Shea Butter Smells (and colours)

Unrefined shea butter has natural colors and smells.  Learn more.  And beware any that promise consistent yellow color!

There are two main causes of odor in shea butter.  The first is the smoky smell that some shea butter has.  In general, that means it is very fresh as the smoke comes from the open fires that traditional shea butter is made over.  That odor generally dissipates fairly quickly after it is made.

The other odor thing, and this you don’t want, is when it starts to go rancid. This can actually happen fairly quickly with poorly made shea butter.  If they don’t get the water content to a certain level the shea butter will go bad quite rapidly.  Well made shea butter can easily be used after three years and longer.

There is a natural, nutty sort of smell that shea butter has.  It is stronger with some than others.  I’m told that has to do with both the mineral content of the soil in the area where it is grown and also the climate during the growing season; when rains come, how much rain, etc.

As for colour, that varies.  You can read our detailed answers on colours of premium shea butter.

And, beware of anyone who promises that all their shea butter is a nice yellow colour.  That only happens if you add colouring – something Baraka Shea Butter will never contain.

To learn more about shea butter check out “About Baraka Shea Butter” on our website