User talk:Amina Diaw

What is Shea butter?
Some products like Shea  butter shown to be superb moisturizer, with special healing properties for the skin and the hair. Vitamins in this natural product are important for improving a number of skin conditions. They have goods ingredients that heal many skin allergies and a number of other skin forms. The natural products like Shea butter are very essential for skin beauty, for outer beauty also matters. They play a vital role in our daily lives, and this product is also the body’s best friend.

The composition of Shea butter.
Shea butter is an unrefined vegetable based triglyceride which offers high performance in terms of skin feel and low melting point. It has been used in Africa for many centuries to ease problems of the skin and scalp. It is commonly know as karite which is derived from the Shea nut tree that grows in the western part of Africa. The fruits of this tree contain a nut which is dried and ground, the powder is then boiled in water to release an oily substance which rises to the top and hardens to create Shea butter.

Historical background
It has been used in Africa for many centuries to ease problems of the skin and scalp. It is commonly know as karite which is derived from the Shea nut tree that grows in the western part of Africa. The fruits of this tree contain a nut which is dried and ground, the powder is then boiled in water to release an oily substance which rises to the top and hardens to create Shea butter. This butter have been used for ages in Africa to moisturizes and protect the skin from sun, wind and salt water. It can be used for all form of massage as it creates a frictionless surface allowing for the smoothes and most healing deep tissue work. It cannot steal from the skin it natural oil instead it adds essential oil to the skin. Over the past decades, Shea butter has played a very significant role to the women of West Africa, especial in the preparation of traditional medicines, to cook food, to massage newly born babies and to soften wrinkles This Shea nut tree where it is derived from is often referred to the tree of life by most African women.

Many countries in West Africa produce Shea butter
The main countries which produce Shea butter are: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger,Senegal,Togo, Benin, Sierra leonne, Nigeria and so on.



The reasons for why African women use Shea butter
Moreover, this wonderful healing and skin care product is also used for speeding up healing of the umbilical cord and after circumcision. If we look back, almost all the historical references we have from the pre-19 century Africa talked about Shea butter. As early as Cleopatra’s Egypt, there is mention of convoys bearing jars of this valuable Shea butter for cosmetic uses.

It is however; mostly for skincare that Shea butter is hailed for its protecting and emollient properties. Protecting the skin and the hair from harsh African climate is fundamental, and this naturally product does so beautifully. Also, new born babies are welcomed by a powerful massage with Shea butter to product them from bad weather. In the past years scientist have observed that, within the population using Shea butter, the occurrence of skin diseases was rare and the population’s skin was remarkably agile and smooth. Shea butter is extremely high in vitamins A, E, and F, Shea butter provides skin with all the essential elements it needs for good balance, elasticity and tone.

Reports from specialists about Shea butter
The dermatologist Irmin Durand 2004 argues that the relationship of Africa with Shea butter is intimate in nature and that “the secret of African beauty lies in it natural skin produced”. In the west, Shea butter is becoming a miraculous, flexible product that promises soft, moisturized skin, effective sun protection, skin aging treatment and healthy scalp. After three month study of Shea butter, the secretary of the women’s club at Suffolk University Dakar Campus reported that 86% of Senegalese family uses karite for skin protection, to strengthen hair and for massaging. Shea butter is becoming a highly demanded skin care product in Senegal.

