Re: Columbus Foods - shea butter

[Guest guest]

Hi, Jean!! Their refined shea is very nice. Mike says himself to avoid their

unrefined (and I really appreciate any vendor who's that honest), so I purchase

my unrefined from another source.

pamela

[Guest guest]

I bought 10 pounds of it. It is a VERY dark grayish-green color,

borderline black in some places. Has a VERY strong odor to it also. I

had quite a bit of grit/black sediment in it. I heated and filtered and

it still has a lot of sediment. I use it in scrubs where the color

isn't noticeable. If you make a cream with it, the cream will be a

grayish color. Don't even think about whipping it. It stays very soft

and when it melts, it's like Crisco on your skin--VERY slow absorbing. I

asked Mike Lawson at Columbus Foods about it because it almost seemed

" bad " to me. He said it was normal for unrefined Nigerian Shea and

suggested I buy refined in the future if I didn't like it. I just buy

unrefined Shea that's NOT from Nigeria now, LOL!

HTH

Chris

jean wrote:

> Has anyone tried this? I've asked for a sample a couple of times but

> never received an answer...I've heard good and bad...

>

> Would like to hear what anyone else has tried regarding their shea,

> before I place my order.

>

> Thank you in Advance...

>

> jean

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I think you should have bounced that shea right back where it came from

for re-placement or refund.

Holly

On Tue, 18 Nov 2003 14:08:01 -0600 Harrell

<celestialnaturals@...> writes:

> I bought 10 pounds of it. It is a VERY dark grayish-green color,

> borderline black in some places. Has a VERY strong odor to it also.

> I

> had quite a bit of grit/black sediment in it. I heated and filtered

> and

> it still has a lot of sediment. I use it in scrubs where the color

>

> isn't noticeable. If you make a cream with it, the cream will be a

>

> grayish color. Don't even think about whipping it. It stays very

> soft

> and when it melts, it's like Crisco on your skin--VERY slow

> absorbing. I

> asked Mike Lawson at Columbus Foods about it because it almost

> seemed

> " bad " to me. He said it was normal for unrefined Nigerian Shea and

>

> suggested I buy refined in the future if I didn't like it. I just

> buy

> unrefined Shea that's NOT from Nigeria now, LOL!

>

> HTH

> Chris

>

> jean wrote:

>

> > Has anyone tried this? I've asked for a sample a couple of times

> but

> > never received an answer...I've heard good and bad...

> >

> > Would like to hear what anyone else has tried regarding their

> shea,

> > before I place my order.

> >

> > Thank you in Advance...

> >

> > jean

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

I wanted to! As I said, all Columbus Foods said was it was normal for

Nigerian Shea and I should consider buying refined shea in the future if

I didn't like it.

Chris

Hollice M wrote:

> I think you should have bounced that shea right back where it came from

> for re-placement or refund.

> Holly

[Guest guest]

I think the problem here is that some shea is more " unrefined " than others. I've

seen unrefined shea ranging from yellow with a slight nutty scent to dark green

with a strong smell and bits of nut in it. The fact is that the less the shea is

refined, the better it is for the skin. But ... I know that having " chunky " body

butter just doesn't work!!

It sounds as if the shea you received was good but was truly unrefined. If you

filtered it well and use it in small percentages in your products, it should be

fine.

I know I learned the hard way to ask suppliers to define " unrefined " in oils and

butters, since the same word is used to defined everything from almost-refined

to truly, totally unrefined.

Sorry you had such a bad experience. Chalk it up as a learning experience! I

know some people LOVE the all-natural shea. Maybe you could sell some of yours?

Have fun!

pamela

Re: Columbus Foods - shea butter

I wanted to! As I said, all Columbus Foods said was it was normal for

Nigerian Shea and I should consider buying refined shea in the future if

I didn't like it.

Chris

Hollice M wrote:

> I think you should have bounced that shea right back where it came from

> for re-placement or refund.

> Holly

[Guest guest]

Did they mention the condition of it before you paid hard earned cash for

it????? If not, I'd mebbe have to think twice before ordering from them

again. The shea butter I have seen has always been creamy and without

debris. Did Columbus mention HOW you're supposed to clean it up???

Holly

On Tue, 18 Nov 2003 20:17:12 -0600 Harrell

<celestialnaturals@...> writes:

> I wanted to! As I said, all Columbus Foods said was it was normal

> for

> Nigerian Shea and I should consider buying refined shea in the

> future if

> I didn't like it.

>

> Chris

>

> Hollice M wrote:

>

> > I think you should have bounced that shea right back where it came

> from

> > for re-placement or refund.

> > Holly

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

That shea is unrefined howeverit has been processed a little differently.

By that I mean, all processing is done by soaking the nuts for a period of

time while still in the shell. The shell colors the water. many operations

drain that water and the boil the shelled nuts in fresh water while it is

heated over flame (either gas powered generator or a wood fire).. But this

particular shea that is dark and smoky has been boiled in the same water as

the nuts were soaked so it looks different and smell is stronger.

Shea that has been boiled in fresh water is the off white to light off green

and less smoky smelling.

