100% unrefined shea butter

I've just ordered some pure shea butter to mix with my pre-shave concoctions. Basically, for preshave treatments I have mixed up a few of my second tier, no longer-reached for, shaving soaps and push them into screw-up containers for use as preshave shaving sticks. After applying a copious amount to my face I hand lather as regular soap, and let it sit for a few seconds and rinse. Sometimes I repeat. Then I leave the shower and lather up. It works very well, better than the previous preshave oils I tried some years ago. After all, what moistens and softens a beard better than shaving soap?

Maybe shea butter will help make it even better. Has anyone here ever tried shea butter in any form as an additive to your preshave, shave or post-shave protocols? I tried Institut Karite shave soap that is made with some amount of shea butter, but did not find it was as good as my top tier soaps.

Any comments or feedback would be appreciated.

Ted, I have been using unrefined shea butter as a moisturizer for over 15 years, now, and as a balm/post-shave for over five years since starting DE shaving.
It is fabulous stuff.

That's great news Celestino. I assume you use it "straight" and not as part of a mixture with soaps. When I get the stuff I will give it a try without mixing it with other soaps.

I use it by itself as a balm/post-shave and also as a moisturizer for any part of my body. It does wonders for the skin.

You wouldn't want to mix it with soap for your shave. When it's an ingredient in soap, it's been saponified or is the superfat in the soap. Adding more would just kill the lather. Great moisturizer though.

You wouldn't want to mix it with soap for your shave.  When it's an ingredient in soap, it's been saponified or is the superfat in the soap.  Adding more would just kill the lather.   Great moisturizer though.

My goal is to mix it with soaps to use as a pre-shave, which will be rinsed off before lathering. I expect to try and use the shea butter at approximately 25% (weight/weight), with the balance being shaving soap. I shall make any adjustments from there.

Thanks for starting this thread. Any recommendations on what to buy and from where. Thank you.

Scott, you want to look for the unrefined version. I am sure you should be able to find some where you live at a local health (food) store.
Failing that, you can try on-line or I believe a few of the artisanal soap makers offer it.

There are a few different ones you can buy with some being more like a cream and some being more solidified.

Good luck.

I use it with a mix of glycerin and a bit of grapeseed oil in the pre-shave that I make and love the effects that the hyper-hydrating shea butter has on a shave when used as a pre-shave butter. Before and after the shave (and during, as many artisan shaving soap formulas use shea butter any more) I think shea butter is really great.

Just remember that a little bit goes a very long way

Scott, you want to look for the unrefined version. I am sure you should be able to find some where you live at a local health (food) store.
Failing that, you can try on-line or I believe a few of the artisanal soap makers offer it.

There are a few different ones you can buy with some being more like a cream and some being more solidified.

Good luck.  

Thanks celestino last time I just looked on Amazon just to see what was out there and there were so many choices and sellers, paralysis by analysis set in and I stopped looking.