Preventing Grainy Shea Butter

Just when I thought I had shea butter all figured out, I read this on a trusted supplier’s website:

Please note: Recently we have become aware that other vendors are suggesting you heat shea butter to 170 degrees F for a period of 45 minutes to prevent graininess. This can be very damaging to the shea butter and will drastically reduce the shelf life as well. Worst of all, it will not work! Shea butter will become grainy, or fractionate, with the addition of heat. Body temperature alone will start this reaction.

Yes, that’s exactly what I had heard would work, and exactly what I tried in the past when making lip balm as well as whipped shea butter. And it worked! However, by doing so I “drastically reduced the shelf life.” While I did add vitamin E, which is not a preservative, but an antioxidant known to extend the shelf life of oils and butters, I was looking for a different option.

Now you are wondering – if the “heat and hold method” isn’t the answer, what is? Well, let me just tell you! This particular supplier offers a nice, refined “high melt point” shea butter. May also be available here. It costs more than regular shea butter, but the results are worth it!

The refined shea butter has no odor whatsoever. You can add scent to it without trying to mask the scent of the natural shea (which I think smells rather pleasant, but others may disagree!). An added bonus is that the texture is fluffier than unrefined shea butter when you whip it!

I prefer to heat the shea butter completely until just melted in the microwave, then transfer to my KitchenAid bowl in an ice bath, using short bursts with my hand-held mixer until it is thick enough to put on the KitchenAid stand and whip it good.

Here’s my pyrex cup full of unscented Whipped Shea Butter:

Refined Whipped Shea Butter

It’s very white and creamy like vanilla icing, only without the vanilla scent. Same color and texture – exactly. Ready to package and use!

To use it in lip butter, simply melt with the rest of your ingredients, transfer to lip balm containers and allow to come to room temperature and set up. No need to put it in the refrigerator to cool quickly!

Page with Comments

  1. It looks wonderful, Amy. I also use the refined shea butter and I never have graininess in my whipped butter, lip balms, etc. Glad you found something that works for you.

  2. Sadly, refined shea butter has had all it’s goodness destroyed and removed for the sake of aesthetics.

    I love unrefined shea butter, but yes, there are as many different ‘suggestions’ on the internet about how to avoid graininess than there are trees on the planet!

    What works for me – although it may seem a bit fussy for some – is to melt it in short bursts in the microwave until just melted (not allowing it to get any hotter than say 80F).

    Then I whip the living daylights out of it for 5 minutes, freeze it for 5 minutes, whip it again for 5 minutes, freeze it for 5 minutes….etc, etc, etc, for anything up to an hour.

    The end result is thick, white, and oh-so-fluffy. Even more beneficial, is that none of it’s natural goodness has been destroyed in the process. I live in a hot climate and have never had a problem doing it this way.

    Another (simpler) way is to simply mash the unrefined shea with a fork, then whip it to your heart’s content until it’s the consistency you like. I’ve done it this way, but found it still contained grainy crystals which customers don’t like – perhaps I just didn’t whip it long enough. Will have to try it again for longer next time.

    As for the smell of unrefined shea butter – I don’t know why people behave as though their delicate sense of smell has been so mortally offended. To me, it smells like liquorice or aniseed – and in any event, the smell dissipates as soon as its applied to skin.

    Hope this helps!

Comments are closed.