A quick and handy guide to shea butter and essential oils!
Why Should You Mix Essential Oils with Your Shea Butter?
You may be thinking, why should I mix essential oils with shea butter? Is shea butter stinky that you need to modify it before using it? Not at all! In fact many people love the dense, nutty aroma of shea butter…but imagine my surprise when I lathered pure Grade A, raw shea butter all over my skin only to find a weird lamb-like smell emanating from my body (Shock! Horror! OMG!) When I figured it was the shea butter, I wasted no time in washing it off of me! I talked to a couple of other people about this and they told me to use refined “white” shea butter rather than the unrefined, raw shea butter. But there’s no way I’m going to forego the benefits of pure, raw shea butter which is full of vitamins and minerals, and in fact gets its yellowish colour from the presence of high levels of Vitamin A! In any case, my love affair with shea butter continues – all thanks to beautiful essential oils!
Essential Oils have Healing Properties
It’s not all about the aromatics, though – there are numerous healing benefits that you can enjoy by mixing essential oils with shea butter! That being said, it pays to know that there are some essential oils that blend well better than other oils. Some oils such as lavender essential oil mix so harmoniously with shea butter giving you a scrumptious-smelling butter to apply all over your skin or hair. Let’s look at the top 10 essential oils for shea butter.
My List of Best Essential Oils for Shea Butter
1. Lavender Essential Oil
Scientific Name: Lavandula angustifolia
Origin: Asia, Europe, Africa
Scent Profile: Sweet, clean, powdery, floral, fresh
Blends With: Chamomile, Clary Sage, Geranium, Ylang Ylang
➝ Get it here
A highly soothing and calming oil, lavender essential oil is known anti-depressant and relaxer that offers amazing benefits for skin. It has analgesic, antibacterial and antiseptic properties among others that help prevent acne, pimples, acne scarring, blemishes, stretchmarks and more. It is also useful against excessively oily skin.
2. Frankincense Essential Oil
Scientific Name: Boswellia carterii
Origin: Middle East
Scent Profile: Warm, woody, musky, balsamic
Blends With: All Citrus oils (Bergamot, Lemon, Lime, Neroli, Sweet Orange), Sandalwood, Lavender
➝ Get it here
Popularly known as a spice mentioned in Biblical texts, frankincense essential oil has been used for spirituality, medicinal and healing purposes since the times of Cleopatra. It is an oil that offers amazing properties for the skin and is highly effective at reducing wrinkles and fine lines, treating acne and removing stretch marks and blemishes.
3. Geranium Essential Oil
Scientific Name: Pelargonium Odorantissimum
Origin: Africa
Scent Profile: Deep, feminine, floral scent, slightly peppery
Blends With: Basil Citrus oils (Bergamot, Lemon, Neroli), Chamomile, Lavender, Patchouli, Rosemary
➝ Get it here
Extracted from the leaves of the geranium plant, geranium essential oil is a green-coloured oil that has a deep, rich and floral scent that blends beautifully with citrus essential oils. It is a skin-care darling as it helps fight all sorts of skin ailments including acne, pimples, wrinkles and fine lines, puffiness, scarring, blemishes and dark spots.
4. Rosemary Essential Oil
Scientific Name: Rosmarinus officinalis
Origin: Spain, Morocco, Tunisia
Scent Profile: Woody, fragrant, strong, herbaceous, camphor-like
Blends With: Basil, Citronella, Chamomile, Clary Sage, Frankincense, Lemongrass, Peppermint
➝ Get it here
Rosemary essential oil is my personal favorite when it comes to hair care and it contains acne-fighting properties as well as anti-inflammatory properties that help promote smooth supple skin. It can be mixed with other oils to create a balanced, beautiful fragrance that you can apply to both skin and hair.
5. Rose Essential Oil
Scientific Name: Rosa damascena
Origin: Persia
Scent Profile: Feminine, floral, sweet, rosy
Blends With: Clove, Geranium, Jasmine
➝ Get it here
Rose essential oil is a highly sensual and romantic oil that is rich in antioxidants and contains antiseptic and astringent properties that help prevent acne & pimples, promote youthful skin, reduce large pores and balance hormones. Mix with clove and jasmine essential oils to create a mystical fragrance.
6. Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
Scientific Name: Cananga odorata var genuina
Origin: Philippines, Indonesia
Scent Profile: Flowery, floral, fragrant, sweet, fruity, fresh, delicate, exotic
Blends With: Citrus oils (like Bergamot, Grapefruit & Neroli), Lavender, Sandalwood, Vetiver
➝ Get it here
Ylang ylang is an all-time favorite in the world of aromatherapy thanks to its sensual, mysterious and exotic scent. Recognized as a powerful aphrodisiac, the delicate flowers of ylang ylang are used to decorate the matrimonial beds of newly-weds in East Asia. But go easy with this oil though – I find that using one too many drops of ylang ylang essential oil has a tendency to cause headaches.
7. Vanilla Essential Oil
Scientific Name: Vanilla planifolia
Origin: Central America & Mexico
Scent Profile: Warm, sweet, rich (who doesn’t know the scent of vanilla cake, anyway? :p)
Blends Well With: Citrus oils (Bergamot, Lemon, Orange), Sandalwood, Vetiver
➝ Get it here
Vanilla essential oil is one of the best essential oils to add to your shea body butter to have you smelling absolutely delicious and irresistible. The only downside is that it’s one of the priciest oils out there, so perhaps you could substitute with vanilla extract instead.
8. Lemongrass Essential Oil
Scientific Name: Cymbopogon flexuosus, Cymbopogon citratus
Origin: Australia and South Africa
Scent Profile: Strong, sharp, fresh, herby, lemony
Blends With: Basil, Eucalyptus, Geranium, Jasmine, Lavender, Tea Tree
➝ Get it here
Lemongrass essential oil is a healing oil that is great for treating a myriad of ailments including digestive disorders and headaches. When it comes to skin care, lemongrass essential oil is great for treating acne and lightening pimple scars and blemishes as well due to its rich Vitamin A & Vitamin E content.
9. Jasmine Essential Oil
Scientific Name: Jasminum grandiflorum
Origin: China & India
Scent Profile: Floral, exotic,
Blends Well With: Citrus oils (Bergamot, Lemon, Grapefruit), Rose, Sandalwood
➝ Get it here
Jasmine essential oil is another aphrodisiac that makes it on to this list and is an absolutely exquisite oil to add to your shea butter that will leave you smelling like an exotic princess from a mystical land. Apart from its beautiful floral scent, jasmine essential oil contains powerful properties that help alleviate depression and promotes youthful, supple skin, reduces stretch marks and pimples scars and blemishes.
10.Sweet Orange Essential Oil
Scientific Name: Citrus sinensis
Origin: South Western China
Scent Profile: Strong, citrusy, invigorating
Blends Well With: Cinnamon, Clove, Frankincense, Sandalwood, Vetiver
➝ Get it here
Sweet orange essential oil can be added to your shea butter for a refreshing, invigorating cream that can be applied under your eyes to alleviate puffy eyes as it’s very good swelling and oedema. It is a stimulating oil that relieves cellulite and promotes blood circulation, creating a healthy, radiant complexion.
My Favorite Tried & Tested Shea Butter Recipes Ebook
Do you love shea butter and want to make your own beauty products with it?! Check out this ebook “My Favorite Tried & Tested Shea Butter Recipes for Luscious Skin & Hair” for 30 awesome recipes, complete with step-by-step instructions, beautiful pictures and other valuable shea butter info!
