I recently received a question from a fellow soap maker that asked about graininess in products that contain shea butter. From time to time I have experienced shea butter grains in a lotion, cream, or whipped shea butter product myself.
Research the shea butter grains issue on the internet and you will find a plethora of explanations:
-used unrefined shea butter in product
-used refined shea butter in product
-heated the shea butter to an excessive temperature and then cooled it too quickly
-used shea butter that was too old in product
-used shea butter that had gone through a temperature change (too hot or too cold in shipment)
I get best results from unrefined shea butter (not bleached or deodorized). I also never overheat the shea (not to exceed 150 degrees). Heat it only enough to allow it to begin to melt, then remove it from the heat source.
When I produce products that contain shea butter I always watch for the tell-tale signs of shea butter grains. Watch the sides of the mixing container, for example. Grains definitely like to cling there. What do I do when a product turns out grainy? I use it myself, or a friend gets to use it. The thing is, an occasional shea butter grain is going to happen. It may look and feel strange, but it does indeed melt on contact. Normally, though, where there is one grain, there are a lot more, and the product doesn’t fit into the creamy or smooth category when it feels like it has small particles in it.
I hope this helped with your question. I am sure there are a lot of explanations, and there definitely is a lot of conflicting information on the internet to sift through. This post outlines what works for me.
Annies Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps 
Hi Mary!
I’ve been so busy, I never got a chance to come over and thank you for my new shipment of goat milk soap. I ADORE the bars you selected for me. I’m not sure what they all are, but there isn’t one fragrance I wouldn’t enjoy having again.
Next time you ship to me in one of those flat rate boxes, fill it up, up, up. As many bars as will fit. I don’t want to miss out on one, if I can help it.
Thank you again for keeping me in sweet smelling luxurious soap. I love it and I love you!
PS: So sorry I’ve been MIA. We’ve been so busy with company and stuff, I’ve really all but abandoned my blogging. But I’m back and I’ve come straight over!
Missed you my good friend. So happy to be back with you again.
I know all about busyness. This past weekend was definitely a good reminder to me to stop and smell the roses, enjoy the simplest of things in life. The simple things are truly the “big” things.
Thank you, Alix, for your support. I am glad you like the soaps.
Thanks for sharing! It’s a busy time of year Alix 😉
~*~Amy~*~
Thanks, Amy.
I like the way you discuss the many aspects of soap making and also business…not to mention the day to day requirements of owning and caring for so many beloved milk producers! I recommended your blog to a family of little soap-makers. The 3 children ages 11 years on down are avid soap-makers and as they were showing me their wares I thought your blog would be the very best for them!
Mary, I checked my Google reader last night and went back days and none of my blogging friends who use wordpress show up in it. Good thing I have you in a sidebar!
Still enjoying your soap, I Love it!
Kathy, I am still thinking about your Google Reader problem (with non-Google blogs that you follow). There has to be a reason it isn’t workin correctly. Many of the blogs that I subscribe to via Google Reader are not Google based, and they update each and every day with the newest posts. Interesting…and confusing for you for sure!
What fun, and how inspiring…children that are avid soapmakers!
[…] butter is a good choice. With our formulas, however, refined shea butter has a tendency to leave “grains” in the products. Shea butter grains are not a bad thing, they do melt upon contact with skin. […]