Moreover some researches have been done by students from different schools including Suffolk university Dakar Campus .The study consisted of 10 students from Suffolk university, 15 from (Institut Superieur de Management) and 10 from  (School of Management) both male and female. Most of these students that were placed on survey have been using Shea butter on their skin and hair, whilst others used product like Essence'' lotion and some other used Skin Success lotion. These students were grouped in three groups according to their schools and the product they are going to used and as well as divided them into two sections and studied them by sex as given in the result data below. The three groups which comprises of both sexes, and two sections which discriminated both sex were required to use the products for a period of one month to see the benefit and essential effect on their skin and hair. Questionnaires were given to these students at the end of the one month and questions were answered swiftly for 30 minutes or more. The three groups were examined carefully. Each student expressed their opinion about the product they used and talked about why they liked the product, while few say what they dislike. The questionnaire shown a very important uses of Shea butter and benefit one can gain. As I questioned a girl who was among those that started using the product few months ago, she said to me “I needed help with my acne and dry hair, a friend told me about Shea butter and bought it. The first few weeks of using it was impressive and has helped me with my decision. After using this product for the month you asked us to used, I saw dramatic changes in my skin and hair. The blemishes on my face are disappearing, thanks to Shea moisturizer my skin has a natural health glow to it and my hair love for perm and does not break anymore”. A high percentage of students, recommended the use Shea butter for healthy, glowing and supple skin. Whereas,a minoriy opposes it because they don’t like the smell, and most of these students said it makes them feel uncomfortable, so they prefer the use of the other product. It was a debated issue though, because those that used other products said they would prefer Shea butter which is natural, whilst few people disagree. And when I observed carefully the two distinguish sexes (that uses Shea butter), I found out that the essential effects it has on the female is the same for  the male students and also the difference in the benefit that was obtained was not a huge gap. The reason why women benefit mostly from the Shea butter is because female skin is not the same as male. Girls have a more sensitive, soft, soothing and supple skin unlike boys. So the effect is more likely to be seen in female than male.

Shea butter has Great benefits
Shea butter has a high concentration of non saponifiable fatty acids which promote cellular growth and helping to restore damage skin. Only high quality unrefined Shea butter can offer the healing benefit mentioned above. Once Shea butter loses its natural integrity through high heat refinements, many of these wonderful benefits are loss.



Essential effects
Shea butter is a vital skincare product in our lives and societies as well. It has played an imperative role in the innovation of other cosmetics. It is suggested for dehydrated skins and rough skin. It is highly recommended for eczema and psoriasis. The result of the present case shows the effectiveness of Shea butter to the skin and it benefits. It has side effect neither future effect. In the case study, those students that used different product had some rashes after discontinuity of product that was why they recommended that it was the best, whereas those that used Shea butter had no effect after they stop applying it, that is why they advocated it.

Babies
It is a tradition in africa to use Shea Butter as a body cream for babies, because they give them all the essential benefits that they need for their sensible skin.

Women
In africa, Shea Butter is the main part of women's everyday life. They use it to moisturirize and nourish dry and damaged skin. this product soothes and relieves chapped,irrated skin.

Men
It seems like strange, but men use more and more this product.They know all the benefits which are coming from this product. Generally, they use Shea Butter for massage and as an after shave.

Skin care property
We can use Shea Butter for all the following things: for dry skin, skin rash , skin peeling, after tanning ,Cold weather,blemishes and wrinkles , itching skin ,muscle fatigue, Sunburn ,Shaving cream for a smooth silky shave, skin cracks, tough or rough skin, frost bites , Stretch mark prevention during pregnancy , Insect bites , Healthy skin, aches and tension ,or strenuous exercise, skin allergies, Eczema Dermatitis, Skin damage from heat.

Shea butter is known everywhere
Nowadays,the product of Shea Butter is used everywhere. Most of the cosmetic coporation make their products based on Shea Butter.

They know that is an efficient product with many qualities.It is even rare to have a beauty product for hair and skin without containig Shea Butter. They are a part of the cosmetic industrial industry.

Everyone should use Shea butter
In sum, Shea butter is involved in West Africa cultures and in western countries. It has it traditional uses and uses as being a daily staple for cooking and skin care. But, we should think as Shea butter not just as an item for consumption but as a natural part of our life. We should also do everything in our control to protect the Shea nut trees and original knowledge that surrounds this natural resource.

Your edits to Shea
Please be aware that your edits on the page Shea are in violation of the Three-revert Rule. This rule is designed to prevent edit warring. Please consider this rule and do not make anymore changes the the page Shea in the next 24 hours. Thank you. Philip Gronowski 19:35, 28 April 2006 (UTC)
 * Are you actually trying to do something constructive to the article or is your insertion of those sections vandalism? Please discuss it or we will assume the latter.  Thanks, BanyanTree 15:10, 29 April 2006 (UTC)