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Shea butter darkens the skin?

Chalant

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I've been using shea butter as my main moisturizer after bathing and I think it's darkening my skin.

I know it sounds weird but I really believe it's the shea butter that is giving me a weird tone to my skin...like I've been out in the sun or something...you know that glow you get when you've been out on the beach all day..that's what I have now.

I've even had people comment and tell me, you look like you have a tan so it's not just me imagining things.

I like it,but I also like my original tone. Has anyone else had this experience? I may switch to coconut oil.
 

Unlucky1

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I haven't had this problem with shea butter. Are you using the raw or processed shea butter?
 

Jasmine Benz

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it has been said that shea butter is almost like a type of sunscreen for women of color.

hea Butter has natural sunscreen properties. The sun protection factor is about 6. This does not mean you should stop using sunscreen. You still need to use a sunscreen of SPF30 when outdoors for extended periods. However, having the additional protection that Shea Butter provides is a bonus.

Shea Butter Benefits - 8 Shea Butter Benefits for Remarkable Skin
 

Mochagurl

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Never had that experience with shea butter, do you live in a sunny climate? I think some people use it as a tanning lotion. Are you using real raw unprocessed shea butter?
 

Chalant

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That's the one I use. I've been surfing the net and lo and behold it darkens some people. This makes me so sad. I will miss using my beloved shea butter, but alas I must move on. I have a peculiar skin tone so that may have something to do with it. I'm brown skinned with yellow undertones, kinda like how Stacey looks in my Avatar. The shea butter is giving me more red undertones.

Oh well. Coconut oil here I come.
 

Timewilltell

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Yeah i noticed this when i was using cocoa/shea lotion a long time ago, i used it during the summer and my face and arms got a tan.
 

Sheldon Cooper

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Interesting... I just purchased some shea butter last week... I've been using it everyday multiple times per day... and I haven't noticed anything....
well technically I'm not grey and ashy anymore, but that is beside the point.
 

ViirrgoLyon

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That's good news for me. I'm a shea butter user, and I would love to have a sexy skin tone like dem boys in Brazil. #winning
 

CuriousCarib

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For sure, skin butters and oils will enhance tanning. They only protect from sunburn (sometimes). Coconut oil will definitely help you get a deep tan.
 

Chalant

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I've been using it probably for a year now and I just noticed, so maybe the change happens over time.

I used to use it mixed with olive oil but I just started using it raw a few months ago. My skin went from glowing brightly to glowing sunkissed (tanned). I'm afraid if I keep using it I will lose the glow.
 

Chalant

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For sure, skin butters and oils will enhance tanning. They only protect from sunburn (sometimes). Coconut oil will definitely help you get a deep tan.

WTF? Coconut oil too? What kinds of natural moisturizer can I use on my skin that won't darken it?

I started using the shea because I'm super sensitive to most things.
 

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It evens out but if you use it and go in the sun without protection it will darken your skin.
 

MORENITA

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I use unrefined shea butter and it hasn't given me a problem. I purchase it by the pound @ coastal scents.
 

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Shea butter, cocoa butter and all the natural oils will darken the skin in the sun. I use unrefined shea butter @ winter time and it's great but when it's summer or spring i only use it by night, i don't like to tan.
 

aMuse2Many

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I'm a cancer patient and received several weeks of daily radiation. It blackened that part of my skin. I used the shea butter consistently. When I went back for follow up visits with my radiologist and she was shocked. The skin is lightened significantly and healing. I have been doing this for months and imagine that in a few months the skin will be near my original...which is saying a lot because the radiation had it blackened burned as the treatment had to be intense.

ETA: The radiologist has asked me what I did and wanted to recommend to her other patience. My friend got raw shea butter for me. I always use something on my skin, I eat healthy vegetarian/pescatarian lifestyle, I juice fresh fruits and veggies and most importantly I use baking soda as a method of exfoliation and put the shea butter on daily.
 

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That's the one I use. I've been surfing the net and lo and behold it darkens some people. This makes me so sad. I will miss using my beloved shea butter, but alas I must move on. I have a peculiar skin tone so that may have something to do with it. I'm brown skinned with yellow undertones, kinda like how Stacey looks in my Avatar. The shea butter is giving me more red undertones.

Oh well. Coconut oil here I come.

where did you buy this?
 

Bad News Billy

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Yeah it does and its the best thing ever. Naturally I'm about Cam Newton's (Carolina QB) complexion but always wanted to be way darker since I was little. Started using Shea about two years ago simply because I liked the way it smells mixed with the soap & cologne I use, and yo everybody kept asking me if I'd been on vacation.

That's when I realized it was making me darker. Now I'm about a shade lighter than ASAP Rocky (rapper) & I think it off sets my features better. Heard some people say it's too oily and no good for your skin but I've never had a problem with acne, pimples or discoloration in my life so I cosign it if you're like me. A deep dark brown complexion is what's goodie. :good:
 

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It's not the shea butter. If you don't want to get darker use sunblock.
 

Murci

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Wait, so it's turning yall darker or redder? I could use it for the summer to fake tan lines and lie about exotic vacays to my coworkers if it's a darkener. But the red...

