Shea butter

Shea butter (CAS 194043-92-0), derived from the nuts of the African shea tree, is a natural fat used across personal care, food, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. It functions as a moisturizer, emollient, and texture modifier in finished formulations.

In personal care, it is incorporated into skin creams, lip balms, hair conditioners, and body lotions where it provides emolliency and supports emulsion stability. Food manufacturers use it as a cocoa butter equivalent in chocolate and confectionery coatings.

Its triglyceride profile delivers compatible melting behavior for high-end food production. Pharmaceutical and nutraceutical formulators use it as a base for topical ointments and suppositories where its consistency supports controlled release.

In coatings and adhesives, refined shea butter functions as a bio-based rheology modifier and plasticizer in specialty formulations. This versatile ingredient is supplied as an ivory to off-white solid available in refined and unrefined grades.

Standard supply specifications include food-grade, cosmetic-grade, and USP-compliant versions. Refined grades are generally preferred for pharmaceutical and food applications to ensure consistency and purity across production batches.

Bulk supply is typically offered in drums or flexi-tanks to meet industrial demands. Refined grades are available meeting FCC or BP standards depending on the specific end-use requirements and regulatory compliance needs of the client.