Shea butter is one of the most loved natural ingredients in skincare. But not all shea butter is created equal — you’ll often see refined and unrefined versions on the market. Let’s look at the key differences and why unrefined shea butter is the most powerful choice for your skin.
Refined Shea Butter
Refined shea butter goes through factory processing to remove its natural color, aroma, and sometimes even texture.
Why Is Refined Shea Butter Popular in the Cosmetic Industry?
- Neutral Scent: No natural nutty aroma, which makes it easier to blend into perfumes, lotions, and mass-market cosmetics.
- No Color: Pure white, which doesn’t affect the final look of cosmetic products.
- Longer Shelf Life: Processing extends its stability on store shelves.
- Convenience: Easier to handle in industrial production.
Important: In refining process, many of the vitamins, fatty acids, and healing compounds are stripped away, leaving a butter that moisturizes but offers fewer skin benefits.
Unrefined Shea Butter
Unrefined shea butter is handmade using traditional methods by women in Ghana.
Color
Unrefined shea butter is usually ivory to pale yellow. A deeper yellow tone can come from natural additives like borututu root. If the butter is pure white, it’s most likely refined and stripped of nutrients.
Scent
True unrefined shea butter has a nutty, earthy aroma. Refined shea butter often smells neutral or artificial because it has gone through chemical processing.
Texture
Raw shea butter is rich, dense, and slightly grainy, melting easily at body temperature. Refined versions feel lighter but lose much of the natural healing power.
Benefits of Unrefined Shea Butter
- Full of nutrients: Vitamins A, E, and F, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants remain intact.
- Natural protection: Helps soothe eczema, dryness, scars, and even sun damage.
- Authentic: Retains its natural nutty aroma and creamy ivory color.
- Ethical: Supports women’s cooperatives and fair trade practices.
Why Choose Tunteya Shea Butter?
At Tunteya, our shea butter is completely unrefined. That means no chemical processing, no additives — just pure shea butter, exactly as it is traditionally made by Ghanaian women. You receive it in its original form, with all the natural benefits your skin deserves.
This article was written by Katja Cof. All text and photos belong to Tunteya.eu. All rights reserved. Copying or reproduction is strictly prohibited.