What about shea butter for moisturizer

[Zhust]

Just this year there seems to be a surge in interest and availability of this stuff called shea butter. According to an arbitrary Internet site, it's made from the seeds of the Karite Nut tree native to Africa. I was wondering if anyone used this as a moisturizer at Burning Man.

In the past two years I've gone, I made a mix of olive oil and lemon juice which I'd boil to remove as much of the water as I could. I figured it had a low Ph to combat the alkaline Playa dust. It worked great and I'll probably bring some more in 2006, but I was wondering if shea butter would also work well.

[phil]

Hi, Jason,

If you have something that works, be sure to bring it. I've never heard of shea butter; bring it and see if it works. But bring something you know works just in case.

I've used a Nivea ointment in a little tin like shoe polish used to come in. And snuff. We also use any brand of skin moisturizer. Louise uses vaseline, as the regular moisturizer doesn't help enough around the eyes where they tear in the wind and dust.

Whatever works.

Note this site:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/quer ... t=Abstract

where it says the price of karite nut butter is 1/10 that of vaseline. Are you paying less for shea butter than you would for vaseline? :->

[Lassen Forge]

I used Shea Butter lotion last year and it worked really, really well for me...

Standard rules about applying to clean skin, spritzing skin with lemonized water to neutralize alkalinity, etc. apply, as does it to any moisturizer. Also remember it is not a sunblock!!!

My only question is - is it a renewable resource or are we wiping out a forest to get this stuff?

Environmentaly mentally yours,
bb

[Cabanasprings]

.....uses vaseline, as the regular moisturizer doesn't help enough around the eyes where they tear in the wind and dust.

.......where it says the price of karite nut butter is 1/10 that of vaseline. :->

I would caution anyone from using something called "nut butter" too near the eye.

[diane o'thirst]

Since the Body Shop uses it like crazy, I would imagine it's environmentally friendly. Same with cocoa butter, which works admirably as does coconut oil.

I've used shea butter-based moisturizing lotion out there and afterwards with excellent success, though I'm not sure whether it's due in part to the olive oil-based bathing oil I use out there as well. Could be a six-of-one/half-dozen-of-the-other situation.

Echo the caveat that none of these are sunblocks. In fact, cocoa butter is rather akin to basting the turkey. <i>Use Sunblock.</i>

Edit: I use a shea butter/citric acid moisturizer that I get at my local Wheeler Dealer for $1 a tube. It's called "Citrus PURE" and I believe Rite Aid carries it. Works beautifully on and off the Playa because of the citric acid content.