Shea Olein

About This Product

Shea olein is the liquid fraction obtained when shea butter, the fat of the nut of Vitellaria paradoxa, is fractionated. The melted butter is cooled under control so that its higher-melting, stearic-rich triglycerides crystallise as shea stearin; the oleic-rich remainder is filtered off as the olein. It is a pale yellow oil to soft fat that is clear when warm and may cloud in a cool store. Fractionation splits shea into two materials with different jobs. The stearin carries the symmetrical stearic-oleic-stearic triglycerides that make shea a raw material for cocoa butter equivalents. The olein carries most of the oleic acid and stays liquid or soft at room temperature, with a melting range of about 20 to 35 degrees Celsius. Shea's unsaponifiable matter, the triterpene alcohols and sterols behind its skin feel, concentrates in the olein, which is why it is chosen for cosmetics where the butter itself would be too firm. Its saponification value of 170 to 190 mg KOH/g matches the parent butter. It is used in creams, lotions, body oils and hair care, in soap and liquid soap bases, as an oleic-rich feedstock, and, after refining, as a soft fat in confectionery and spread blends. Bio Green Oils and Fats supplies shea olein to a specification covering moisture, free fatty acid, saponification value, total fatty matter, melting point, colour and odour, with a certificate of analysis for every batch. Tell us whether you need the unrefined grade or a refined, deodorised grade for food use.