The benefits of natural skincare products may be numerous. It all depends on which active compounds the company chooses to include. Shea butter is one of the best choices.

Shea butter is derived from the nut of the Shea tree, which is native to the continent of Africa. The fat is edible and is sometimes used as a substitution for cocoa butter in the chocolate industry. The taste is similar.

Outside of Africa, the butter is primarily used as a cosmetic ingredient. There are five different grades from A to E. The highest grades are sometimes reserved for use in the food industry. But, a few manufacturers buy only grades A or B. Those are the only two that are cold-pressed, extracted without the use of chemicals.

Naturally, Shea butter has a very light scent, almost like dairy butter. Most companies add fragrance ingredients, because they believe that most customers would prefer more fragrance.

The better companies do not add fragrance ingredients, because they can cause adverse reactions. Even concentrated plant fragrances can cause allergic reactions when applied directly to the skin.

There are benefits of natural skincare products containing Shea butter for practically any skin condition you can think of. Creams containing it reduce inflammation associated with eczema, psoriasis and acne. The lotions are soothing for rashes, burns, bug bites and other types of irritation.

When applied to scars or stretch marks, the lotions have the ability to heal, lighten and fade them away. Some of the better anti-aging night creams contain the compound, because it is beneficial for reducing wrinkles, improving smoothness and fading dark age spots.

The nutrients in Shea butter include vitamin A and E. Many acne suffers have low blood levels of those vitamins. Most natural skincare products contain vitamin E, because it is known to be important to the skin's health.

Vitamin A is not included in many over-the-counter creams or lotions, because it can cause irritation. It is toxic at certain concentrations. The prescription strength vitamin A creams cause redness, burning, itching and flaking. The creams are prescribed for acne and wrinkles.

A comparative study conducted by an independent laboratory showed that a lower dose could provide the same benefits, without causing all of the problems. The Vitamin A in Shea butter has never caused any kind of irritation for anyone.

If you try natural skincare products containing it and find that they cause some kind of irritation, look at the list of ingredients. The reaction can probably be attributed to something else.

If there are no other ingredients, it is probably one of the lowest grades. Grade E for example is known to contain contaminants.

After four to six weeks of using a night cream containing the highest grade of Shea butter, you should notice a significant improvement in the skin's softness and smoothness. Basically, you should see a younger looking you in the mirror every morning. It's not the only ingredient to look for when you go shopping for natural skincare products. It just happens to be one of the most beneficial.