I already turn red in the sun, in the cold, when I cry, when I'm mad etc. and that sh!t aint cute at all. Red skin makes people look swollen to me.
 

Chalant

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I don't know how to describe it better. Let's just say it's taken me from the skin tone in my avy to this:

nia-long-slide.jpg
 

Murci

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I don't know how to describe it better. Let's just say it's taken me from the skin tone in my avy to this:

nia-long-slide.jpg

Got it! It looks good on Nia but if I knew you to look like the Stacey pic and saw you come around looking like that I'd assume you were sunburnt.
 

Come4TheQueen

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I'm a cancer patient and received several weeks of daily radiation. It blackened that part of my skin. I used the shea butter consistently. When I went back for follow up visits with my radiologist and she was shocked. The skin is lightened significantly and healing. I have been doing this for months and imagine that in a few months the skin will be near my original...which is saying a lot because the radiation had it blackened burned as the treatment had to be intense.

ETA: The radiologist has asked me what I did and wanted to recommend to her other patience. My friend got raw shea butter for me. I always use something on my skin, I eat healthy vegetarian/pescatarian lifestyle, I juice fresh fruits and veggies and most importantly I use baking soda as a method of exfoliation and put the shea butter on daily.



You hang in there, radiation can be intense but my mother experienced eight weeks of it and didn't have any difficulties. God is good.
 

Chalant

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that exact jar?

my girlfriend has the same thing but she got hers from NYC and I don't live no where near that area. lol

Yep.

I would say it was the sun too but I'm darker in places that don't receive regular sunlight like my stomach. It has to be the shea butter itself too.
 

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You need to use sunscreen. Shea butter shouldn't darken your skin but if you are exposed to the sun in anyway without sunscreen, you will get darker.

It could also be the lighting that makes you think that you are getting darker. For instance, right after you apply since the lighting can make you look darker at that moment.

Devita is bomb! And it doesn't leave the white cast.
 

Cal Bear

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How often do you exfoliate with baking soda? Do you just mix it with water?

I'm a cancer patient and received several weeks of daily radiation. It blackened that part of my skin. I used the shea butter consistently. When I went back for follow up visits with my radiologist and she was shocked. The skin is lightened significantly and healing. I have been doing this for months and imagine that in a few months the skin will be near my original...which is saying a lot because the radiation had it blackened burned as the treatment had to be intense.

ETA: The radiologist has asked me what I did and wanted to recommend to her other patience. My friend got raw shea butter for me. I always use something on my skin, I eat healthy vegetarian/pescatarian lifestyle, I juice fresh fruits and veggies and most importantly I use baking soda as a method of exfoliation and put the shea butter on daily.
 

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I'm a cancer patient and received several weeks of daily radiation. It blackened that part of my skin. I used the shea butter consistently. When I went back for follow up visits with my radiologist and she was shocked. The skin is lightened significantly and healing. I have been doing this for months and imagine that in a few months the skin will be near my original...which is saying a lot because the radiation had it blackened burned as the treatment had to be intense.

ETA: The radiologist has asked me what I did and wanted to recommend to her other patience. My friend got raw shea butter for me. I always use something on my skin, I eat healthy vegetarian/pescatarian lifestyle, I juice fresh fruits and veggies and most importantly I use baking soda as a method of exfoliation and put the shea butter on daily.
:hugs:
 

Fabulous Foxxx

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Ionno, I dislike the scent so I dont use it on the skin. But I wonder if it would darken the hair?? I am always looking for ways to get my hair to a blackest black, I would try it out if I was gonna be in the sun and then wash that scent out later.
 

ViirrgoLyon

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Ionno, I dislike the scent so I dont use it on the skin. But I wonder if it would darken the hair?? I am always looking for ways to get my hair to a blackest black, I would try it out if I was gonna be in the sun and then wash that scent out later.

There is shea butter hair sheen that you can spray in your hair.
 

poet912

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Ionno, I dislike the scent so I dont use it on the skin. But I wonder if it would darken the hair?? I am always looking for ways to get my hair to a blackest black, I would try it out if I was gonna be in the sun and then wash that scent out later.

Try using Henna if you want to darken your hair naturally. I use shea butter on my face as a moisturizer (I rotate shea butter and now castor oil) and many times when I use the shea people remark that I look like I'm glowing. I just think I look a tad greasy so I dunno.
 

Fabulous Foxxx

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Try using Henna if you want to darken your hair naturally. I use shea butter on my face as a moisturizer (I rotate shea butter and now castor oil) and many times when I use the shea people remark that I look like I'm glowing. I just think I look a tad greasy so I dunno.

Henna is the reason I'm trying to darken itLOL--my hair is naturally a med brown, but the henna turned it a brownish red:/
I dont really care if its natural or not, Ive used a semi-perm black since then but its rinsed out now and I swear I can still see the hints of the henna:(
 

aMuse2Many

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How often do you exfoliate with baking soda? Do you just mix it with water?


When there is an area of focus I do it lightly daily or for maintenance just 2-3 days per week.

Wet the wash cloth and ring it dry. Then pour a little baking soda on a section then gently rub in a circular motion to massage it into the skin. It will even out the skin all over the body. I do this first. Then wash with soap or cleansing product.

It will brighten the skin. Don't rub too hard.
 

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