Does Shea Butter Clog Pores?
It’s a hydration powerhouse for your skin, but does shea butter clog pores? Shea butter is a fat derived from the nut of the African shea tree. It has been used for centuries in Africa for its moisturizing and healing properties. Rich in vitamins A and E, as well as essential fatty acids, shea butter is an emollient and an excellent moisturizer for both the skin and hair. Plus, it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which can help soothe irritated skin.
Can shea butter clog pores? Especially if you have acne-prone skin, you might be worried shea butter will congest your pores and make breakouts worse. Here’s everything you should know.
Is Shea Butter Comedogenic?
Shea butter is non-comedogenic and should not clog your pores. Rich in stearic and oleic acids as well as vitamins A, D, and E, shea butter mimics the moisturizers in sebum. In other words, it tricks your skin into thinking it has plenty of sebum, preventing excess oil production. That is why it’s such an excellent skincare ingredient if you have dry skin, oily skin, and even acne-prone skin. All skin types can benefit from using shea butter in their skincare routine.
Does Shea Butter Clog Pores?
Shea butter is a non-comedogenic skincare ingredient, which means it should not clog your pores. The shea butter comedogenic rating is 0%. Because of its thick, rich texture, many people believe shea butter congests the pores and causes acne. Instead, shea butter intensely hydrates the skin and may even be beneficial for acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties and sebum regulating abilities.
However, in order to reap all the benefits of shea butter for skin, it’s important to use the right shea butter. It’s always best to look for raw shea butter or unrefined shea butter which are potent forms of the butter packed full of vitamins and minerals. Refined shea butters, on the other hand, are processed and less potent with fewer nutrients.
According to dermatologists, it’s best to look for shea butter within skincare products such as face creams and lotions. Just make sure the product contains other non-comedogenic ingredients that won’t clog pores and cause breakouts.
Best Shea Butter Products
At Truly, shea butter is a highly prized ingredient that you’ll find in many of our products. It hydrates, plumps, and heals—leaving skin soft, supple, and luminous. Here are our favorite shea butter formulas developed to diminish dryness, redness, and irritation.
1. Truly Glass Skin Set
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A pore-fect routine designed to blur pores and clear blemishes in just two steps. The Glass Skin Set includes our cleansing balm + serum infused with jojoba oil, shea butter, and niacinamide to hydrate, balance oil, and decongest pores for a clear, gleaming complexion. Vegan, cruelty-free, and fragrance-free.
2. Truly Glazed Donut Skin Set
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Get that gleaming, celeb-worthy viral glow with this 2-step routine. Featuring a light-as-silk facial serum + cream packed full of shea butter and vitamin E to drench skin in moisture for hours upon hours of unparalleled glow. Vegan, cruelty-free, and fragrance-free. Your skin will soak these sweet treats right up!
3. Truly Unicorn Routine
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Plump lips? Check. Supple skin? Check. Head to toe glow? Check. The Unicorn Routine showcases our iconic Unicorn Fruit Whipped Body Butter + plumping lip balm + brightening deodorant. Enriched with shea butter, matcha, and vegan collagen booster to plump, hydrate, and protect with a sprinkling of pink sugar scent.
4. Truly Dreamiest Shave Set
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Shea butter might have a place in your skin and hair care routine. But what about your shaving routine? Ultra-hydrating with powerful anti-inflammatory agents, shea butter softens, soothes, and heals skin for the smoothest skin. And you’ll find scoops of it in the two butters included in this dreamy shave routine. Plus extra soothing, hydrating power from peptides and hyaluronic acid.
Is Shea Butter Good or Bad for Face?
You can apply shea butter to your face as part of your regular skincare routine. Shea butter helps the skin retain moisture, making it soft and smooth. Plus, it’s loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties which can help to calm redness and keep your skin supple.
Does shea butter cause clogged pores? Nope. That being said, if you’re prone to pimples, it’s best to use products especially designed for acne-prone skin. However, shea butter products can be beneficial in reducing the redness of a breakout and promoting healing. What’s more, shea butter keeps your sebum levels balanced, preventing the overproduction of oil that can lead to clogged pores.
Generally speaking, all skin types can benefit from shea butter. Those with dry and sensitive skin will find it particularly efficient at keeping their skin hydrated and preventing redness and irritation. It’s also said to help ease the symptoms associated with skin conditions such as eczema.
Read: Clogged Pores: Ultimate Guide
What Does Shea Butter Do for Your Skin?
Shea butter is a fabulous ingredient for a number of reasons. Because it’s chock full of fatty acids and vitamins, shea butter is great for hydration. It works as an emollient, covering the skin with a protective barrier to trap in moisture and alleviate dry, itchy, or scaly skin. It’s especially good to use in the winter months when your skin’s prone to dryness.
Additionally, shea butter plumps the skin, creating a softer, smoother appearance. That’s why you’ll find it in many face creams and lip balms, and even products designed to prevent stretch marks. It also boosts collagen production, helping to promote and maintain elasticity in the skin for a firmer appearance.
As a potent anti-inflammatory, studies show how effective shea butter can be for easing symptoms associated with skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. It’s a great ingredient to include if you have sensitive, reactive skin or in your shave routine to prevent itchiness and irritation.
Does shea butter clog pores? Here’s the great thing: because it is non-comedogenic (non-clogging), shea butter will not clog the pores or trigger breakouts. It actually helps to soothe active blemishes by quelling inflammation while preventing future ones from forming by balancing sebum production.
Conclusion: Will Shea Butter Clog Pores?
Shea butter is a dry skin-relieving, powerhouse ingredient that deserves a place in your daily routine. Whether you use it on your face or body, shea butter helps the skin to retain moisture for long-lasting smoothness. In fact, you’ll notice an improvement in skin texture after the first few uses of this emollient.
Does shea butter clog pores? Since shea butter is considered non-comedogenic, it will not clog your pores. If you’re seeing a link between shea butter and acne, it’s most likely the other ingredients in the product/s you’re using. Cocoa butter, for instance, is comedogenic, which means it can clog the pores. So if you’re using a product with that in too, this could be what’s responsible for your sudden blemish flareup—not shea butter.
