Butyrospermum parkii

Butyrospermum parkii or Vitellaria paradoxa is the lat. name for the Shea tree. The shea tree grows naturally in the wild in savannah belt of West Africa from Senegal in the west to Sudan. The tree starts bearing its first fruit when it is 10 to 15 years old.
Shea oil is very precious oil, also called as Shea Butter. The oil is derived from the kernel of Butyrospermum parkii seeds.
Shea butter is composed of fatty acids: palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and arachidic. Shea butter is rich with phenolics, which are known to have antioxidant properties and carotene. Shea butter possesses protective properties against environmental influences, as UV rays.
She butter is very popular in cosmetics as a soothing moisturizer and emollient for the skin.