How to Store Shea Butter, and How to Fix a Grainy Jar

Shea butter does not go grainy because it has gone bad. It goes grainy because it melted and re-set slowly, and the different fats in it solidified at different speeds. Here is how to store shea butter so it stays smooth, how to fix a grainy jar in ten minutes, and how to tell the rare case where it has actually spoiled.

Why shea butter goes grainy

Shea is a mix of fats with different melting points, mostly stearic and oleic acid. When a jar gets warm (a sunny windowsill, a car, a bathroom shelf above a radiator) and then cools slowly, the higher-melting fats crystallize first and gather into small hard beads. The beads are pure shea; they melt on contact with skin and do nothing to the product except change its texture.

How to fix a grainy jar

1. Melt the butter completely: stand the jar in a bowl of hot tap water, or scoop it into a clean bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Every bead must disappear.
2. Cool it fast: put the container in the fridge (or freezer for ten minutes) until firm. Fast cooling gives all the fats one small crystal size, which is what smooth shea is.
3. Whip it if you like: a hand mixer on a firm-but-not-hard butter gives the texture of our whipped products.

How to store it

• Below normal room temperature, away from sun and radiators. A cupboard is better than a windowsill; the bathroom is the worst room in the house.
• Lid on. Air and light slowly oxidize any natural fat.
• Dry fingers or a spatula. Water in the jar is the one thing that can make an unpreserved butter spoil.

Does shea butter expire?

Pure unrefined shea keeps well for about two years from production when stored as above, and often longer; it slowly loses potency rather than suddenly failing. Products that contain water (creams, lotions, washes) are preserved and carry a period-after-opening symbol; use them within that window. Signs a jar has actually gone off: a sharp, rancid or crayon-like smell that replaces the nutty scent, or mould where water got in. Grains, colour variation and a softer texture in summer are not signs of spoilage.

Why ours arrives smooth

Our Whipped Shea Just Shea is whipped after controlled cooling, which is why it is smooth out of the jar; if a courier leaves it in a hot truck it can re-set grainy, and the fix above restores it. It is unrefined shea from the Tapko Widow's Group in Kperisi, Ghana, so expect ivory-to-yellow colour and a faint smoky scent; that is what unbleached shea is, as explained in refined vs unrefined.

Frequently asked

Is grainy shea butter still safe to use?

Yes. The grains are shea fat that crystallized at a different speed; they melt on skin. Only a rancid smell or mould means a jar should be discarded.

Should I keep shea butter in the fridge?

Not necessary; a cool cupboard is enough. Use the fridge only to re-set melted butter quickly.

How long does shea butter last after opening?

Pure shea, about two years from production if kept cool, dry and lidded. Water-based creams and lotions: follow the period-after-opening symbol on the label.