Whats the difference between yellow and white/gray Shea Butter? How can I tell if it is refined?
The color of unrefined Shea Butter depends on the Shea Nut itself. The color can vary from off-white/beige to medium yellow. I’ve now tried Shea of both the beige and yellow varieties and can detect no discernible difference. As far as benefits are concerned, there is no difference between the various colors yielded by the different Shea nuts. Which means that yellow Shea is no better than beige. In spite of this fact, one can still quickly distinguish unrefined Shea Butter from bleached or processed Shea Butter, because refined Shea Butter is usually odorless, white, and creamy in texture. It looks completely different that unrefined Shea, and is usually more costly.