The seed of the shea tree has been used in numerous African countries to fight dry skin for millennia. It is said that Queen Nefertiti owed her great beauty to shea butter, since the fat compound extracted from the seeds contains extraordinary skin-repairing qualities.

The shea tree can live up to 300 years. Its fruit ripens during the period of the big tornadoes and falls in the month of June. The nut has a fat content of 50% that can be extracted in three ways, but mechanical extraction allows a natural butter to be obtained, conserving all its properties.

Winter, wind, harsh weather and dry indoor conditions are all factors that damage your skin, necessitating deep and ongoing moisturizing. Soon your lips will split in the cold and your hands will be chapped. Have you thought of using a good emollient every day? Like all vegetable fats, shea butter has softening, anti-drying and protective properties.

• The night before shampooing, coat your hair by massaging the tips with a large knob of shea butter that you've melted in your hand before applying. The butter should be completely liquid;
   
• wrap your hair in a hot towel. Your keratin will absorb everything it needs.
   
• 10 minutes after shampooing, apply a small amount onto very dry hair to give it body and shine.

In African countries, mothers rub shea butter onto babies to prevent or heal irritated skin. They use it on their face, hands and body, especially in the summer months and the windy season.

Your face will benefit most from the daily use of shea butter. Emphasize inert zones (base of the nose, corners of the lips). Massage for about 10 minutes with a small amount of butter that you've melted in the palm of your hand before applying. The butter should be completely liquid.

Elasticity: it is shea butter's high content of unsaponifiable elements and vitamin F that are effective. Just feel your skin after the massage to experience the difference.

Moisturizing: the outer layers of skin definitely require additional moisturizing. You'll feel the difference on your skin once you've applied it.

Protection: the butter must penetrate completely and you should see only a satiny appearance. Nonetheless, the protection is real and will last for a long time.

Since your lips will absorb it more quickly in very cold periods, you should coat them regularly with shea butter which makes an excellent lip gloss.

Noses mistreated by spring allergies or winter colds: put a little film of shea butter into each nostril.

Add a spoonful to a hot bath and a thin invisible layer will be applied to your whole body; massage your arms and thighs well. The feeling of wellbeing for your muscles will be instantaneous.

Shea butter counters the damaging effects of cold climates such as chapped lips and red skin. Skiers and other outdoor sports enthusiasts will thus be able to protect their skin and ensure its softness.

Any body parts that are exposed to the cold are vulnerable. The film that shea butter leaves acts like a screen and will continue to nourish your skin for many hours. Don't forget that the best fight against aging is preventative.

Your skin suffers throughout the summer as well. Using shea butter in conjunction with your sun protection, before and after tanning, will amaze you. You'll get evenly tanned skin that will not peel. But don't apply shea butter without sun protection, since you risk a sunburn - it's the principle of butter in a hot pan!

Your hair also suffers during the summer. Don't hesitate to apply shea butter to your hair before swimming in the ocean. The treatment should be continued once you return from holidays.

The principle is simple: the more you age, the more the skin dehydrates, dries out and loses its elasticity. By regularly moisturizing your skin, you diminish the appearance and depth of wrinkles.

The shea nut contains phytosterols or fatty acids that replenish and rebuild cells, promote cellular renewal and soften skin. It is effective for rejuvenating dry skin, fighting wrinkles and tired skin.

Deeply-lined craggy skin is no longer considered attractive, gentlemen! Use shea butter after your daily shave.

Once a week, apply a large knob of butter from head to toe, rubbing it in so it penetrates completely, paying particular attention to the joints (elbows, knees), toes, heels and nails.

While shea butter offers moisturizing properties that make the skin supple, African men have learned that massaging their arms and legs with shea butter restores litheness to their muscles and keeps them in better shape for travelling long distances. Shea butter is especially beneficial to athletes. Use it before sports, during your warm-up period. Afterwards, it permits quicker recuperation and more efficient elimination of toxins from hard-worked muscles.

To learn more about the shea tree, consult Gourmetpedia