Shea butter is one of the most ancient natural moisturisers in Ghana, Uganda, and Chad, and it’s now extremely popular in the West. This yellow to white fat is simply the fat from the nut of the Vitellaria paradoxa or shea tree found across Africa.
As a moisturiser, shea butter is uniquely effective, shown to restore the skin’s moisture levels in just 2 hours, and it’s also free from side effects. For example, cocoa butter is also a particularly effective moisturiser thanks to its ceramides, but it’s far too pore-clogging, with a comedogenic rating of 4 out of 5. Shea butter, meanwhile, has a rating of 0 out of 5, and no other toxins, allergies or irritating compounds to speak of.
Even better, shea butter can mysteriously increase collagen. This moisturiser disables the collagenase enzyme, which breaks down existing collagen in human skin. The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt even imported shea butter to their pyramids on wagons, for its strong sunscreen ability against the harsh desert sun.
Shea butter is among the top 5 natural moisturisers, for acne patients or natural skincare enthusiasts. But which product should you buy?
For a quick shortcut, the best products here are Key West and Premium Nature. But here’s 12 shea butter brands which range from great to outstanding:
One – Key West
Firstly, this shea butter is certified organic by the USDA. That gives Key West guaranteed freedom from any toxic chemicals, like pesticides, herbicides or chemical solvents. It’s cold-pressed, with villagers handpicking the highest quality shea nuts for maximum nutrition.
It’s also sourced from the shea butter heartland of Ghana, giving it both expertise and the highest quality acne-clearing nutrition. Key West also comes in a container which is explicitly BPA-free; BPA is a toxic chemical which can deplete your antioxidants and indirectly cause acne.
Key West has only one ingredient: cold-pressed, unrefined shea butter. They have a 30 day money back guarantee, and the shelf life is a lengthy 1 year. Key West is so dedicated to quality that they visited 11 different African villages before deciding on their ultimate shea butter source.
The smell and colour reports are also brilliant, with seasoned users calling it the best shea butter on amazon and one person describing the scent as pleasantly nutty and buttery. The colour is described as being an off-white ivory, exactly how it should be.
Key West can be summarised as meeting every single requirement for acne imaginable. If you’ve discovered the promising collagen-boosting and skin-moisturising powers of shea butter, Key West is the product for you.
Amazon link: Key West Organic African Shea Butter.
Two – Premium Nature
Most importantly, Premium Nature’s shea butter is unrefined, unheated and non deodorised. This is absolutely vital, because heating shea butter damages some of its greatest acne-clearing compounds: vitamin E, cinnamic acid esters, and polyphenol antioxidants. Furthermore, the collagen-boosting powers of shea butter remain highly mysterious. The specific miracle compound is unknown, and intense heat runs the risk of destroying that compound.
There’s also a small difference between unrefined and raw, as unrefined is filtered naturally through a cheese cloth to remove impurities, including visible specks of fiber from the nut. Raw and unrefined shea butter will both clear acne excellently, and Premium Nature fits the bill.
What’s more, a clear sign of raw shea butter is a natural nutty smell, and an ivory colour as opposed to pure white. Premium Nature has the classic nutty aroma, according to reviews. Premium Nature is also soft and easy to apply, so the company must be selecting trees which yield a softer butter.
Premium Nature meets all requirements for an acne-friendly shea butter.
Amazon link: [easyazon_link identifier=”B01FRGFOHK” locale=”US” tag=”superacnetrea-20″]Premium Nature Raw Shea Butter[/easyazon_link].
Three – Sky Organics
Sky Organics also has a recommended recipe for clear skin maniacs: a combination with coconut oil and almond oil, and your choice of essential oil. Is this a decent recipe? Coconut oil has a big flaw for acne, its comedogenic rating of 4 out of 5, but also strong antibacterial properties. Being mixed with shea butter should make the side effects more tolerable. Almond oil, meanwhile, is nothing incredible but has a high content of vitamin E.
The smell of Sky Organics is also above average; people like the smell, yet still comment on the unique and nutty aroma. This is an Ivory shea butter once again, and the reviews are mostly excellent, with customers satisfied with both the freshness and the moisturising results. Sky Organics is yet another great shea butter brand for acne.
If you cannot resist the pull of shea butter, Sky Organics is an excellent product to try.
Four – Plant Guru
The bottle is also UV protective, and the butter is handcrafted by local villagers in Ghana once again. The location is a factor you should always consider with shea butter, because of its impact on the fat profile.
All shea butters contain the same fatty acids, but in shea butters from east or central Africa, the content of oleic acid is significantly higher at 60% plus. In West African countries like Nigeria, Burkina Faso or Ghana, the oleic acid is a mere 40%, and this is preferable. When applied topically, high amounts of oleic acid weaken the skin barrier, leading to irritation and actually reducing moisture.
