About Certified African Shea Butter Do you use, or plan to sell premium Shea butter? If you are seeking a research driven reference guide: see our link for the 2005 Shea Butter Handbook.     Why  should you use Certified African Shea Butter? "Shea Butter will provide improvement in all the conditions listed below. As you use this multi-purpose cream you are likely to discover additional uses. The amount of time required for optimum results with various conditions may vary with each condition. Wrinkles, for example, require 4 to 6 weeks of daily use, itching is relieved immediately." 21 Reasons:  1. Dry Skin 2. Skin Rashes 3. Skin Peeling: After Tanning 4. Blemishes and Wrinkles 5. Itching Skin 6. Sunburn 7. Shaving cream - for a smooth silky shave. 8. Small Skin Wounds 9. Skin Cracks 10. Tough or Rough Skin (on feet, elbows...) 11. Cold Weather 12. Frost Bites 13. Stretch Mark Prevention During Pregnancy 14. Insect Bites 15. Healthy Skin (Yes, it adds radiance to healthy skin too!) 16. Muscle Fatigue, Aches and Tension 17. Before and After Strenuous Exercise 18. Skin Allergies: such as poison ivy or poison oak 19. Eczema 20. Dermatitis 21. Skin damage from heat (hot grease while cooking, radiation treatment for certain medical problems, etc.) Direct Quote:  American Shea Butter Institute, Columbus, GA  2003 What is Shea Butter? African Shea Butter, "Butyrospermum Parkii," is a fatty extract removed from the nuts of African Karite trees. Growing wild along the African Savannah, Karite trees produce tiny nut-like fruits, that take approximately 50 years to reach maturity. Once ripened, African women from local villages, harvest the Shea nuts, using a labor intensive, pain-stakingly slow process, all in order to extract 100%, natural Shea butter. This process has occurred for hundreds of years throughout Africa. Processing this also edible fruit, is a deeply engrained, ancient part of Africa's history. It has been reported, that as far back as Cleopatra's reign, Egyptian caravans commonly transported treasured jars of Shea butter, for its cosmetic benefits and other varied uses.  Shea butter is also a highly valued commodity in European countries, where it is used in the manufacture of exclusive, upscale chocolates. It  has only recently attracted the attention of many US cosmetic, food, Science, medical, and healthcare industries because of it's proven beneficial healing and biological properties. Why do we sell Grade A, certified to our retail customers? AromaKaye has offered certified, Grade A, unrefined Shea butter before it became a cosmetic fad. Why certified? Because certified Shea butters are currently the only proven premium Shea butter products in the United States, as reported by the American Shea Butter Institute, in Columbus, GA. ASBI is the current American lead advocacy organization, that establishes strict standards and guidelines for producers and sellers of African Shea butter. They provide results driven facts, based on in-depth knowledge and research. Based on current research, Grade A, premium African Shea butter is the only Shea that has been proven to verify effectiveness for ASBI's "21 Reasons to Use Shea Butter" *Despite the many professional disputes that selling this product has caused, select batches of Grade A Shea butter, still remains the only raw Shea butter that we are interested in offering on the retail level. After buying, researching, and sometimes cleaning raw African Shea butter (Butyrospermum Parkii or Karite) for over 2 years, we are still committed to the idea that all raw Shea butter sold on the retail level, should be tested for effectiveness, as well as cleanliness. For this reason, we will continue to sell ASBI certified, Grade A, tested butter to our retail customers. We truly feel that when you are concerned about achieving optimum health for your skin, Grade A African Shea butter remains the ultimate answer for fulfilling your natural skin care needs. *BASED ON BIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS, AND IN-DEPTH RESEARCH: "a pound of Grade A Shea butter, may be equal to 2 or 3 pounds of a lesser grade of Shea butter" direct quote ASBI, Columbus, GA Why  Choose Our African Products?  Our certified Shea butter and organic black soaps, are imported from a co-op of women, in West Africa, where the proceeds from their labor goes directly toward their economic empowerment, and enriches the lives of their families. By purchasing and supporting women's Shea and black soap cooperatives, we are consciously assisting African women, and their families, by enforcing a sense of empowerment and aiding economic efficiency. 1. Our raw certified Shea butter has been issued "grade A" certification by the American Shea Butter Institute. Choose ASBI Grade A Premium Certified African Shea Butter: when you mandate quality over quantity. 2. We compare different batches of Grade A, certified Shea (yes, there are definitely differences between Grade A Shea butters) before deciding which to offer to our retail customers; thus saving you time & money, while eliminating disappointments and added expense. 3. Our certified Shea has been lab tested, it has been micron filtered for cleanliness, and it is bacteria/mold free. 4. On the retail level, we only sell Grade A Shea butter, so there is no guessing game at what you will receive each time your order. The color may vary from each season, but the grade does not. 5. Our certified Shea blends only contain quality, natural fixed, or aromatherapy essential oils when noted. 6. Our 100% pure certified Shea butter contains no additives - only Shea butter. 7. At AromaKaye, we work hard to always supply you with the best African Shea butter and organic black soap on the retail market. Although you may find Shea butter cheaper  elsewhere, we do not believe in compromising quality, and are only interested in providing the best for our retail customers. 8. We welcome you to contact the Institute, in Columbus, GA, to verify the legitimacy of our Shea butter (or to verify any vendor's claims for offering ASBI certified Shea). Classification and Grades: "At the Institute, we classify various Shea Butters imported from Africa in one of the following classes: Class A, B, C, or F. Where class A is Premium Shea Butter, while class F is poor quality Shea Moisturizer. It is important to note that Class A is ideally suited for the "21 Reasons to use Shea Butter, as a well as a number of other healing properties not mentioned here.  While Class F has little or no healing properties and should be used as a moisturizer." DISCLAIMER: The information provided here or elsewhere on this site is not intended to constitute professional medical advice for treatment. We encourage you to consult your personal physician with any questions you may have regarding specific medical conditions.