What are the ingredients in shea butter?

Shea butter is a natural fatty substance extracted from the nut of the karite tree or mangifolia. It is commonly used as a moisturizing ingredient in lotions, soaps and cosmetics and is used in preparations for treating dry skin, eczema, psoriasis and sunburn.

Shea butter is made by cracking and roasting karite nuts then grinding them into a paste. After the paste cools, it is kneaded or beaten in water until the oil rises to the surface. Boiling the collected oil drives off excess water. The oil is packaged as shea butter after filtering and stirring creates the desired texture.