For Silky, Smooth Skin, Add Shea Butter to Your Lineup—20 Best Products I’ve Ever Tested

Throughout my childhood, I was always encouraged to practice peek self care by slathering myself with moisturizing products to keep my skin looking and feeling its healthiest. While I normally didn’t ask too many questions about what most of them contained, I could trust that they’d received the seal of approval over decades by the members of my family who looked at least 20 years younger than the age I was told they were. Sure—Genetics definitely play a big role on how smooth and supple one’s skin looks over the years, but I know what sneaky ingredient featured in the high-powered formulas of their go-to products made the biggest difference: shea butter.

Even now that I’ve reached my mid-twenties, shea butter has remained a crucial part of my beauty routine for helping to combat everything from the stretch marks across the tops of my thighs to frizzy strands after I’ve styled my tight coils in the protective style of my choice. It also happens to be extremely underrated. To learn more about how and why shea butter works so well, I tapped my favorite derms. Keep scrolling to hear from the experts!

The Benefits of Using Shea Butter

Even though I was raised using shea butter-infused products on the daily to care for my skin, body, and hair; I haven’t always known why the popular ingredient makes frequent appearances in a number of my go-to creams, balms, and sprays. Luckily, I now have access to dermatologists like Marisa Garshick, MD, and Azadeh Shrazi, MD, who can provide some information about shea butter and its many benefits. “Shea butter is rich in fatty acids and vitamins help to moisturize the skin,” Garshick explains. “Because it contains vitamin A and E, it also has antioxidant benefits.” She moisture also contains triterpenes, which Garshick tells us are thought to prevent collagen breakdown and possess anti-inflammatory properties.

Shirazi also weighed in on the topic. “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,” she tells us. So, does shea butter work for individuals who suffer from breakouts? According to Shrazi, the answer is yes. “Many people worry about it clogging pores because essentially it’s an oil,” Shirazi says. “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.”

But no matter which shea butter products you gravitate towards on the shelf, both experts encourage taking a close look at the the ingredients listed on their labels before using as there my still be other comedogenic additions. The bottom line is, however, shea butter is safe for all skin types (including those that are oily, prone to breakouts, and sensitive). If you’re in the mood to grow your hair, body, and skincare lineup by adding a few shea butter-infused options, keep scrolling for expert-approved picks and my personal favorites.

Shea Butter in Skincare

Shea Butter in Bodycare

Shea Butter in Haircare

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