I bought this because I was looking for an alternative to the 150ml £25-a-tub L'Occitane Shea butter I have had in the past. I love L'Occitane Shea butter, but when the only ingredient in the product is Shea butter, I didn't think there could be THAT much difference between theirs and other brands. Anyway, at a fiver a jar for this one, I was prepared to find out.
Well, I have to say, at first I was a bit disappointed. It is not like its more expensive counterpart, but grainier and much softer. Not what I was expecting. I found the texture meant the the product works best when warmed in the hands until it melts and then applied. The resulting thinner consistency means you won't get the kind of thick coverage that something like L'Occitane does if you want to use it, for instance, as a lip balm (which I did). Having said that, I began to appreciate the 'unrefinedness' of the product. It's very pure and of excellent quality, as all Fushi products I've bought have been.
My curiousity about the difference led me to do a little research. Turns out there's a reason it's different. It seems that the L'Occitane pure shea(and any shea butter that is white, odourless and smooth) is refined shea butter whereas this one is unrefined. From what I gather, aside from the textural differences, the unrefined version unsurprisingly retains more of its healing properties.
So, all in all, highly recommended. For anyone used to something like L'Occitane, this is different and I don't think a 250ml jar of this would last as long as the 150ml pot of L'Occitane. Not that I care. I'd rather have this now, even if weren't a quarter of the price. And, Fushi sell an awesome hydrating lip balm so I don't need to use the Shea butter on my lips anymore anyway!
ps. If you're a new Fushi customer, they have, er, a very good deal.... Er, I'll say no more..... ;-)