Why Shea butter is ‘women’s gold’

Why did you pick interest in Shea butter and what are its benefits?I started Shea butter business about five years ago but I have been involved in Shea butter for over 20 years because we have Shea butter in Niger state in abundance. Shea butter is derived from the Shea nut tree, the fruit consists […]

Why did you pick interest in Shea butter and what are its benefits?
I started Shea butter business about five years ago but I have been involved in Shea butter for over 20 years because we have Shea butter in Niger state in abundance. Shea butter is derived from the Shea nut tree, the fruit consists of a green fleshy mesocarp, which is sweet when eaten and seems to melt on the tongue when the fruit is bitten. It is an off- white or ivory-coloured fat extracted from the nut of the African Shea tree. Shea butter is a triglyceride (fat) derived mainly from stearic acid and oleic acid. It is widely used in cosmetics as a moisturiser, salve or lotion. It is also edible because it’s used in food preparation in Africa. We use it to cook, for pomade and hair creams. In fact, its uses are many; it is good for both cosmetics and food.
What prompted you to go into Shea butter business?
Shea butter business is a very lucrative business because when you invest just N2, 000 in adding value to your product, which is the raw Shea butter, you can make up to N5, 000 and you do not have to go anywhere to do the business because all the mixing can be done at home and when people know that you are into that business they will come to the house to patronize you.
When you say add value to your product what do you mean?
We do not use the raw Shea butter for our products because it has a very strong smell that not everyone likes, when I sell the raw Shea butter to you, you will not like it, so we add value like perfume, different oils and what have you to dilute the smell and make the product have more value.
Where do you get the raw Shea butter from?
You get raw Shea butter from anywhere in Nigeria; in the market from women. We call Shea butter ‘women’s gold’ because women are into Shea butter business more than men, men too are into the business but women have over shadowed them.
What are the challenges faced in the business?
Well, there are numerous challenges just like in any other business but the most important is not being able to differentiate the good Shea butter from the bad one. You have to know which Shea butter to buy because some people bleach theirs with alum which makes the Shea butter very white and reduces the value. When buying the raw one, you have to smell it and feel the texture so that you do not buy a bad one.
What products do you make out of Shea butter?
I have about five products which I make out of Shea butter and they include shea butter cream, shea butter black soup, shea butter oil, shea butter balm and shea butter pomade. The cream is being used in salons for manicuring and for putting in the hair, the oil too can be used for hair and the body and I also add shea butter to our local black soap to add value to the product and make it better for use.
How affordable are these products?
They are very affordable because it varies on the size of containers you use to package the products, but like me, I use small containers and the prizes range from N50 – N500.
Looking at it from the health perspective, what advice would you give women about using Shea butter instead of other creams that cause harm to their bodies?
I would advise them to stop using bleaching cream and turn to Shea butter because it has no risks with regards to the skin. As a matter of fact, it also holds the elasticity of the skin and it gives the skin the hold it needs so that it does not sag. It helps those who have stopped using bleaching cream to go back to their natural skin colour instead of having burns.
What are the advantages of Shea butter?
Shea butter is a moisturizer because it contains so many fatty acids which are needed to retain the skin’s moisture and it helps in healing cracked heels; the once Hausas call ‘pasao’. It is very effective in heeling that and it is the commonest product that people ask for immediately the harmattan season starts in the North. The harmattan takes a heavy toll on the human skin, drying it up and cracking it as well as the human hair which becomes very dry and brittle and starts to break or fall off.
It is not uncommon to find people bleeding from cracked lips during this period or their hair falling off due to its brittleness because of the dry weather, but thanks to the moisturizing power of Shea butter, the situation can be brought under control and when you use this Shea butter, one will notice that he/she has no rashes, sun burn and when you use it on your hair you do not have dandruff and your hair does not break.
How is Shea butter used in food?
Well, like in my place, that is Niger state, we use the Shea butter as oil, that is, we use it to fry a local meal called ‘wiana’ instead of using groundnut or vegetable oil.
Does Shea butter have any disadvantages?
No it does not, well at least none that I have ever heard of.
What advice do you have for someone that wants to start Shea butter business?
It is something that you have to learn through the people that have gone far in the business, like any other business, one should conduct a proper research on the product so that you can excel in the business. After that, with just N2, 000 to buy the industrial Shea butter, one can start the business and have a turnover of N3, 000 in the end.