Hi Kathi,

I am another fan of Di's Shea butter. I had never tried a pure Shea before I bought some from her, and I was a bit disconcerted when it first arrived, as it initially did not as easy to use as lotions or other creams I had tried.

Di sends along an applicator -- looks like a popsicle stick -- with your purchase, and I used it to "dig" the butter out of my jar.

She advises users to place a small piece in your hand and massage it around until it warms up and "melts" a bit, making application easier.

However, last winter Di started selling a little electric warmer, her "Shea Butter Station" which allows the Shea to be dispensed as an oil.

Serendipitiously, at about the same time she did this, my Shea "tub" accidentally fell off my bedside table and landed on the floor board heat register in my bedroom.

When it found it, the heat had been on, and my Shea Butter had also turned itself to an oil.

So: while I have not purchased a "Shea Station," I HAVE enjoyed warmed Shea butter, and it is a true skin treat.

Just my "two cents worth," for the record.

Yes Anne.......Shea Butter, being something "real" and not chemical laden, does take getting used to. If we all want to get back to the "real" thing, it can take some education.

Well, as we've all discovered Di, DuPont's "better living through chemistry" slogan was memorable, but not always true. Just as so many of us are now seeking out organics in our food, we're also turning to "real" products for our whole lives.

Skin, being our largest organ, certainly deserves treatment with healthy organics and botanicals. I'm so glad you make your "skin treats" available to the world.

Interesting about your "get real" comment.....I've used that lately...our new mantra for our business! To me "lotions" are for a prosthesis! They sure can shine them up!

Recently I saw a video about "getting real" for food as well. That we are starving our brains by purchasing processed foods...and trying our best to stick to the outside aisles of grocery stores.

This body has not had any "lotion" applied to it for over 12 years. My skin does not hurt, no cracked cuticle area, wrinkles are not so pronounced, hair is not dry and I can talk about what we use comfortably.

I have to say, Di, that the Shea Butter has worked wonders for my partner. He's a carpenter and often works outside. The winter cold and the dry air in summer make the skin on his fingers crack. I started making him apply the Shea Butter every night and no more cracks (except when he forgets to use it in spite of my reminders!) I can't use it on my face but use it on my hands and lips and weekly on my hair.

And Kathi, I think you can order directly from the Desert Essence web site.

We just received this fabulous testimony from a long-time customer and thought I'd share a portion...

I love this!! Now what we need to do is add a reminder bell on our jars for the guys!!