Simple Secrets: Tips for Dealing With Grainy Shea Butter
Author: Wholesale Supplies Plus
Saturday, December 17, 2022
There is nothing more pleasurable for your customers than using a creamy lotion on their skin that contains luxurious shea butter. But one of the biggest challenges when formulating with shea butter is its natural tendency to become grainy when it cools. This happens because shea butter contains several different fatty acid profiles.
When these acids are melted and slowly return to a solid state with cooling, they have a tendency to clump together causing small granules. Luckily, there are a few ways to avoid grainy shea butter and earn five-star reviews on all your shea-based products.
How to Fix Grainy Shea Butter
How to Fix Grainy Shea Butter
You can avoid grainy shea butter by practicing one of these two simple secrets.
- The first secret is to fully melt the shea butter and blend it into the oils in your lotion formula while both are liquid. After your formula is entirely mixed, pour into the jar or bottle. Then rapidly cool. This method for rapidly cooling will cause the fatty acids in the shea butter to cool together at one time, this avoids clumping. Rapid cooling a lotion or cream can easily be done at home by using a refrigerator or freezer.
- The second way to prevent grainy shea butter is to incorporate Crafter's Choice Smooth and Creamy additive to your lotion recipe. This additive is a beeswax derivative that binds free fatty acids thus improving texture by inhibiting crystallization and creating a creamy product. It's an easy fix that keeps you from ever complaining, "My shea butter is grainy!"
Storage Tips for Shea Butter
Shea butter products perform best when stored in a cool place. Room temperature works well, but it may turn grainy if the storage area reaches 80 degrees or higher. If you (or your customer) doesn't have an area that's easy to keep cool, consider popping the product in the refrigerator to make sure it doesn't get too warm and turn grainy. That way you don't have to worry about a sunny window or heating unit suddenly impacting the quality of your shea butter product.