Untitled Document
If you have a nut allergy of any kind, you’re probably very hesitant to try anything that says that it was created or derived from a nut, which is completely understandable and to be expected, especially considered how severe some people’s reactions can be after ingesting or being exposed to a nut. As shea nut oil and shea butter are both derived from the nut or seed of the fruit that grows on the shea tree, Vitellaria paradoxa, it is easy to think that these substances would be included in the list of things that you shouldn’t use or consume with a tree nut allergy.
With that said, many extensive studies have shown that people who suffer from tree nut allergies have not had any kind of poor reaction to the use of either shea butter or shea nut oil. Of course, the results of those studies apply more to the consumption of the shea substances, not necessarily to topical applications.
It may be possible that people with tree nut allergies could experience mild reactions to the topical applications of shea butter or shea nut oil but general research has shown that most people do not.
If you have a tree nut allergy, you should speak with your doctor before using any kind of shea products or you could simply test out a small amount of the product on a small area of your skin to see if you have a reaction. Of course, you should certainly be careful with this and should never try an at-home test if you know that you are prone to severe reactions. *