Occasionally, products with a very high shea butter content, like ours, have a slightly grainy texture. It's important to note that this doesn't negatively impact the quality of a product, nor is it a defect in the traditional sense. Rather, it's a completely natural process that occurs when working with 100% natural fats and oils.
The background to fat crystal formation in production
Shea butter contains various fatty acids ( For example, oleic acid and stearic acid), which melt and resolidify at different temperatures. If the butter does not cool evenly and quickly after melting, for example due to:
- Temperature fluctuations 🌡️
- slower cooling after stirring
...small fat crystals may form. These appear as fine grains, but melt immediately upon application to the skin.
100% natural – small differences included 🌿
Since we consciously avoid using emulsifiers, stabilizers, or synthetic smoothing agents, these small variations may occur from batch to batch. The quality always remains high – our raw materials are purely plant-based, untreated, and dependent on harvest, climate, and origin.
The crystals bother you, here's how to get rid of them!
We try to avoid oily crystals, as they can be irritating. But even we and our producer (and we're experts in water-free cosmetics 😊) don't always succeed. If your product has grainy texture and it bothers you, you can:
- melt carefully in a water bath
- then let it set in the refrigerator
This makes the texture even again – without any loss of care effect or durability.
Either way, you now know that you can use your product with joy and 100% safety.
Have fun with it!
Warmly ❤️
Sandra
Founder SHEA YEAH & Natural Cosmetician
