Health Benefits Of Using Raw Shea Butter During Pregnancy | The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News

The smell of raw shea butter might not be pleasing to perceive but its benefits are none compared.

This nature’s butter is an ointment enriched with properties good for the skin, hair, and body. All of which undergo minor or major changes of concern during pregnancy. 

Where does shea butter come from?

The Karite tree native to Africa, also known as the shea tree, bears the fruit shea butter is made from. The butter is made from the nuts found inside the fruit. First, the nuts are crushed to bits and boiled to extract their fat, known as shea butter. Its original look is yellow and in a solid form. 

Its Relationship With A Woman

The state of a woman’s body during pregnancy undergoes distinct changes as the baby in her develops stage by stage. These changes although, beautiful and normal, can be drastic and leave an unwanted scar. So, it is pertinent for proper care to be in place during this life and body changing stage.

Opting for unnatural methods may be expensive, difficult to keep up with, or detrimental to the health of an expecting mother. Using natural methods can be an effective and less risky option. 

The use of shea butter has proven to be the best for keeping a pregnant woman, shining through her pregnancy.  

Using shea butter help to:

Moisturise and reduce itchy skin

Shea butter is a great moisturiser for the body and face. The fat it contains helps the butter penetrate the skin pores without clogging them. It has humectant and emollient properties that enable it to lock in the moisture in the skin and keep it hydrated for a long period. It is a natural skincare to stay moisturised during pregnancy, and to avoid breakouts and scaly skin.

For itchy skin during pregnancy, especially the skin on the tummy area, the fatty acids in shea butter help to relieve the itchiness when massaged into the skin. By rubbing the oil on the skin, it helps it to stay moisturised and stop itching.   

Reduces shave bumps and irritation

Shaving the pubic area and having a clean one can be difficult during pregnancy. Using a razor can leave the skin rough with bumps and other skin irritations. Applying shea butter to the bumps and skin irritation areas helps to heal the skin and soothe the itching.

To avoid having razor irritation from shaving, it is recommended to apply shea butter to the skin twice a day before shaving to smoothen the skin and hair. This will make the shaving process faster, easier and leave no aftershave irritation.

Prevent stretch marks

Stretch marks are one of the most common effects of pregnancy. During pregnancy, the body experiences weight gain and weight loss, especially around the tummy body area. When this occurs, it causes the skin to stretch beyond its capacity, resulting in stretch marks. 

Using raw shea butter as a skin lotion during pregnancy can help kill the possibility of developing stretch marks. The moisture shea butter gives, enables the skin to expand without tearing. 

Tearing of the skin is what results in stretch marks. When there is no moisture in the skin, the skin becomes dry, making it easy to crack and tear when it begins to stretch. Using ointments like raw shea butter, which has lots of fat properties and moisture, will give the skin the oil it needs to stretch beyond its capacity without tearing. It strengthens the elasticity of the skin and improves collagen production. 

This is one of the main reasons why shea butter is used as a base in many cosmetic products today. However, using raw, unrefined shea butter is more beneficial during pregnancy and after pregnancy.  

Relieve muscle aches 

Pains in the muscles and joints occur frequently during pregnancy, especially in the waist, bank, feet and knees. This is expected from carrying all of another being’s weight for months. The weight puts pressure on the body especially, in the areas mentioned.

Applying shea butter to massage these areas will help relieve the aches and reduce swellings. This is attributed to the various fatty acids and plant sterols contained in shea butter, such as Palmitic, Stearic, Oleic, and Linolenic acids. All of these are known for healing the skin and easing inflammation in the muscles. 

Raw shea butter can be got from any African local markets around you.