Researchers reviewed 24 documented uses of shea butter for skin conditions across Sub-Saharan Africa, with the strongest evidence for treating scabies, wound healing, and umbilical cord care. Most traditional applications combined shea butter with other ingredients—particularly African oil palm—rather than using it alone. However, the research mostly relied on interviews and surveys rather than clinical trials, so effectiveness claims need more rigorous testing.

This was a literature review that searched for all published studies about shea butter's use in treating skin conditions across Sub-Saharan Africa. The authors analyzed patterns in how it was used and what conditions it targeted.

Funding not disclosed in abstract