Shea Butter For The Skin

Posted by Azadeh Shirazi MD on

Shea Butter Benefits

Shea butter is highly concentrated in fatty acids such as linoleic, oleic, stearic, and palmitic acids, that nourish and boost skin moisture. They also help restore and strengthen the skin barrier. Shea butter is also rich in antioxidants such as Vitamin A and E to repair free radical damage with aging.    

Isn’t shea butter comedogenic? 

Many people worry about it clogging pores because essentially it’s an oil. However, it contains high levels of linoleic and oleic acid that balance each other and allow the shea butter to absorb easily without leaving the skin oily. On the comedogenic scale it’s between a 0-2 making it less likely to clog pores and cause breakouts. It also depends on how it’s formulated, what other products someone is using, and certainly climate plays a role. 

Dr. Azi’s Shea Butter Recommendations:

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra - Lightweight texture, hydrating and  soothing on the skin. 

Burt's Bees Shea Butter Hand Repair Cream - Rich nourishing hand cream for dry cracked hands, cuticles, and even lips.  I like using this right before bed and rub into my cuticles as well.

Glossier Priming Moisturizer - Moisturizing formula to apply under make up and minimize the "cakiness" effect.

Farmacy Honey Halo Ultra-Hydrating Ceramide Moisturizer - Rich heavy nourishing cream perfect to apply overnight to hydrate dull dry skin. 

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MEET THE DOCTOR BEHIND IT ALL

Dr. Azadeh Shirazi, MD is a Board-Certified Dermatologist.

Specializing in medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology, Dr. Shirazi received her undergraduate and medical degrees from the University Of Kentucky College of Medicine. After doing a Research Fellowship at Harvard Medical School at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine, she completed her residency training in Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery at the prestigious Mayo Clinic in addition to completing her training in dermatology and cosmetic surgery at the University of California San Diego.

She has received multiple research scholarships from iconic institutions including Harvard University and the University Of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and has several peer-reviewed publications to her name.