Shea Butter for Soft, Smooth Skin

Posted by Elaine Moore Jan 20, 2008

The ritual of hydrotherapy, including the indulgent home bubble bath, doesn’t stop when you step from the tub.

Drying the Skin

Avoid rubbing the skin dry. Using a thick absorbent towel, pat your skin gently. Your skin should be damp and glowing and ready for a lavish application of body cream.

Butter Up

Products rich in shea butter are the top performers. Shea butter, which is extracted from the nuts of Africa’s Shea-Karite tree, has been used for centuries to protect and rejuvenate the skin and hair. Because of its high fatty acid and vitamin A content, shea butter soothes and softens skin while sealing in moisture. Shea butter, which leaves skin soft but not greasy, also relieves the itching associated with skin dryness and eczema.

Products containing shea butter should be stored away from heat although they don’t need to be refrigerated. Shea butter has a long shelf life and can be used for up to three years after products are opened. My favorite products include Bliss’s Naked Body Butter and Jergen’s Shea Butter Skin Enriching Moisturizer for the skin, and C. O. Bigelow’s My Favorite Lip Balm for the lips. Products containing shea butter can also be found at the Shea Butter Hut. Bigelow products can be found at the C. O. Bigelow Apothecary stores and Bath and Body Works stores.

Aromatherapy

Many skin creams contain soothing oils and essences based in aromatherapy. One of my favorites is C. O. Bigelow’s Lemon Body Cream, which contains lemon oil. Other favorites include L’Occitane’s Verbena Body Lotion, with essences of the verbena flower, and Origins’s Ginger Whipped Body Cream.

Rehydrate

Heated hydrotherapy treatments can rob the body of moisture. It’s important to drink sufficient water, juice, or herbal tea after your spa treatment or home bath to replenish lost fluids and keep the skin glowing.