As a preface, I should state that I have tried a number of raw & unscented shea butters, including but not limited to: 1) L'Occitane 2) Epicurean 3) A couple random brands from Whole Foods All of the above are good, but the BEST that I have tried is the Chic Afrique. It melts with more ease than any of the others. Whereas most of the raw African shea butters can be clumpy and tough to work with right out of the jar, this one is literally like butter in your hand. Some brands even recommend you put the jar in microwave to heat a few seconds to soften it up a bit. Not this one - this stuff will melt if you stare at it long enough What you do is scoop a very small (pea size or less) amount out of the jar. It will feel fluffy/airy, maybe a little grainy....but the heat from your hand will melt it into an oil. All shea butters, in theory, work like this....but this is the first brand I have used to actually work this well, it worked so well it was almost like witnessing a chemical reaction. The feel on your skin is very smooth, maybe silky. I truly am very impressed with this product, I came across this at the GreenFestival in Chicago, and bought a tub. Went back the next day and bought a 2nd tub. The price, for the quantity you can get, is actually cheaper than the higher end brands.....but the difference in quality is incomprehensible. If you are a fan of shea butter, and it works well with your skin (I also like it as a massage balm), this one is a must have. Owner info: [FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]Ori is 100% unrefined unscented African shea nut butter, enriched with vitamin E. Shea butter has a long tradition of use in Africa, especially Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Central Africa, Senegal and the Sudan. Referred to as Natures wonder emollient. It is an excellent massage balm, natural sunscreen, skin softener and skin smoother.[/FONT] [FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif] Traditionally, Africans use is as a medicinal balm for rheumatism, muscle aches, burns, irritation, chaps and ulcerations. These astonishing properties of shea butter are without doubt due to its unsaponifiable fraction which contains pro vitamins, vitamin F, small amounts of vitamin A and E. In ORI we have presented the raw 100% shea butter and stabilized it from oxidation with vitamin E, eliminated the smell and cleaned up by repeatedly straining it.[/FONT] http://www.chicafrique.biz/ Some background info: [FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]T[/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]he laboratory of the Chic Afrique Herbal Line is located at the edge of Historic Philadelphia, overlooking Washington Square Park. Founded in 1995, the facility is owned and operated by Victoria Onwuchekwea, Ph.D. A native of Nigeria, West Africa.[/FONT] [FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif] [/FONT]With her extensive knowledge and background, she is incorporating various African traditional materials and indredients used in cosmetics, in the conventional bases. This combination of African tradition, and modern technology is done in a perfect and efficient way.[/FONT] [FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif] [/FONT]It all started as most things start, small in the kitchen. Her dream was to research cosmetics raw materials from the continent of Africa and incorporate them in conventional formulations. Presently she is working with two popular West African ingredients African shea butter and African black soap. She is also utilizing cosmetic ingredients line camwood (Nigeria) and Odo yellow wood (Nigeria).[/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif] [/FONT]The products of the Chic Afrique Herbal Line are appreciated for their exceptional quality and their originality. Every product complies with the international regulations of the cosmetic industry. They are not animal tested and are dermatoligical approved. The products of the Chic Afrique Herbal Line are 100% Natural.[/FONT] [FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif] [/FONT]We are one of the few companies where products are still painstakingly made and packaged by hand. In this time of modern technology this is a significant and important fact, because soap bars are hand molded, butters and salves are hand poured in small batches, some slight variations in color and size may be present. However, the quality remains absolutely the same.[/FONT]
A super deal for sure. I have even used this as a pre-shave with a hot towel to great advantage! Versatile, healing, easy to use, great price and a little goes a long way. probably one of the best values out there.