That’s why most of the products recommended here are sourced from Ghana, and Plant Guru is no exception. Why Ghana in particular? It’s a massive part of their culture, involved with wedding ceremonies, with mothers even moisturising their newborn babies with it. Consequently, they’re the world experts on how to make shea butter organically.
Elsewhere, Plant Guru fits all the requirements. Reports on the smell vary from very faint to moderately nutty yet unique. Plant Guru has no unique gimmick, but remains a perfect shea butter product for acne and skincare.
Five – Out Of Africa
…but there’s also lavender oil as a flavouring, and that lavender oil will provide bonus acne benefits. Lavender oil is a promising topical treatment collagen itself, boosting the amount of collagen in healing wounds by 40% in one study, so it will enhance shea butter’s effects. If you’re using shea butter to acquire a glowing and youthful skin tone, Out Of Africa could be doubly effective.
Lavender oil also has promising anti-inflammatory activity, being proven to wipe out neutrophils, which are known to cause acne. That adds a different power to shea butter, giving you pimple-clearing powers alongside the moisturising goodness.
All in all, Out Of Africa is an intriguing combination, but the shea butter itself is also great, being free from pesticides and herbicides, and sourced from Ghana, Burkina Faso and Benin for the perfect nutritional profile. It helps that shea butter is exactly the kind of fat which I would recommend you to combine lavender oil with anyway, and the fats in shea butter will enhance the lavender oil’s penetration too.
Out Of Africa is an outstanding shea butter product for experimental acne and skincare enthusiasts.
Six – Cleopatra’s Choice
It’s an unrefined shea butter, with an ivory colour. When hunting for shea butter, you’ll see the term “ivory” constantly. This refers to the colour, since heavily refined shea butter is a pure, bland white rather than a richer white. However, ivory also means 100% pure shea butter, with the other natural choice being yellow shea butter.
Yellow is also effective for acne, and an acceptable alternative. It’s simply normal, unrefined creamy coloured shea butter mixed with a yellow root of an African tree called Borututu. This root adds some extra antioxidants, but for today, our goal is to cover pure shea butter. Speaking of pureness, Cleopatra’s Choice is free from pesticides, additives, artificial fragrances, BPA and any preservatives.
Meanwhile, the smell is fairly mild and described as being earthy and nutty. Cleopatra’s Choice is another perfect shea butter.
Seven – Better Shea Butter
A bonus with Better Shea Butter is a free eBook you receive containing various recipes. All jars sold contain a secret sticker on the side, with secret instructions for accessing their goldmine of recipes. Better Shea Butter also has some strong recipes on their YouTube channel, with one consisting of shea butter, carrot seed oil, rosehip seed oil, added vitamin E, and jojoba oil. Rosehip seed oil is very rich in vitamin A, while vitamin E prevents clogged pores. Jojoba oil, like shea butter, is an excellent natural moisturiser for acne.
Elsewhere, Better Shea Butter is pure, with no BPA or chemicals. The shelf life is 2 years according to the company, if you keep the shea butter away from direct sunlight and in a cool, dark place.
Quality report: the consensus is a very mild smell, but a natural and nutty one, while the colour is also rich. Occasionally, shea butters which claim to be totally natural and unrefined will have a smell and colour resembling a processed cooking oil, but Better Shea Butter isn’t one of them.
Eight – Mary Tylor Naturals
The name Mary Tylor Naturals is accurate, as it doesn’t get more natural than this. Mary Tylor Naturals is unrefined, and pure, with the single ingredient being 100% unrefined Shea Butter. It’s imported from villages in Ghana and packed in the USA. The colour is officially Ivory and according to Mary Tylor Naturals, the colour varies depending on the harvest, from an off white or light ivory to a pale gray or a pale green colour. Mary Tylor Naturals recommends that you refrigerate your shea butter if you live in an area above 74 degrees F.
Read Annihilate Your Acne – get the greatest diet ever for clear and radiant skin
This is another shea butter where people love the smell, with some calling it “wonderful” and others confirming a mild, nutty aroma. Seasoned shea butter users have written of its high quality and the reviews are almost all excellent. If the idea of uneven chunks in a big bag appeals to you, so that you can primitively carve up the pieces yourself, Mary Tylor Naturals is a great shea butter product to buy.
Nine – Zakia’s Morocco Shea Butter with Organic Argan Oil
Argan oil is one of the richest oils in vitamin E, which prevents both dead skin cells and oil from getting lodged in your pores. Argan oil is also a top quality hyperpigmentation remedy, inhibiting two of the key enzymes behind melanin accumulation. Shea butter is widely speculated to end hyperpigmentation but there’s currently no evidence. Likewise, argan oil has no known ability to increase collagen. You’re getting the best of both worlds with this acne-clearing recipe.
