The science behind the 15 benefits of Nilotica shea butter

By now you may have heard that Nilotica shea butter does wonders for your skin and hair. But why is this the case? Today we are going to answer that question with an overview of the 15 benefits of Nilotica shea butter and the components that create them. I want to avoid a chemistry lecture, so I will try to stick to plain language. But apologies in advance for any terminology that I can’t avoid! And FIY, this is a long post. There is so much goodness in Nilotica that it takes a while to tell you everything :D. Now, without further a due let’s dive straight in.

The benefits of Nilotica shea butter come from its chemical makeup. Nilotica contains:

· Linoleic, palmitic, stearic, and oleic fatty acids

· Vitamins A, E, and F,

· Triglycerides,

· Allantoin, Cetyl and cinematic esters,

All that natural chemistry results in a highly active and thus effective natural skin and hair superfood. That said, not all Nilotica shea butter is the same. To get all the benefits, you want pure, unrefined, grade A Nilotica shea butter that is ethically sourced. That way you are sure that all those good components are present in their most optimum state and that you can feel good about the source. If you need a good supplier, I highly recommend Caïo. They cold press their own Nilotica shea butter in Uganda at the source so you are confident you get the very best quality (A shameless plug, I couldn’t resist :)).

So lets get to it..

The 15 benefits of Nilotica shea butter are:

1. Easy and luxurious to use one-ingredient product
2. Intense Moisturizer
3. Easy to Absorb
4. Anti Inflammatory
5. Anti-Oxidation
6. Anti Bacterial
7. Prevent Acne
8. Anti fungal
9. Elasticity
10. Cell generation
11. Reduce and prevent appearance of stretchmarks and scars
12. Sunscreen
13. Support healing
14. Relieve aches and pains
15. Safe for all skintypes and ages

1. Easy and luxurious to use one-ingredient product

Ohhh it is so nice and soft and melting already!!! That is the most common response that I hear the moment people touch Nilotica for the first time. This unique texture is created by the incredibly high percentage of liquid oil in the butter. As mentioned before Nilotica has many fatty acids. In fact, any butter is a mixture of fatty acids, mainly oleic- and stearic fatty acids. You can think of oleic acid as the liquid oil. Since, because of its melting temperature of around 14C it usually is liquid. Stearic acid on the other hand has a melting point of around 69C and is therefore usually a hard wax. The % of one compared to the other in a butter determines the overall melting point and texture. A higher oleic acid percentage will lead to a softer butter and a lower melting point. As shown in the below table Nilotica stands out with more up to 62% of the butter made up out of oleic fatty acids. Hence the luxuriously soft texture that melts around 26C into a luxurious oil which is a pleasure to use in so many different ways.

2. Moisturizer

Nilotica Shea butter is probably most well-known for its ability to deeply moisturize even the driest bits of skin and locks of hair. This is due to Nilotica’s unique fatty acid profile which is rich in linoleic, stearic, palmitic and especially oleic acids. Helped by the oleic acid these oils quickly and deeply absorb into your skin. In the same way that you drink a glass of water to replenish fluids in your body when you feel thirsty, Nilotica replenishes the moisture and natural fats in your skin when you apply it. It also helps to restore the natural protective layer on your skin. Thereby effectively holding the moisture in for longer and reducing dryness, whilst making your skin soft and smooth to touch.

3. Easy to absorb

Often people confuse moisturized skin with oily skin. These are not the same. After applying Nilotica your skin will feel soft and smooth but not like an oil slick fell on it. Instead of staying on top of the skin, like for example Vaseline does, Nilotica actually penetrates the skin. What happens is that the high levels of linoleic acid and oleic acid balance each other out and form an easy to absorb consistency that the skin welcomes. As such you get all the benefits without the greasy feeling.

4. Anti-inflammatory

Skin can easily get irritated and inflamed. Dry weather. Skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Small cuts and scrapes. Exposure to irritating plants and the likes. All these things take a toll on your skin and cause your skin to show symptoms like redness, swelling, flakiness or itching. Sometimes all of the above. Nilotica can help! Nilotica shea butter has been found to have significant anti-inflammatory properties because of its natural esters, and can help soothe skin, relieve itching and reduce swelling and redness. Some sources even suggest that Nilotica shea butter could work just as well as medicated creams in treating eczema.

