Wholesale Raw Shea Butter
Wholesale · for makers, spas & retailers
Unrefined raw shea butter, straight from the source.
Hand-processed by women's cooperatives in West Africa. No solvents, no bleaching, no deodorizing.
No account or application needed. 10% off your first order with WHOLESALE10. Ships from Virginia in 4–5 days.
Choose your size
Two formats. One standard.
10 lb tub
- Our entry wholesale format and the minimum order
- Right for small-batch makers, a treatment room, or testing before you commit to a case
- Flat $30 shipping
44 lb case
- Production volume for regular batches
- For formulators, spas going through shea weekly, or retailers repacking under their own label
- Flat $55 shipping. Need more than 45 lb? We quote freight individually.
Why ours is ivory, not white
Ivory is what raw actually looks like.
White shea has been stripped: bleached, deodorized and often solvent-extracted, and the vitamins A and E, fatty acids and natural triterpenes go out with the color. Ours is cracked, roasted, ground and hand-pressed, and nothing else happens.
From the nut to your formulation
Made the way their mothers made it.
The women behind every batch
“That is how our mothers handed it to us.”
Sourced direct from a women's cooperative in West Africa, members of the Global Shea Alliance. The same supply chain every time, so the material you formulate around this quarter is the material you get next quarter.
Questions before you order
About our shea butter
What does unrefined actually mean?
The nuts are cracked, roasted, ground and hand-pressed, and nothing else happens. No hexane or solvent extraction, no bleaching clay, no deodorizing. Refined shea is put through heat and filtration that strips the color and scent, and takes most of the vitamin A, vitamin E and cinnamic acid with it.
Why is it ivory instead of white?
Unrefined butter runs ivory to pale yellow depending on the season and the nut. Bright white almost always means it has been processed. If you are selling on provenance, the color is doing work for you on the shelf.
What does it smell like?
Faintly nutty and earthy. It is noticeable in the raw material and mellows considerably once whipped or blended into a formulation. If you need a scent-free base, that is what refined shea is for.
How should I store it, and how long does it keep?
Cool, dry, out of direct sun, lid sealed. Shelf life is typically 12 to 24 months. Shea melts around 90°F, so a hot warehouse or a summer delivery can soften it. That's harmless, but it may set grainy.
Why did my batch turn grainy?
Graininess is the different fatty acids setting at different rates, usually after partial melting and slow cooling. It is a texture issue, not spoilage. Melt fully to about 175°F, then cool rapidly and it comes back smooth.
What can I use it for?
It is a single-ingredient base: whipped body butters, balms, salves, hair creams, soap superfatting and massage bases. It is also shelf-ready as-is if you want to repack under your own label.
Where is it sourced?
Direct from a women's cooperative in West Africa, members of the Global Shea Alliance. The same supply chain every time, so the material you formulate around this quarter is the material you get next quarter.
Is the color and texture consistent between orders?
Shea is an agricultural product, so expect minor seasonal variation in shade and scent. The performance characteristics stay consistent. If you need a specific spec for a formulation, get in touch before you order.
Ready to formulate with raw shea?
Larger volumes and standing orders welcome. Email bawo@merinkind.com and tell us what you're making.
10% off your first order with WHOLESALE10. One use per customer.