These Are My Hands. Co-Founder Austin Katz Shares his Struggles with Eczema.

These are my hands. They’re damaged and scarred from years of debilitating eczema. I often wear nitrile gloves filled with steroidal medication to bed. I watch my diet. And i’ve tried every non-steroidal medium under the sun in hopes that something would sooth my eczema throughout the day.

What I discovered was that while lotion can be nourishing it’s generally lightweight and not protective. Vaseline is protective but a bit too greasy and not nourishing. Hydrocortisone creme – at least for me – just doesn’t do much at all. What I needed was something that was both nourishing and protective. That had staying power without being too greasy. And that I could use every day, anywhere on my body without physical repercussions.

Enter shea butter. Nature’s gold. The best, most versatile stuff i’ve ever used. An organic material so powerful that it straight up changed my life. It soothed my eczema so well that it eventually inspired me to take a deep dive into the lives of others in order to find out just how many millions of people there are out there who – like me – stand to live dramatically better lives with raw shea butter in it.

It’s days like today when I look down at my hands and feel deep gratitude for shea butter. I think about the pain, itching and sleepless nights I used to endure. I’m reminded of why I thought Shea Brand was necessary in the first place and it motivates me to work harder."
– Shea Brand cofounder Austin Katz