Amazon.com : Organic Shea Butter - Raw & Unrefined - Preimum Quality - Grade A - Ivory African Shea Butter - for Skin, Hair, Stretch Marks and DIY Skin Care - Resealable Jar for Easy Storage - 1 Pound : Beauty
This is the second raw shea butter I have ever purchased and I am happy to report that it compares favorably to the first brand which I considered to hold as the standard. The first, handcrafted shea is from a company that markets certified fair trade non-gmo shea (and coconut) products and can be found in large natural supermarkets (I'm not sure if I should identify it - it starts and ends with A). My best expectation at the time of purchase was be that the Cleopatra's Choice would perform equally well, and I believe that it does. I compared color, scent, unmelted texture, melted feel, and ease of absorption into skin. Both are slightly nutty. Both have an off-white/greyish/yellowish color. Both are firm to the touch, but scrape out relatively easily from their respective containers. When I placed a dab of each on my hand, they just barely started to melt. If anything, the Cleopatra's Choice product was slightly softer, but it had been in a warmer environment than the jar I already had. Both shea butters melted at an equal rate on my hand after I applied pressure/light friction, and absorption seemed to be equivalent. When I rub raw shea on my skin, it does not have 100% absorption, but that is okay and why I compared two different brands. After a little while the shininess decreased, again equally. The original brand I owned gets points for being certified fair trade, but Cleopatra's Choice earns even more points for the mere fact that its container is a full pound, 8x more than the original's 2 oz. container, at roughly the same price! I would definitely recommend Cleopatra's Choice for anyone who would like to try using shea butter. Disclosure: I received this product at a discount in exchange for my unbiased review.