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Shea Butter As Skin, Scalp and Hair Moisturiser in Nigerians

March 2021
Dermatologic Therapy 34(6)

DOI:10.1111/dth.14863

Authors:

Olusola Ayanlowo

University of Lagos

Olufolakemi Cole-Adeife

Lagos State University

Margaret Ilomuanya

University of Lagos

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Rating of efficacy of shea butter as adjuvant treatment in skin conditions by health practitioners

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LETTER

Shea butter as skin, scalp, and hair moisturizer in Nigerians

Dear Editor,

Various plant and seed extracts are utilized for skin care, cosmesis,

and alternative skin therapy. One of the most used in Nigeria and

many other countries in Sub-Saharan African is shea butter, a thick

yellowish butter produced from the nuts of the Shea tree (Vitellaria

paradoxa). Shea butter is a well-known multipurpose skin care item in

many African countries, and it is believed to have several skin mainte-

nance and healing properties. The taxonomic and physicochemical

properties of shea butter are documented in Table 1.

1,2

Shea butter has been shown to have both emollient and occlusive

properties which enables it to trap moisture in the epidermal layers of

the skin.

3,4

Shea butter was found superior to mineral oil in preventing

trans-epidermal water Loss (TEWL).

Shea butter was recommended

for repairing dry inflamed skin caused by dermatitis and as a nighttime

TABLE 1 Shea butter: taxonomic and physicochemical properties

Taxonomy of the African Shea Tree

Family; Genus Sapotaceae;Vitellaria.

Species Vitellaria paradoxa.

Subspecies V. paradoxa paradoxa and V. paradoxa

nilotica.

Former name/

Synonym

Butyrospermum parkii;B. paradoxum.

Regions found Semi and sub-humid savannas of sub-

saharan Africa.

Main producing

countries

Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria.

Local Names for

Shea butter

Karite (Senegal: Wolof), Ori (Nigeria: Yoruba),

Okwuma (Nigeria: Igbo), Kadanya (Nigeria:

Hausa), Nkuto (Ghana: Twi).

Biochemical composition

Fatty acids and

triglycerides

Oleic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid, and

palmitic acid.

Phenolic

compounds

Garlic acid, catechin, epicatchin, gallate,

gallocatechin, quercetin, and trans-

cinnamic acid.

Tocopherols α,β,y,δ—tocopherol

Sterols α-spinasterol and Δ7-stigmasterol,

campesterol, and β-sitosterol.

Triterpenes Acetyl triterpenes and cinnamyl triterpenes

Unsaponifiable

fractions

αand βamyrine, butyrospermol, and lupeol.

Physicochemical properties

Acid value;

Saponification

value

3.825; 196.90

Refractive index 1.461

Total fat; moisture

content

75.3%; 1.37%

Melting point 36.57C

Density 0.927 g/ml

Iodine number;

peroxide value

43.27; 12.85

TABLE 2 Demographic details of survey participants

Parameter

Frequency (%) N-382

general public

Frequency (%) N-288

health professionals

Age range (years)

10-19 7 (1.8) 0 (0.0)

20-29 98 (25.7) 44 (19.3)

30-39 144 (37.7) 113 (49.6)

40-49 87 (22.8) 41 (18.0)

50-59 39 (10.2) 24 (10.5)

60 and above 7 (1.8) 6 (2.6)

Highest educational level

Secondary 11 (2.9) 0 (0.0)

Tertiary 207 (54.2) 75(26.1)

Postgraduate 162 (42.4) 213 (73.9)

Informal

professional

courses

2 (0.5) 0 (0.0)

Years of practice (health professionals)

1 year and

below

14 (6.1)

2-5 years 51 (22.4)

6-10 years 44 (19.3)

Over 10 years 119 (52.2)

Type of practice

Public 120 (52.6)

Private 28 (12.3)

Both public and

private

80 (35.1)

Medical specialty

Dermatologist 22 (9.6)

Other medical

specialties

187 (82)

Pharmacists

and nurses

19 (8.3)

Received: 30 September 2020 Revised: 4 January 2021 Accepted: 2 February 2021

DOI: 10.1111/dth.14863

https://doi.org/10.1111/dth.14863

Atopic dermatitis in Senegalese children with skin phototype VI: Prevalence, clinical features, and risk factors of severity

Article

Oct 2022

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common inflammatory skin disease of childhood. Yet, in sub-Saharan Africa, data on AD in children is scarce. Herein, we aimed to determine the prevalence, clinical features, and risk factors of severity of AD in Senegalese children with skin phototype VI. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study including children with AD and skin phototype VI younger than fifteen years old seen in two dermatology centers in Senegal over a period of six months. The diagnosis of AD was based on the United Kingdom Working Party (UKWP) criteria. The severity of AD was evaluated with SCORing of Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD). Results: Among the 630 children consulted during the study period, 104 had AD, yielding a hospital prevalence of 16.5%. The mean age of children with AD was 36 months with a sex ratio of 1. A personal and family history of atopic disease was reported in 86.5% and 84.6% of the patients, respectively. Xerosis was the most common clinical feature, observed in 80.8% of. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and keratosis pilaris were observed in 44.2% and 37.5%, respectively. Severe AD was noted in 12.5%. Risk factors associated with the severity of AD were exposure to incense smoke, an age of onset before 24 months, food allergies, and impetiginisatio. Daily use of shea butter was a protective factor. Conclusion: Our study showed a high hospital prevalence of AD in Senegalese children with skin phototype VI. The result observed with shea butter as a protective factor against severe AD is highly important, although it needs to be confirmed by randomized studies.