As for the cream itself, it’s very soft and malleable, as it combines a liquid oil with a solid butter. Both ingredients are unrefined and pure themselves, with no fillers or additives accompanying them. Argan oil also joins shea butter in the non comedogenic club, scoring 0 out of 5, so there’s no added risk of clogging pores.
Zakia’s Morocco is another promising treatment for an experimental skin-enhancing enthusiast.
Ten – Molivera
Importantly, the smell and colour of Molivera are correct, being mildly nutty and an off white ivory. As for the official characteristics, Molivera succeeds in every way. It’s unrefined, sourced from Africa, BPA free, and also has a UV protectant bottle to minimise damage from sunlight.
Molivera is also grade A shea butter, a feature you’ll see widely. Grade A is essentially a certificate handed out by the American Shea Butter Institute. It’s given to only the highest quality products they inspect, indicating high nutrition, minimal processing and a proper texture.
Next: the 6 vitamins and minerals which can massively reduce acne
Grade A shea butter isn’t vital, as other certifications like USDA organic are equally valuable and many companies choose to follow that route, but it’s an excellent feature to have nevertheless.
If you cannot resist the pull of shea butter, Molivera is an excellent product to try.
Eleven – Plant Origin
Its characteristics are all correct, being unrefined, pure and chemical free. Plant Origin’s shea butter is apparently lovingly harvested by local Ghanaian women, from only the finest trees, giving them a stable source of income. Plant Origin even takes care to protect the local ecosytem and prevent soil erosion.
If you read the label closely you’ll also discover that shea butter has a sun-protection factor (SPF) of 6. The SPF figure measures how many extra minutes of sun exposure you can gain per 1 minute of exposure without being burnt, so a score of 6 equals an extra hour every 10 minutes.
Since sun exposure can worsen acne as well (how much depends on how strong your skin is), the SPF is yet another bonus power for shea butter: it’s like a natural sunscreen and that’s why the Pharaohs loved it. The smell and texture of Plant Origin is also top quality, resembling a pure and wholesome shea butter in every way possible.
Twelve – Perfect Body Harmony
Perfect Body Harmony also keeps their shea butter particularly fresh, ordering a new batch for sale every 3 to 5 weeks. Their jar is double walled to ensure maximum protection against the elements, and the customary UV radiation protection is built in as well. Luckily, shea butter is a more stable natural moisturiser than average anyway. It mostly consists of stearic acid and oleic acid, rather than the less stable linoleic acid.
The 7 greatest topical treatments for naturally clear skin
Perfect Body Harmony is once again free from BPA, preservatives, or any chemicals. The one danger they warn of is a nut allergy, and that applies to all shea butters. It’s originally sourced from a nut, so if you have a known sensitivity to almonds or peanuts, test shea butter on your arm first, and definitely avoid eating it.
Perfect Body Harmony is a popular shea butter product, yet still manages to be elite quality.
Conclusion
You now twelve great choices for shea butter. Key West and Premium Nature cannot be beaten, but Out Of Africa is also promising for an experiment, an experiment which I believe is very likely to succeed.
How strong and trustworthy is the market? Very strong, because the African villagers who invented and perfected the shea butter extraction process have the whole industry on lockdown. Any shea butter which somehow doesn’t come from Africa will be frowned on by industry experts, and countries like Ghana refuse to allow the slightest chemical solvent or diluted product to enter their land.
Therefore, there aren’t many scams in the shea butter market, but for guaranteed safety, these 12 brands are unbeatable.
NEXT: the ultimate diet for clearing acne permanently
Thanks for reading!
Richard I cannot thank you enough for all of the research and helpful links you provide for all of us. I have had miraculous results with everything I have tried that you have recommended!
I have used a Neutrogena oil free SPF under my make up for many years and I know it is full of stuff that is not great -I was wondering if I am using the Shea butter and Argan oil combination (after cleansing with Castile and applying witch hazel as a toner) if this would be sufficient SPF under my make up to protect me from aging rays etc…
I have told countless people of this website and I am so grateful for all of your hard work -and though your experience was long and painful, every bit of it is now being used for good and none of it was in vain. God is using you as an instrument of fine gold and silver in his hand for noble purposes.
Truly grateful,
Paige Schultz
Thanks! It’s great so hear such good results. Probably not to be honest, as the combined SPF wouldn’t be high enough to make up the loss of the Neutrogena product. However, the SPF of both shea and argan oil might be higher than scientists think – they test them for short term application, simply absorbing the sun’s rays. However, argan oil contains a huge amount of vitamin E and by using it over several weeks, you might increase your sun defences more than the short term SPF score would suggest. It also depends on your location, whether it’s a scorchingly hot country like Australia or a grey one like Britain. Overall, if your diet is excellent and your acne has mostly faded away anyway, Neutrogena’s sunscreen might be one chemical product you can tolerate.