You’ve probably seen it on many different product labels: “organic”. For many people this is actually something they specifically look for when buying things to put in and on their bodies. For them it means greater product purity, quality and efficacy, and that includes when buying their Shea butter. But what about wild, or wild crafted products? Is organic Shea butter that different from wild crafted? What are the main differences, and is one better than the other?
In the world of Shea butter skincare, there are a few different factors/qualities that everyone looks for when making their buying and sourcing decisions. And every single one of these factors affects the overall quality of the end product. When it comes to organic vs. wild crafted, it’s important to first remember that the two do not cancel each other out. You can have both features in the same jar of Shea butter. But let’s say you have the choice between the two- which do you choose?
Organic means that it hasn’t been produced with the use of pesticides and other chemicals. When you choose to buy organic Shea butter you are choosing to buy a more environmentally friendly product that will also be free from the chemicals that would have otherwise been used in the production of the Shea. Wild crafted means that the Shea nuts have been procured from wild growing Shea trees. The main thing to be mindful of when choosing wild crafted Shea butter is to make sure that it has been responsibly wild crafted. Because the trees are an integral part of the eco system, when properly cared for and responsibly stewarded the use of wild Shea nuts actually contributes to and encourages environmental preservation and care. Additionally, wild crafted Shea butter tends to have a wider variety of therapeutic compounds due to the non-cultivated and controlled manner of the Shea tree growth.
Here at 24Karite Gold, we prefer responsibly wild crafted Shea butter because it is a step above organic. It helps protect and maintain the African eco system and we find the Shea butter itself to be of higher quality. However, if you cannot find responsibly wild crafted Shea butter, simply organic is a great choice. As long as the Shea butter you choose to buy has not been refined or deodorized in any way you can relax in knowing that you are making a sound choice.