Word of caution: as much as Nilotica is a natural powerhouse, if symptoms are severe and/or persistent please get expert advice from a doctor.

5. Anti-oxidation

Nilotica shea butter is rich in vitamins A, E, K and F. These vitamins are natural anti-oxidants. Imagine tiny little soldiers who are busy all day fighting of bad guys that want to do harm to your skin. These vitamins encourage strong antioxidant activity within your skin. This means that they actively protect your skin cells from free radicals that can lead to premature aging and dull-looking skin.

6. Anti-bacterial

Some indications point towards antibacterial benefits of Nilotica shea butter. A 2012 study suggests that oral doses of shea bark extract can lead to decreased antimicrobial activity in animals. Although more research is needed, some speculate that using Nilotica on your skin may decrease the amount of acne-causing bacteria on the skin. This would explain why many people indicate that Shea butter helped them improve acne prone skin and reduced infections.

7. Prevent Acne

Acne is caused by a combination of excess oil (sebum) on the skin and bacteria. As mentioned before there are indications that Nilotica may help reduce the amount of acne-causing bacteria. In addition to that, it is a well established fact that Nilotica shea butter helps clear your skin of sebum through its unique composition of fatty acids. It helps rebalance the natural oils in your skin, and restores moisture. All together this may help stop acne before it even starts and prevent pores from getting blocked.

8. Anti-fungal

Research has provided evidence that Nilotica shea butter has powerful ingredients that help fight skin infections caused by fungi. While shea butter may not be able to treat every kind of fungal infection, scientists have shown that NIlotica can kills spores of the fungi that causes ringworm and athlete’s foot.

9. Elasticity

In some ways your skin is like an elastic band. When you are young your skin is full of collagen which are like the elastic fibers in your skin. As we get wiser and age, in combination with environmental stresses, collagen fibers can slowly break down. This is when you can start to see fine lines and wrinkles. Nilotica contains what are called triterpenese. These are natural compounds that are known to stop the breakdown of collagen fibers. This will help create fresh, plumper looking skin.

10. Cell generation

Your body is hard at work every second of each day to revitalize your body. This includes making new skin cells and getting rid of about 30.000 to 40.000 dead skin cells each day. These dead skincells sit on top, whilst new skin cells are formed deeper down in the upper layer of the skin. As we grow older the ability of the skin to make new skin reduces and the skin becomes thinner. When your skin has the right moisture balance it is best able to generate new skin cells. Niloticas unique moisturizing and antioxidant properties combined, give your skin a natural boost and help generate healthy new cells for glowing skin.

12. Sunscreen

Naturally shea butter has a SPF factor of that is estimated to be 3 or 4. As such it provides some protection from the sun. Though by itself it is not an effective sunscreen (you need at least a factor 15 even in mild sun) it does give you some added protection which is always a bonus!

13. Support healing

Research shows that Nilotica may support skin during the healing of wounds and burns. Through a combination of the anti-inflammatory components and the fatty acids it can help reduce any swelling and redness. At the same time Nilotica has also been recognized to help tissue remodeling that’s vital in treating wounds. Furthermore, because it adds a healthy and protective layer to the skin, it can shield superficial wounds from outside influences during the healing process.

14. Relieve aches and pains

Conditions like arthritis but also muscle soreness are caused by underlying inflammation in the joints and muscles. A study in 2016 on animals showed that Shea oil helped reduced inflammation and protect joints from more damage. As such it is highly likely that Nilotica can have similar benefits for the rest of the body. Giving more reason to use Nilotica as a massage oil.

15. Safe for all skin types

Shea butter is technically a tree nut product. But unlike most nut products, it’s very low in the proteins that can trigger nut allergies. In fact, there’s no medical literature documenting an allergy to use of Nilotica shea butter on the skin. Furthermore, Nilotica shea butter doesn’t contain chemical irritants known to dry out skin, and it doesn’t clog pores. It’s appropriate for nearly any skin type. That said, do stop using it if you begin experiencing irritation and inflammation and seek medical attention when appropriate.

So that’s it. In the end, of course, the proof is in the pudding. So please try it for yourself and let me know what you think of it!