What is Shea Nilotica?

Shea Nilotica is the soft, creamy variant of shea butter, sourced from East Africa. Our Nilotica comes from Uganda and is extracted by cold pressing from the nuts of the East African shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa subsp. nilotica). The butter is unrefined, fair trade and retains all its natural vitamins and scent. The texture is noticeably softer than the more familiar West African shea, with a mild, slightly nutty aroma.

At room temperature, Shea Nilotica is already partially soft and spreadable, and at skin temperature it melts completely. A beloved butter for those who find West African shea too hard or too aromatic, and for those seeking a creamy, easy-to-work-with butter for both direct use and DIY.

Due to its soft, mild character, Shea Nilotica is also a fine choice for caring for and protecting delicate baby skin. Many regular baby lotions contain synthetic additives, fragrances and colorants. Shea Nilotica is a pure, protective softener straight from nature, keeping baby skin soft and supple.

What is the difference between Shea Nilotica and regular Shea Butter?

Both butters come from the same plant species, but from different subspecies that grow in different places in Africa. This produces a fundamentally different result.

Fatty acid profile
Shea Nilotica naturally contains more oleic acid (around 47 to 62 percent) and less stearic acid (25 to 38 percent) than West African shea, which contains more stearic acid. Oleic acid is a soft, fluid fatty acid and stearic acid is hard. This difference directly determines how the butter feels.

Texture and spreadability
Due to the higher oleic acid content, Shea Nilotica is softer, creamier and easier to spread. At room temperature it is already partially soft, while regular shea butter is still quite hard at that temperature.

Scent
Shea Nilotica has a mild, slightly nutty scent. Our West African Shea Butter has a more pronounced, smoky aroma because the nuts there are traditionally roasted before the butter is pressed from them.

Want a rich, hard, protective butter that also needs to be hard in body butters and balms? Then choose our Shea Butter (Organic and Unrefined). Want a soft, creamy butter that you can use straight from the jar, or that you want to incorporate into lighter formulas? Then Shea Nilotica is the right choice.

How is Shea Nilotica made?

The nuts are collected after falling from the tree and dried in the sun. In Uganda this is traditionally the work of women's cooperatives who manage the trees and harvest area. The dried nuts are cracked and cold pressed, without roasting and without external heat. This keeps the butter mild-scented and preserves the vitamins and unsaponifiables that carry much of its effectiveness.

Our Shea Nilotica is fair trade certified, meaning the communities that collect and process the nuts receive a fair price.

Benefits of Shea Nilotica

Use directly from the jar
Unlike regular shea butter, Shea Nilotica is soft enough to spread on skin without preparation. A lifesaver for those who find warming or whipping shea too cumbersome.

Mild scent
Thanks to cold pressing without roasting, the scent is light and discreet. Suitable as a base for products where you want to determine the scent yourself, or for those who don't like the smoky scent of regular shea.

Nourishing and protective
Shea Nilotica contains the same nourishing fatty acids, vitamin A, vitamin E and unsaponifiables that have given shea butter its reputation. It nourishes the skin, supports the skin barrier and helps retain moisture.

Suitable for sensitive and dry skin
The soft texture and mild composition make Shea Nilotica beloved by those with sensitive, dry or mature skin. Also nice for delicate baby skin.

Fair trade and unrefined
Our Shea Nilotica is fair trade certified and undergoes no refinement. This means the original nourishing properties are preserved.

How do you use Shea Nilotica?

Directly from the jar
Scoop a small amount from the jar, melt between your hands and apply to skin. Especially nice after showering on still slightly damp skin. Also works well on the face.

As a day or night cream
Shea Nilotica can be used pure on the face as richer care, especially in winter or with dry skin. For combination skin you can combine a smaller amount with a few drops of light carrier oil such as Jojoba Oil.

For baby skin
Shea Nilotica is a soft, natural choice for caring for baby skin after bath time or on dry patches. Apply a small amount to clean, slightly damp skin.

As hair care
A small amount on hair ends softens dry or frizzy hair. Also nice as a protective layer in hair before swimming, to protect the scalp and lengths against chlorine.

In a whipped body butter
Melt Shea Nilotica in a double boiler together with a carrier oil, cool back down while stirring continuously and whip until a fluffy texture. Due to its softer structure, Shea Nilotica is excellent for whipped body butters that remain spreadable even in winter.

In a lip balm
Combine with a wax (for example Beeswax or candelilla wax) and a carrier oil. Due to the lower melting point, Shea Nilotica gives a softer balm than regular shea, ideal for creamy lip care.

In homemade care
Shea Nilotica works in virtually any DIY formula where shea butter is used. The softer texture makes processing easier.

Tips for using Shea Nilotica

• Store at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. Not in the refrigerator, as cold can cause unexpected graining.
• Shea Nilotica can become grainy if it cools slowly or melts and sets multiple times. Prevent this by cooling quickly while stirring continuously when melting.
• On a warm day or in a warm room the butter can become liquid. This is normal and doesn't affect the quality. Just place in a cool spot and it will set again.
• Always close the jar tightly after use to limit oxidation.

Points of attention

Shea Nilotica comes from the nuts of the shea tree. If you have a nut allergy, it's wise to first test on a small patch of skin and wait 24 hours before using it on larger areas. Keep out of reach of children. For external use only.