Raw Unrefined IVORY Shea Butter Grade A from Ghana 2 Lbs

I use some of this for cosmetics, but I bought this quantity from this particular supplier because I wanted to cook with it. Some kind people who had purchased it answered my inquiries about the taste and aroma. So nice of them to go to the trouble of melting it and tasting it! Amazon customers rock.I have used it so far to fry homemade seitan, just as a test of its qualities. The seitan was delicious. Fresh out of the package, the shea butter has its characteristic smokey/nutty aroma that it quite distinctive and pronounced. But I didn't detect taste or smell of shea after the seitan was cooked; I didn't really detect much aroma while frying, actually. (I have a powerfully good sense of smell, by the way.) I blind taste-tested it on my boyfriend, who tends to be quite picky about tastes, and he didn't know that I hadn't fried in anything unusual.So, having passed the taste and smell test (and the didn't-make-us-sick test ;) I then used the shea for what I'd really bought it for: making shortening for biscuits and pie crusts. I mix cocoa butter, sunflower oil, and shea to get the consistency of shortening that I want. So far I have only made biscuits with my shea-infused shortening. The shortening was very easy to work with at room temperature, and the biscuits were AWESOME.The texture is about right to use undiluted as shortening, but I was a little too timid to try it that way. I can't explain why, other than that it is unfamiliar to me and I didn't grow up eating this stuff. However, I do know that Grade A (food grade) shea butter is routinely added to chocolate to increase its creaminess, so I'm not just making this up.I bought a smaller quantity of this shea butter about a year ago, solely for cosmetic purposes, before I knew it was edible. It has kept well at room temperature.I enjoy this product inside and out and highly recommend it to adventurous people. Try it in some very simple fried dish first to see if you like it. I have not used it for cake frosting yet; I'm not sure that the shea aroma would be compatible with vanilla buttercream, but it would work with chocolate buttercream.

This is a very reputable seller. This Shea butter is excellent quality. I use Shea butter in many different things...my favorite is a whipped Shea butter, coconut oil, Jamaican black castor oil, and lavender essential oil blend for my hair. I have super long curly hair and I use this to help moisturize and fight frizz. It works better than anything I've ever purchased. I also use a very similar recipe with the Shea butter as an all over body cream. I use to suffer from dry skin, but no longer have any issues since using this. It does a fantastic job at locking in moisture on your skin and in the hairs cuticle. I'm not sure how it effects straight hair (may weigh down or be greasy??, but not sure)...I know it will help with retaining moisture, but I would start with a small amount, like a nickel size, rub between your hands and distribute evenly throughout your hair. Also use this last, after any other products you may use, to help seal them in...or use all by itself. I've also used this to get great defined, SOFT, twist out curls! I mixed Shea butter, aloe gel (100% pure), and a very small amount of coconut oil (I find adding the coconut oil helps get the consistency I prefer), and then with wet, conditioned hair, I'll take a small section, rub the Shea mixture through, then twist up in my curl rod and repeat until finished, sleep with a satin head wrap, (or you can use a plastic bag), and when I wake up in the morning and take out the curl rods, I have support defined and super soft curls!So, yes, I love this Shea butter. Their are so many uses for it and it lasts a long time if you store it properly! I highly recommend it. Thanks for reading my review and I hope it's helped.

I love the color and the fact that this shea butter is left raw and unrefined. I immediately transferred mine to glass jars with lids and I make my own skin creme, body butters and hair moisturizer. I also use it as is. It arrives wrapped in two plastic bags which is not the best packaging, but once you get past the presentation, I believe you're going to love this product.I've been using it for about 3 weeks now and my body shows significant signs of improvement and pampering. My skin is always soft and it has some beautiful glow, especially my hands, legs and feet. And my hair is 100% softer with a nice sheen and I've seen improved hair growth. I love this stuff and will keep some on hand. It lasts a long time because a little goes a long way and with a shelf life of 18-24 months it's very cost effective. However, you need to transfer it to a container with a lid rather than trying to use it from the bag. As for the scent, personally it doesn't bother me. I believe It's supposed to have that sort of earthy scent because it's raw and unrefined. But it's an easy enough fix, try adding some fragrant essential oils to it. I've mixed it with all sorts of essential oils like jojoba, olive, argan, coconut and almond oils (different containers for each oil/shea mixture). You can do alot of experimenting with this stuff.I read all reviews prior to purchasing this product paying particular attention to the negative ones and the only negative I agree with is the packaging. THE PACKAGING IS AWFUL BUT IMHO ITS SUFFICIENT ENOUGH FOR DELIVERY. Really folks, we're not paying for packaging anyway. We're paying for pure product which I highly recommend.

I decided to make a hair butter for me, my hubby and my daughters, who are all natural. I knew I wanted some shea butter but I was very hesitant to purchase it, reading reviews for days before I finally committed to this particular item. I read a few negative reviews but decided to take a chance on this product anyway. I'm glad I did.Yes I agree with a lot of the other reviewers who did not like the packaging that it came in, a plastic bag, that once I picked it up and handled it (I was just reading the sticker on it) and the top of it began to rip open. I used a portion of it to make my hair butter and ended up just putting the remainder (still in the bag it came in) in a plastic ziploc baggie.It's July and almost 100 degrees on some days and when it arrived it was a little warm but that made it easier for me to manipulate it. Although, now that it is room temp, it still isn't difficult to use. I just dip my fingers into the bag, place some in the palm of my hand and rub my hands together to apply it to my body, especially on the very dry areas like my feet, elbows and knees.There's only a slight scent to it, nothing I can really smell, definitely not anything offensive. It's about the same color as in the picture, an ivory color, and it mixes very well with the other oils that I used to make my hair butter.I ordered it on a Friday with standard shipping and it arrived the very next Wednesday, very prompt delivery. I'm very pleased with this product and when it is time I will definitely order it again!!!

It may not look very elegant but this stuff is the real deal for dry skin. It has to be warmed up in the hands to get it to a point where you can smooth it in easily but I like that - a little extra work out in the morning, haha (just occurred to me that maybe it can be heated slightly in the microwave first, will give it a try tomorrow)! What I love more is that it is perfectly natural (absolutely no additives, it's a totally raw product)and THE best body moisturiser I have ever used and I have wasted a lot of money on many others! There are no frills to this, it doesn't smell good and it doesn't look good BUT it lasts forever (doesn't go off), a little goes a long way, doesn't block my pores - not even when I use it on my face, and it is dirt cheap! This stuff always turns up, in small percentages, in expensive products (eg, L'Occitane) which tells a story in itself. NOTHING moisturises like this, and all of the friends I have given this to have said the same and always asked for more. Highly recommended - I will never waste money on other over priced products which just don't do the job for me.