2 Top companies Shea Body Butter ingredients list
Company 1
Ingredients: Aqua, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, PEG-8 Beeswax, Cyclomethicone, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Theobroma Cacao Butter, Bis PEG-12 Dimethicone Beeswax, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter (Shea Butter), Benzyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Methylparaben, Parfum, Alcohol Denat. Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Caramel, Butylparaben, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben,
Company 2
Ingredients: Aqua (Water) (Solvent/Diluent), Butyrospermum parkii (Shea Butter) (Emollient), Cyclomethicone (Emollient), Theobroma cacao (Cocoa Butter) (Emollient), Glycerin (Humectant), Glyceryl Stearate (Emulsifier), PEG-100 Stearate (Surfactant), Cetearyl Alcohol (Emulsifier), Cera Alba (Beeswax) (Emulsifier/Emollient), Orbignya oleifera (Babassu Oil) (Emollient), Lanolin Alcohol (Stabiliser/Emollient), Phenoxyethanol (Preservative), Parfum (Fragrance), Methylparaben (Preservative), Propylparaben (Preservative), Xanthan Gum (Viscosity Modifier), Benzyl Alcohol (Preservative), Disodium EDTA (Chelating Agent), Linalool (Fragrance Ingredient), Coumarin (Fragrance Ingredient), Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone (Fragrance Ingredient), Limonene (Fragrance Ingredient), Butylphenyl Methylpropional (Fragrance Ingredient), Sodium Hydroxide (pH Adjuster), Citronellol (Fragrance Ingredient), Citral (Fragrance Ingredient), Geraniol (Fragrance Ingredient), Eugenol (Fragrance Ingredient), Caramel (Colour), CI 19140 (Colour).
Five things to know -
1. Ingredient listed first has the highest concentration
Skin care list their ingredients in order of highest to the lowest concentration.
2. Some toxic ingredients maybe very small
The ingredients last on the label are referred to as "trace elements. These are often parabens which are usually listed - methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben and butylparaben. These may still be in small amounts but could have a cumulative effect on the skin.
3. Only the top 33% of the ingredients matters
According to an article, about 90% of the skin care product is made from the top 33% of the ingredients which means those listed after the 33% are probably trace elements only. Another way to read labels is to divide the ingredient list into thirds: the top third usually contains 90-95% of the product, the middle third usually contains 5-8% and the bottom third, 1-3%.
4. Active ingredient need to be in large amounts to be effective
One of the important aspects of reading skin care labels is understanding what sort of ingredients the product has and in what concentration if it is to do something for your skin. If you're paying a lot of money for a product that promises skin regeneration with the ability to reverse your aging process, then it should contain active ingredients with antioxidant properties in large amounts to be effective.
5. Some ingredients may look the same but aren't.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate also SLS for short, isn't the same as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. The former is a plant derived cleansing agent and is much more skin friendly.
Alternatively just buy Akoma Raw Shea Butter made with a 100% organic Fairtrade Raw shea butter.