Shea butter, doing its thing.

Shea butter. It’s got a real personality of its own. You may never experience this, as it depends on the season or the climate you live in, but the grainy balm is a little fact of life when you deal with very natural products. In the case of Shea, it gets a little grainy at times.

The reason is simple. These little granules that sometimes happen are perfectly natural and normal and doesn’t mean that your product has gone bad or that something’s wrong with it. This is a common occurrence with natural Shea butter, and sometimes, cocoa butter.

We won’t get all super sciencey on you, but basically what happens is that Shea is made of several different types of fat. When temperatures change, the Shea melts, and then the like-fats all congregate and hang out together by the chip bowl. When the butter cools again, they crystallize, or harden, at different speeds, causing little granules to form. The more the butter melts and re-hardens, the more granules you get. Keep in mind that Shea butter melts at the same temperature as human skin (one reason why we love it so much), which also means that sunshine, travel, humidity, sitting close to a heater, or being in a hot bathroom can all cause fluctuations in the texture of the balm.

If your product has developed granules, it is proof of it being natural. So go on, don't worry and keep applying!