PeanutAllergyUK

[tabbie]

Is shea butter likely to cause allergies? Is it actually a nut or is it from the Shea fruit? What about cocoa butter - don't seem to have any problems with drinking cocoa!

Just wondered if anyone had already researched this. Have been given a selection of four body butters from the Sanctuary, two of which contain almond oil so can't be used, but the other two only have shea butter!

[Title edited by moderator to facilitate search on cocoa butter]

[Storm]

Hi tabbie,

Please see the link below for a previous discussion on shea butter, particularly:

This question appears in the Fall 2006 issue of the Canadian magazine Allergic Living:

Q My daughter has an extreme allergy to tree nuts, and now there are so many soaps and lotions out there with shea nuts or shea nut butter or oil. I have never heard of this “nut” before. Is it a true nut? If it is, am I right to assume that my daughter should avoid the many products that contain it?

A Dr. Watson: Interestingly, the shea fruit is similar in appearance to avocado. The shea tree grows in the Sahel region of West Africa. As an aside, the harvesting and processing of shea is primarily an activity of rural women (300,000 to 400,000 in Burkina Faso alone). The fruity part of the nut, when crushed, yields a vegetable oil that is used, not only in cooking, but also in soap-making and skincare and hair-care products. This is what you have seen in products.

With regard to your question as to whether or not this is a true nut, the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program reports the shea nuts are a tree nut, but that they do not belong in the list of commonly allergenic tree nuts. There are no reports of allergic reactions to shea nuts or its products. For soaps and cosmetics, it is the oil from the shea nut that is used. The oil contains little protein, which is what triggers the allergic reaction. As with everything, if you are worried or doubtful, avoid the product. I am sure there will be further information with regard to this product in the future.

And here is the info from the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) which is based in the US:

We suggest you ask your allergist for advice about this. The shea nut is a tree nut that has not been widely used in foods in the past, but shea butter and shea oil are being used increasingly in lotions, bath products, shampoos, and cosmetics. Although no reactions to shea nut have been documented in the medical literature some doctors advise patients with tree nut allergy to use caution and avoid products that contain ingredients derived from the shea nut.

See: http://www.peanutallergyuk.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=255

As for cocoa butter, it is the ivory-colored natural fat of the cocoa bean extracted during the manufacturing process of producing chocolate and cocoa powder. The cocoa beans are pressed to produce cocoa butter. This is used in many different types of ways from traditional cosmetic production through to the making of certain types of chocolate.

The cocoa bean is not a nut but the beans can be cross-contaminated, for example when they are shipped in bulk with peanuts and tree nuts. Also, nuts can be added in the process of making chocolate from the cocoa beans. Whilst cocoa butter is extracted from the cocoa bean (before the chocolate-making process begins), in my opinion it would be difficult to be sure that the manufacuring environment is nut free. I also think cocoa beans and chocolate, which is made from cocoa beans after a long and vast process and to which other ingredients are added such as nuts, milk, soy, are easily confused (especially when it comes to marketing cosmetic products) and it would be difficult to know to what extent the cocoa ingredient has been processed as a nutty chocolate. The only way to know for sure would be to contact the company and enquire about the manufacturing process of that particular product. For example, you would need to be sure, for cross contamination purposes, that the product containing cocoa butter hasn't been manufactured in the same enviornment as shea, which is a tree nut. For example, The Body Shop's Cocoa Butter Body Butter is also contains shea butter but you can't tell from the name of the product alone. Fortunately they list the ingredients. See http://tinyurl.com/ylays7w

One could argue that the same concern would extend to chocolate, i.e. when it comes to producing chocolate that is nut free or preparations such as cocoa powder. But in my opinion, the manufacturing process for foods would be much more stringent because of the legislation in labelling foods for allergens. It's not the same for cosmetics and the labelling wouldn't be as accurate.

Has anyone here with nut allergies used cocoa butter? I don't have any nut allergies but I do have a sensitivity to almonds and other nuts. A few years ago I tried a chocolate body butter (it was chocolate, not strictly cocoa butter though). My husband had spread it all over my back so I had quite a lot on me. About an hour later I started feeling unwell, almost like I couldn't breathe. I decided to wash off the body butter and felt much better afterwards. I think the cream was from the Body Shop or Lush but I can't be sure as I promptly threw the product away. Luckily I am not allergic!
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12-year-old son: allergic to peanuts, nuts and raw egg whites

[tabbie]

Thanks, very informative!

I have never had any reaction to a skincare product, but when I asked the allergist about it, he said not to use any which contained almond oil. I should note that it was me who asked him - he wouldn't have mentioned it had I not said anything.

I used to use this cocoa butter all the time:
http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/_en/_gb/catalog/product.aspx?ParentCatCode=C_ShopByLine&CatCode=C_ShopByLine_CocoaButter&prdcode=63649m

and all the other body shop butters (which I now don't use due to almond oil, grr) and had no problems. I don't think I've used shea butter before (knowingly) which is why I asked. I will probably use the body butter I've been given and I'll let you know if anything happens.

The body butters are these two:
http://www.thesanctuary.co.uk/zibu-bhoma-rich-body-butter-details.htm
http://www.thesanctuary.co.uk/mande-lular-sensuous-body-souffle-details.htm

[emmaj24]

Interesting, I'm never sure so tend to err on the side of caution!

Cannot stand any of the sancturary stuff though, but that could just be me, I'm really oversensitive to the smell of things.

Hope you get on ok.

[Panda]

Hi

I've got a nut allergy and have used the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula lip balm regularly without any trouble. However, I think it may depend on the particular product, as some things can be more refined than others, and many products use an 'extract'- it may be that the extract does not contain the allergen in question. Obviously, it also depends on the individual person's allergy.

Also (sorry if this is a bit off-topic, I'm new =P) someone mentioned Lush in an earlier post. Just to say, some of their products contain nuts e.g. almonds, peanut oil etc. so I might suggest to stear clear, especially because of them being handmade (high risk of contamination)...

Don't know how helpful that was (sorry if it wasn't) =P

[emmaj24]

Hiya,

I agree with you Panda, Lush is IMHO very risky because of their production methods etc. Personally their shop makes me feel ill anyway - I think it's too perfumed rather than necessarily nuts but I avoid it like the plague all the same.

[tabbie]

I don't like Lush because of the dodgy morals of their founder/owners!