Derms have a lot to say about shea butter and its benefits. For starters, Marisa Garshick, MD, says that it provides powerhouse hydration. “Shea butter is rich in fatty acids and vitamins help to moisturize the skin,” she says. “Because it contains vitamin A and E,  it also has antioxidant benefits. Shea moisture also contains triterpenes which are thought to help prevent collagen breakdown, so there may be anti-aging benefits as well. It also has anti-inflammatory properties.” Azadeh Shirazi, MD, also weighed in. “Shea butter is highly concentrated in fatty acids such as linoleic, oleic, stearic, and palmitic acids, that nourish and boost skin moisture. They also help restore and strengthen the skin barrier.”

Personally, as someone who struggles with breakouts, my next question for the experts was, is it comedogenic? The answer may surprise you. “Many people worry about it clogging pores because essentially it’s an oil,” Shirazi says. “On the comedogenic scale, it’s between a 0-2, making it less likely to clog pores and cause breakouts. It also depends on how it’s formulated, what other products someone is using, and certainly climate plays a role.” Whew. It’s probably a good idea to check the other ingredients in a product before using it to make sure there’s nothing else comedogenic in it but otherwise, you can use it if you have acne-prone skin. Now, if you’d like to cop a few quality shea butter products for yourself, keep scrolling.