Shea Butter is life! At least for me, and maybe for you too. With so many shea butter options on the market though, you may be wondering “what is raw shea butter vs refined shea butter?” I am here to help!
Article updated: 15 May 2024
First thing to know is, Better Shea Butter sells the highest quality available shea butter for skin and hair. We initially only sold raw shea butter for its fantastic health benefits, but have recently started selling a naturally refined shea butter with beneficial plant-based nutrients as well. There are some major differences between raw and refined shea butter. Read on to find the benefits of each!
Raw Shea Butter
Raw Shea Butter is unrefined and beautifully earthy. I spread hunks of that stuff all over my body. It’s extracted with traditional West African methods, without the addition of chemicals or high heat. It’s a crunchy momma’s dream, really. It has vast amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamin E, fatty acids, and other skin foods. Depending on the time and location of harvest, the natural color can vary from an ivory color to a more yellow, green, or grayish tone.
The scent is a nutty/smoky smell, somewhat earthy, which some people prefer and others don’t care for. Luckily, any crunchy momma knows that you can add in essential oils and carrier oils to level out the fragrance, as well as add on even more skin care properties. The consistency is thick and chunky, which changes once you are making skin care products. For example, you can make a rich, creamy body butter using raw shea butter.
Refined Shea Butter
Many people might prefer butter with a uniform color and little to no scent for their body butter businesses or for personal use. Luscious raw shea butter has a natural nutty and smoky scent, but some customers may enjoy using totally unscented products in their daily routine.
Much of the refined Shea Butter on the market is extracted with a process that uses high levels of heat. Sometimes, the addition of chemicals such as hexane also come into play. When processed in these ways, many of the benefits that shea has to offer are lost when exposed to these higher temperatures and chemicals.
So what is the best solution in this instance? What about a naturally refined shea butter that preserves many of the nutrients and moisturizing value of raw shea butter, but is a uniform white color and has little to no scent? We now offer a refined shea butter that is gently processed in that way, mechanically and with low heat which you can find here.
Raw Shea Butter vs Refined Shea Butter
So, which do you prefer? It’s a matter of personal preference. Raw shea butter does have an earthy scent, and the color can vary. It has the most benefits and is packed with nutrients so if the color and scent do not bother you then this one is the best. A naturally refined shea butter is also a good option. It is white and unscented so can be best when you want to get away from the natural color and scent raw shea butter has. Either way, you can be sure that the quality Better Shea Butter offers is the absolute best and is always obtained fairly from womens coops in Ghana.
BONUS! Here are some recipes you can make with Raw or Refined Shea Butter from Better Shea Butter:
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