Authentic Organic African Shea Butter FILTERED & CREAMY 32 Oz

On the recommendation of my dermatologist, I started using Shea Butter for a severe case of eczema that I've had about 2 years now. The eczema is pretty much all over my body (with just a little eczema on my hands, face, and scalp; and none on my feet), so I've been using alot of the Shea Butter. Since this is the first time I've used it, I can't say if good Shea Butter is what I'm about to describe.It's been 3 weeks since I started using the Shea Butter.FIRST IMPRESSIONS==================-It's like wax, but melts when rubbed on your skin.-For large areas, I use my thumb to crack the butter and then rub it between the palms of my hands and the consistency becomes more spreadable.-For smaller areas, I rub the butter with my fingertip and it melts the butter.-It covers well and even makes water bead up on your skin. Washing it off your hands afterwards is a little hard.-Initially, it was very greasy and I spent alot of time waiting for it to soak in (30 min+). It may have been because I put too much...not sure.-People have described the smell as 'nutty." It's not a bad smell, but is noticable. Some days more than others. Some days not at all. If you're using just a little, it should be no problem. In the volume I use it, I can smell it.-It didn't have immediate medicinal properties. I would put it on places that were dry and/or itchy and it didn't seem to do anything (not like some of the other stuff like Gold Bond or Aquaphor)...but, read on.THREE WEEKS LATER=================-After using it religiously, it has made a big impact on my skin.-Applying it to problem areas, these areas are now healing and discoloration from the eczema are lightening.-I don't know if my skin is absorbing it faster, or I just don't need to put as much on, but it started feeling much less greasy after about a week of using it.Other lotions and creams I've tried...Cetaphil Lotion, Cetaphil Cream, Eucerin Lotion, Eucerin Cream, Aquaphor, Lubriderm Lotion, Sebamed Lotion, Sebamed Dry Skin Lotion, Azulene, Calendula, Floursone, Cerave, Bag Balm, and Gold Bond. While all are fine products, none of them has helped me like Shea Butter.Not knowing there was Western and Eastern versions, I got the Western. I may try the Eastern version, but so far, I've found this Western type to be excellent.CONCLUSION==========Shea Butter didn't have immediate benefits, but has helped me over time (although a couple weeks isn't long). The only caveat I have is that I am using a medium strength steroid, but I've used it with all the other lotions/creams too. While products like Aquaphor or Gold Bond seemed to have immediate benefits, neither of them had long term benefits. It is a bit greasy, but if you're using it in small quantities, it shouldn't be a problem. Using it now for 3 weeks, I've really seen a difference. I've had some bad flares in certain areas that are now just discolored. Alot of the discolored areas seemed to have lightened. I've taken a small jar and use it when I'm out and about. Any area that becomes itchy/dry I apply it as much as needed. I've applied it more on problem spots and they've all gotten better. I've also put it on my face. Makes me more shiny than my normal shine, but seems to be making my skin less dry. Overall, it's helped me quite a bit.UPDATE-6/25/10==============It's been about 3 months now and I've used about 64oz. I'm a firm believer. When I flare, the Shea Butter (over a few days) helps. I would say that there are others things I need to watch, but for my skin, this has worked (by far) the best. I'm on my 3rd order and each batch has been a little bit different. The original ones were more blocky. This last one is a lot smoother. They all 'melt' and become spreadable. The smoother one just melted faster. But, overall, they all seem to work the same. I've also found that getting the 16oz container makes it easier to get the Shea Butter out when you get to the bottom of the container. The 32oz is a little deep and it's hard to get to the Shea butter when you get to the bottom. This has been great stuff. Ordering is easy and delivered in a timely manner. The cost is very affordable (especially for the quantity that you get).

I only learned of the value of shea butter last summer. I was looking for something natural, but long lasting and good for my skin because I was breaking out with almost every other moisturizer I used. My niece told me about shea butter so I did some research and found that raw shea butter is the best for your skin. I ordered some and saw an amazing improvement of my overall skin tone in about 3 weeks but even better, I didn't break out.Why I like it: raw shea butter (don't get the whipped kind or mixed with other stuff) is natural, very emollient and a little bit goes a long way. I've used it on healthy skin, sunburned skin, skin that had a rash on it, skin that was SUPER dry and on my hair to help with friz and static. I'm a fair fair skinned red-head so you can imagine how thankful I am to have finally found something that works but that I can also share with my husband, who is dark hair/eyes and more ruddy complexion. Our two daughters are bi-racial and shea butter does AMAZING things for their skin.What I don't like (but can live with):* The smell of raw shea butter is something you have to grow to tolerate or appreciate. Some people describe it as nutty, I think it smells more like a mild camp-fire smokey scent. The scent only lasts until the shea butter is absorbed into your skin. You can also find recipes online to whip the shea butter with your favorite essential oil and make it smell better.* It can be difficult to put on if you don't warm it up first. The texture is similar to the wax pomade that you put on your hair to style it. Some people microwave a bit before they rub it in, I personally find that just putting a small ball in my palms and rubbing them back and forth really fast warms it up enough to spread. Again, if you whip it and keep it in a sealed, airtight container, it is easier to put on.All in all, I'm very pleased with this product, the amount is generous and will last a very long time. The yellow color and thick texture are important, even if they don't look as pretty because it means it is 100% pure. The white shea butter you see around is mixed with other things and won't give you the same benefits.It's a great product, no matter what your skin type. I've have several people ask me what is different about me, that I look more radiant and comment on my smooth, clear skin. So it must be doing something!