Would you like to know a skincare secret from one of the most powerful women in history? For most part of her life, she ruled Egypt and is renowned for her knowledge of politics during her reign. Yes, we’re talking about the one and only Queen Cleopatra.
Now, unveiling Queen Cleo’s beauty secret – Shea butter!
If this intrigued you, allow us to share with you some shea butter benefits and how it can be used with the purest Ayurvedic elixir, virgin coconut oil.
Discover the shea secret
The origin of shea butter dates to the era of Cleopatra, in Egypt, when it was used in large jars of clay as a therapeutic skin ingredient. Native to the Karite shea trees of west Africa, the butter is extracted from the nuts and the royal heritage used in making some of the best creams.
With the softest consistency, the butter leaves your skin emulsified, healed, and revitalised. The goodness of shea butter is just what your face needs – vitamin A and E to help balance, moisture and soothe your skin, and vitamin F to help revive damaged skin.
A fan-favourite is the mixture of coconut oil and shea butter. Your face will love you just as much as you love it when your pores aren’t clogged. This is because these two ingredients have one thing in common – they are excellent emollients rich in antioxidants.
Benefits of using coconut oil with shea butter
While shea butter is rich in vitamins, antioxidants and fatty acids with anti-inflammatory properties, coconut oil acts like a reinforcing skin barrier to seal the moisture for intense and long-lasting hydration. The oil also contains lauric acid, the idea acne fighting friend! But is it safe to use them both for face care? We’ve rounded up the benefits of both, shea butter and coconut oil, to give you the whole picture.
Benefits of shea butter for skin:
- Linoleic acid and the nurturing properties treat dry skin with moisture and hydration
- Its anti-inflammatory properties soothe irritated skin and treats concerns of all skin types
- Its antibacterial properties treat your acne and remove the build-up of excess oil
- The vitamins in this butter contribute to healthy skin regeneration
- Sunburns are treated with inflammation reduced and moisture locked in to heal the skin
Benefits of virgin coconut oil for skin:
- Your chapped lips aren’t chapped anymore with the moisturising elixir making them soft
- Since the oil can penetrate and seep into your skin, your cuticles can be moisturised too
- As an exfoliant, it sloughs away dead skin cells and reveals a natural glow with hydrated and moisturised skin
Creating coconutty shea butter magic
A homemade body butter with the two magical ingredients will leave your face feeling super moisturised and divine. With Mother’s Day coming up, this could be the perfect gift for your mum, or even a beautifully fun activity with her. Here’s a DIY recipe to celebrate your skin with coconutty shea butter.
Ingredients: One cup of shea butter, a half cup of coconut oil
Method: Mix the butter and oil in a bowl. Heat some water in a pan, sit the bowl inside of the boiling water, and stir until the mix is melted and homogenous. Remove the bowl and keep it aside for it to cool, and then solidify.
If you’d rather skip the activity of making it at home, you can go for the Coco Soul Body Butter which is infused with the goodness of these two ingredients. The mixture is also complemented by another ingredient – lodhra. The ultra-luxurious and lightweight body butter is a great source of antioxidants, which works overnight to give you a healthy glow the next morning.
Summary
The buttery and nutty goodness is all you need in a bottle for a consistent glow on the face. And if Queen Cleo swears by shea butter and Priyanka Chopra swears by coconut oil, we sure hope you give this magical combo a try!
