All Natural Body Butter: What to Look For
Do you suffer from dry, cracked or flaky skin? Are you tired of endlessly moisturizing only to still feel rough skin? Finding a good moisturizer that keeps your skin soft can be difficult.
It seems that people have been trying to protect their skin from the elements and keep it soft since the dawn of humankind. Luckily for us, however, we don't have to resort to emu oil or castor oil anymore. Body butters are rich moisturizers that help hold water in the skin, which can ease dryness. They won't reverse aging, and "natural" doesn't automatically mean better or gentler.
If you feel a little overwhelmed at the amount of products available, don't worry, I’m here to help. Read on for what to look for.
What Makes a Good Body Butter?
A good all natural body butter can be used on any part of the body and serves as a great all-in-one beauty product.
Pure body butters usually contain little or no water, which is why they feel heavy and may not need many preservatives. Store them away from heat, and toss a jar that smells off.
Body butters are thick, sometimes verging on solid, and can be difficult to rub in, but this means that a little bit goes a long way. Look for something that's absorbed quickly, especially if your morning routine is usually a little rushed.
If you have sensitive skin, choose an unscented butter. MedlinePlus advises gentle products free from dyes and perfumes for dry skin, and lukewarm rather than hot baths.
Apply moisturizer soon after you pat your skin dry from a bath or shower, as the NHS suggests. Patch-test any new product, and be careful with essential oils, which can irritate skin.
Sky Organics Shea Butter
Sky Organics have created a 100% organic and unrefined shea butter. It's great for use on the face, body and even your hair.
Shea butter is rich in fats that soften dry skin and help seal in moisture.
Don't use it on open wounds or burns, and if you have eczema, follow your doctor's treatment plan; a plain moisturizer can help but isn't a cure.
When cool, Sky Organics Shea Butter is slightly solid, so its best warmed in your hands first before applying. This prevents you from using a large quantity and means that the butter will rub into your skin more easily.
The maker says Sky Organics Shea Butter is unrefined and cold-pressed, so it keeps its natural scent and color.
Pros and Cons
If you're looking for an all natural body lotion that serves several functions, then Sky Organics Shea Butter is for you. It can replace a few of your existing products, including some hair products.
The amount you need to use each time is small, so one tub will go a long way.
If you like to make your own beauty products, this shea butter can be used as a valuable ingredient, therefore extending your beauty product range.
The butter may be difficult to use depending on where you live, or where you store it. Somewhere too cold may make the butter too hard and digging it out of the tub could be tricky. If it's left somewhere too warm, it will liquefy quickly, possibly making a mess. In this case, it would not do well during transportation.
Shea butter comes from a tree nut, so if you have a nut allergy, ask your doctor before using it. It can feel greasy if you use too much, and heavy butters may clog pores on acne-prone skin, so go easy on the face.
The biggest downside to Sky Organics Shea Butter is the earthy smell, which isn't to everyone's taste.
In Conclusion
Overall, Sky Organics Shea Butter is a simple, single-ingredient moisturizer for dry skin on the body and hair.
It's free of added fragrance, which suits many sensitive skin types, but patch-test it first. If your skin stays very dry, cracked or itchy despite moisturizing, see a doctor, since conditions like eczema may need prescription treatment.
Sources
- Dry skin, MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
- Emollients, NHS
