Why Shea Is All The Rage

Have you ever wondered what makes shea so great? Now you find shea everywhere--heck, they're putting it in baby wipes!

While I'm not really sure that the Shea in baby wipes is all that effective, Shea, be it in butter or oil, is fabulous in personal care products. I have a Shea glycerin soap base that tempts me to like it better than my own recipe (but my vanity won't let me!).

Take a look at the following list of oils we commonly use in our soaps. Each oil lends its own magic to each bar:

• Shea Butter/oil: The majority of skin-nourishing ingredients Shea lends to a bar of soap remain after reacting with lye in the saponification process. Shea soothes and moisturizes, protecting irritated skin.
• Coconut oil: This is where the magic begins. Coconut produces a delicious lather. We're talking big explosions of bubbles. Not even hard water or salt water affects its lathering abilities.
• Sunflower oil: Sunflower is a favorite of ours. This oil is high in essential fatty acids and vitamin E. It's good for moisturizing and regenerating skin.
• Palm oil: Palm is a very mild oil that helps soap saponify quicker. It makes a hard, longer lasting bar.
• Olive oil: Olive prevents skin from losing its natural moisture and attracts additional external moisture to your skin. Olive makes an exceptionally mild bar.
• Cocoa butter: Cocoa butter lays down a protective layer that holds moisture in the skin. It also assists in producing a harder, longer lasting bar of soap.