Unrefined Grade A Shea Butter for Cosmetics

Recommended specifications for cosmetics

For cosmetics, the parameters that decide performance are unsaponifiable matter, free fatty acid and peroxide value; melting point and colour are formulation-fit checks. Copy the rows into the purchase specification; the batch Certificate of Analysis reports measured values. The COA interpreter walks each line.

Why Unrefined Grade A shea butter suits cosmetics

• Unsaponifiables (typically 4–11 %, reaching about 17 % in some lots) are retained because there is no bleaching or deodorising step; this fraction is why shea is specified over cheaper structuring fats.
• The oleic/stearic-dominant profile (about 40–55 % oleic, 35–45 % stearic) gives body to oil-in-water emulsions and a soft-solid texture to anhydrous balms without added waxes.
• A Grade A free-fatty-acid band keeps the nutty odour mild and stable; higher-FFA lots smell rancid within months.
• Typical inclusion is 2–20 % in emulsions, with 5–15 % the common working range in body creams and up to 100 % in anhydrous balms.
• Colour and odour vary by lot: specify a colour band, retain a reference sample per lot, and design a fragrance system that tolerates a nutty base note — or choose refined N-RBD.
• The INCI name is identical for refined and unrefined; finished-product notification sits with the responsible person, not the raw-material exporter.

"Cold-pressed" describes extraction, not freshness. Free fatty acid is set by kernel handling before the press. Unrefined Grade A suits natural and raw positioning because colour, odour and the unsaponifiable fraction stay in the fat; the cost of that positioning is batch-to-batch colour and odour variation, which is managed with an agreed colour band and a retained lot sample, not by adjectives on a brochure. See the uses of unrefined shea butter in cosmetics for product-type roles. The specification table is above.

Bench-test before locking the formula:

• odour after 4-week accelerated ageing at 40 °C against the retained lot sample;
• colour drift against the agreed band;
• emulsion viscosity and stability at 10 % versus 20 % load;
• three freeze–thaw cycles to provoke graininess before it appears in the market.

This page describes composition and performance. It makes no medical, therapeutic or "heals / treats" claims.

When to choose refined N-RBD instead

Choose refined N-RBD when the formula is fragrance-forward or white/pastel, when colour must match at scale, or when a buyer specification demands a much lower free-fatty-acid and peroxide-value ceiling. Refining trims unsaponifiables somewhat — the honest trade-off against a white, odourless base. Refined N-RBD Shea Butter for Cosmetics.

Supply format

EMI Agro loads at Apapa (Lagos) and Tin Can Island (Lagos). Packaging, sample size, minimum order, Incoterms and lead time are confirmed on the quote for the grade and destination you name.

Quality & traceability

Finished butter is specified on a NIS 571:2013 basis. Parameters in the table are measured on every finished batch; the Certificate of Analysis reports the measured values. Kernel lots are titrated for free fatty acid at intake and kept segregated. Kernels are wild-collected through a cooperative network of 5,000+ women collectors. Certification status: NAFDAC registered, SON approved, HACCP in progress, USDA NOP (Organic) in pursuit, EU Organic (EOS) in pursuit, COSMOS in pursuit. Detail sits on the quality page.

• Every finished batch is tested; measured values are reported on the Certificate of Analysis.
• Kernel lots are titrated for free fatty acid at intake and kept segregated.