apply makeup over the shea butter.
My Tip
Remember a little goes a long way! Because your skin is oily, don’t apply a lot of shea butter because then obviously your face is going to look greasy.
Benedicta says
Thank u,this helped a little but i did not understand 3and 4.