Sheabutter, Codina - SHEABUTTER.COM

Frequently Asked Questions

On this page you will find the most frequently asked questions on sheabutter.com.
Some topics are also developed in our monthly newsletter. Check the archives.
or in the "Tip of the week" pages. A good way to get personalized answers and to discuss a topic is to use the Forum
If you don't find the answer to your question on either of these pages please contact us.

How long time a vegetable oil can be stored ?
Codina's answer:
If stored in normal conditions, away from direct sun light and in a cool place, an oil can be used within 12 month and up to 2 years if stored in the fridge. 3 factors can reduce this time: air, heat and contact.
On each product you'll find the date of production in the batch number: for example 07 04 30 means the oil has been made in jully 2004 and is the 30st batch.

What is the diference between raw shea butter and refined shea butter?
Codina's answers:
Our raw and refined shea butters are both obtained by cold press.
The raw butter is only filtered through mechanical filter (like a sieve). All the vitamins, fatty acids and active ingredients remain intact, the color is yellowish and the smell characteristic.
For the refined one, it is filtered through white earth for discoloring (not bleaching) and we push down the acidity below 1 pct. All of this is a totally natural process. No chemicals are ever used and there is no testing on animals. The result is that refined shea butter has no smell, is whiter and smoother but it has lost some of its active ingredients in the process. It is still excellent but the raw shea butter is a better choice when use for healing or treatment purposes.

Is the Shea butter produced under free trade or organic standards?
Codina...Organic standards are organised for agricultural production. Sheabutter is a higher standard because it is wild, collected in the bush. Agricultural production of shea tree is not possible (25 years to obtain a tree).
Regarding "fair trade", we are the sole company to crush sheabutter mechanically. Hence, we need a very good raw material (nuts) and we are working with same suppliers since 25 years. We are not in the shea nuts market to follow the general trend and to obtain the best raw material prices. For us quality comes first.