Comparative studies of thermophysical and physicochemical properties of shea butter prepared from cold press and solvent extraction methods

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2020

Over the years, the importance of shea butter, for its exceptional use in food and cosmetics industries, has been over-emphasized. This work compares the qualities of shea butter produced from two methods of extraction with respect to thermal stability and physicochemical properties. Two different extractions; Soxhlet extraction (SBSE) and cold press (SBCP) methods were carried out, and proximate analysis, viscosity, specific gravity and refractive index of the butter were equally analyzed. The activation energies (Ea) were determined from Arrhenius-type plots, and the enthalpy, entropy as well as Gibb’s free energy were obtained from Eyring plots. Proximate analysis showed that the nuts contains 5.30 % moisture, 16.45 % crude protein, 4.51 % ash, 46.50 % crude fats, 4.45 % crude fiber and 23.24 % carbohydrate. Peroxide values of 4.00 and 6.50 Meq/kg, acid values of 3.50 and 9.54 mg KOH/g, iodine values of 53.82 and 54.93 g/ 100 g and saponification values of 172.2 and 185.7 mg/ KOH were obtained for the shea butter from Soxhlet extraction (SBSE) and cold press (SBCP) methods, respectively. SBSE contains higher level of unsaturated fatty acid, oleic and linoleic acids, than SBCP, while the trend was reversed in relation to the saturated fatty acid contents. The viscosity, specific gravity and refractive index of both SBCP and SBSE are within the same range. The viscosities of the butters decrease with temperature and the activation energies (Ea) determined from Arrhenius-type plots are 170.19 and 190.97 J/mol for SBSE and SBCP, respectively, as a measure of their thermal stability. The enthalpy, entropy and Gibb’s free energy of activation obtained from Eyring plots are approximately the same for the butters from the two extraction methods and have the values of approximately 2900 J mol⁻¹, -165 J mol⁻¹K⁻¹ and 52.10 kJ mol⁻¹, respectively, showing that the processes involved are endothermic and of non-spontaneous nature.The butter extracts exhibit good thermophysical and chemical properties and could be used as valuable industrial raw materials.

Shea Butter: Chemistry, Quality, and New Market Potentials

Chapter

Full-text available

Jan 2006

Shea butter from the Shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn.) is an important plant fat rapidly gaining popularity in cosmetics, personal care products and foods. Shea butter is becoming more popular because of its unsaturated fatty acids composition as well as the potential utility of its unsaponifiables fraction now being used in cosmeceutical, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. The chemical constituents, physical and chemical properties, quality impacting factors, quality control issues, as well as the current and potential new uses of Shea butter by different industries are reviewed.

Effects of Topical and Dietary Use of Shea Butter on Animals

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2014

Oluwaseyi Malachi

Shea butter is the fat extracted from the nut of Africa Shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa). It is used in cosmetic formulations and as a substitute for Cocoa butter in chocolate industries. It is edible and used cooking fat in Africa. The saponifiable fraction of Shea butter is composed primarily of stearic and oleic acids with lesser amounts of palmitic, linoleic and arachidic acids while the unsaponifiable fraction of Shea butter is composed of bioactive substances that are responsible for Shea butter's medicinal properties. Shea butter is a solid at room temperature and melts at body temperature. It is therefore useful for skin care as it has sun screening properties and acts as an emollient and skin moisturizer. Topical use of Shea butter has also demonstrated anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties. Dietary intake of Shea butter has hypocholesterolemic effect and reduces serum and organ protein concentrations.

EXTRACTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NIGERIA SHEA BUTTER OIL

Article

Full-text available

May 2012

The industrialization of oil seeds is fast becoming an important agro-industrial activity worldwide. This study presents the results of extraction, refining and characterization of both crude and refined Nigerian shea butter oil. The results of characterization of crude and refined oil shows specific gravity of 0.86 and 0.89, moisture content of 2.29 % and 0.12 %, saponification value of 389.89 mg KOH/g and 162.61 mg KOH/g, while the acid value of 8.42 mg KOH/g and 3.36 mg KOH/g, peroxide value of 15 meq/kg and 9.40 meq/kg, and refractive index of 1.472 and 1.467 respectively with it colour observed as milky-cream which are within the required standard specification. The grading of the oil based on the west African standard classified the crude and refined shea butter oils as 3 rd and 2 nd grade respectively, thus establishing their potential for the needs of food industry for manufacturing confectionary, chocolate, edible oil, and a basis for margarines. The shea butter of 3 rd grade is recommended to be used in soap-making or further refined for direct consumption. Introduction In Nigeria, there are abundant vegetable oils, namely; palm oil, coconut oil, groundnut oil, rubber seed oil, cotton seed oil, olive oil, soya bean oil and conophor seed oil, e.t.c (Dawodu, 2009). Vegetable oils are normally extracted from fruits, seeds kernel and nuts either by mechanical press or by solvents (Akpabio et. al., 2011).

The Use of Shea Butter as an Emollient for Eczema

Article

Feb 2009
J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUN

Winter itch Sheperd integrative dermatology notebook. Integr Dermatol

Jan 2012

M Sheperd

Sheperd M. Winter itch Sheperd integrative dermatology notebook. Integr Dermatol. 2012. https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/med/9780199907922.001.0001.

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Moisturising power of shea butter ed by scientific studies. Cosmet Formul Sci

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Bird K. Moisturising power of shea butter ed by scientific studies. Cosmet Formul Sci. 2009. https://www.cosmeticsdesign.com/Article/ 2009/05/12.

Moharram H, Ray J, Ozbas S, Juliani H, Simon J. Shea butter: chemistry, quality, and new market potentials. In: ACS Symposium Series. American Chemical Society; 2006. p. 326–40. <https://doi.org/10.1021/bk-2006-0925.ch025>

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