Almost all brands dealing with shea butter get this question often – does African shea butter expire? How long is shea butter good for? What does shea butter smell like when it expires?
It’s a common question with a guaranteed answer. Refined shea butter can last longer; however, raw shea butter expires after 24 months of its manufacturing. If you don’t store it properly, then there’s a good chance that it will expire before time.
Raw shea butter is extracted from the kernels of the shea tree, but refined shea butter goes through a chemical bleaching and deodorizing process that extends its shelf life (but many say kills the quality and ease of working with it).
DOES SHEA BUTTER EXPIRE?
Yes, shea butter expires in 24 months to 37 months time period.
Here’s a quick update on how fast both raw and refined shea butter expires.
Shea Butter TypesExpiration DateRaw Shea Butter24 MonthsRefined Shea Butter37+ Months
It’s evident from the numbers that raw shea butter expires faster than the refined one, yet, it’s still recommended to use raw shea butter. It is not mixed with unnecessary ingredients that can cause an allergic reaction to a lot of people and no harsh chemicals and solvents to ‘refine’ it.
Refined shea butter is bleached, which is obviously not good for anyone. Refining the butter strips away much of the natural goodness of shea butter that eventually leaves you with nothing (no smell, no colour and few of the magic properties that make raw, natural shea butter so popular).
Raw shea butter comes with powerful moisturizing properties and is enriched with certain vitamins as well. Also, it’s not harmful to your skin.