shea butter

noun

1. a solid, greenish, yellowish, or whitish fat derived from the seeds of the shea tree, used for food and in the manufacture of soaps and candles.

Word History and Origins

Origin of shea butter¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

But manufacturers looking to save costs can reduce the amount of ingredients they use which are directly from the bean, and instead use alternatives such as palm oil or shea butter.

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Flamingo Estate blends anti-inflammatory and skin-restoring manuka honey with hydrating lanolin and shea butter for an ultra-rich yet cloud-like cream that you can use on your hands or anywhere that needs some extra love.

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The move is aimed at making the trade more lucrative as Nigeria is losing out by not producing much shea butter locally.

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Harvested fruit from shea nut trees have to be crushed, roasted and boiled to extract their oil to produce the shea butter used in cosmetics.

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A former biology teacher-turned-environmentalist is on a crusade in Uganda to save the once-flourishing trees from which shea butter is made - the cosmetic known as "women's gold".

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