It;s great in soap and doesn't affect the color or end result, I have used

it in lip balm and lotion bars where the percentage is higher and it's color

is little darker than normal, but no scent really comes through.

As someone else said, there are varying degrees of unrefined and that's

certainly true.

> Subject: Re: Columbus Foods - shea butter

>

>

> I wanted to! As I said, all Columbus Foods said was it was normal for

> Nigerian Shea and I should consider buying refined shea in the future if

> I didn't like it.

>

> Chris

>

[Guest guest]

No, they did not mention anything before I bought it. After I got it and

emailed them, I got an email back saying to heat it to 170F and strain

through cheesecloth (which did nothing) and if I didn't like it buy

refined in the future--that was normal Nigerian unrefined Shea. I just

buy better unrefined Shea now, lesson learned.

Chris

Hollice M wrote:

> Did they mention the condition of it before you paid hard earned cash for

> it????? If not, I'd mebbe have to think twice before ordering from them

> again. The shea butter I have seen has always been creamy and without

> debris. Did Columbus mention HOW you're supposed to clean it up???

> Holly

>

[Guest guest]

Interesting to know. I am using it. I've used it in some creams and it

made them a grayish-ivory color. I mainly use it in sugar scrubs where

the color and smell isn't so noticeable and it's been great for that.

Chris

wrote:

> That shea is unrefined howeverit has been processed a little differently.

> By that I mean, all processing is done by soaking the nuts for a period of

> time while still in the shell. The shell colors the water. many

> operations

> drain that water and the boil the shelled nuts in fresh water while it is

> heated over flame (either gas powered generator or a wood fire).. But this

> particular shea that is dark and smoky has been boiled in the same

> water as

> the nuts were soaked so it looks different and smell is stronger.

>

> Shea that has been boiled in fresh water is the off white to light off

> green

> and less smoky smelling.

>

> It;s great in soap and doesn't affect the color or end result, I have used

> it in lip balm and lotion bars where the percentage is higher and it's

> color

> is little darker than normal, but no scent really comes through.

>

> As someone else said, there are varying degrees of unrefined and that's

> certainly true.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Ok, this is the last response to this subject--I think it's been beaten

to death. LOL! I did not intend for this to " bash " Columbus Foods.

Someone asked about their unrefined Shea--I responded. If you are

looking for " totally " unrefined Shea, it's for you. If you're expecting

what you've received from others--you will be disappointed. As I have

said, I use it in scrubs, it's been fine. There do seem to be

limitations, for me at least, on it's uses though because of it's color,

scent, texture, etc.

Pamela--this was not a case of the product being explained, going ahead

and ordering anyway and then being disappointed. The product was not

explained and yes, I was shocked at what I got because it was

unexpected. Mike Lawson did answer my email VERY promptly, I just wish I

would have been given more options than basically " don't like it, buy

refined " . I will buy from Columbus Foods in the future, but I will

definitely ask more questions beforehand (which I think is logical

before making any initial large purchase with hard-earned money,

regardless of the supplier). Again, this was not intended to " bash "

Columbus Foods (which you seem to have taken offense to) if it came

across like that, I guess I owe Columbus Foods an apology. A question

was asked about the product, so I answered as honestly and thoroughly as

I could. Everything I said about the shea is fact--I have 10 pounds

sitting here to prove it! LOL

In the end, I think specific oil properties (I'm talking texture, color,

smell, etc) will vary from supplier to supplier depending on the origin

of the oil. Whether we like those properties or not is a matter of

personal taste, it's like which oils we decide to use in our products is

a matter of personal opinion. I have now learned I do not care for

totally unrefined Nigerian Shea but I do like unrefined Shea from Ghana! LOL

Stepping down now,

:0)

Pleasing Odors Creations wrote:

> Hi, Holly! I have always received EXCELLENT service from Mike Lawson

> at Columbus Foods. He has always returned calls and e-mails quickly

> and is always very willing to answer questions. I know he spent time

> the other day talking to a brand new soaper and helping her understand

> some oil properties and other things about ordering oils in bulk.

>

> It is a shame this one incident occurred, but I think it arose from a

> product not meeting expectations even though it arrived exactly as

> described. Happens to all of us and sometimes we just have to roll

> with it!!

>

> Have a great day!

>

> pamela

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Pam: I have not dealt with Columbus foods.. So, I shouldn't comment

on their products. I was just a bit taken aback by the way her shea

butter arrived. I use shea in my soap, and I connot imagine paying for

Shea that I had to clean and filter, without knowing ahead of time. I'm

sure that most of their products are of good quality, and I surely didn't

mean to condemn them all. It does seem to me that since she was so

dissappointed in her purchase, they could have done something for her,

since she said she didn't know the condition of the shea ahead of time.

By the way, that was the first time I had heard anything adverse about

columbus. Mebbe she should have called and talked to Mike. Holly.

On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 14:04:03 -0500 " Pleasing Odors Creations "

<pamela@...> writes:

> Hi, Holly! I have always received EXCELLENT service from Mike Lawson

> at Columbus Foods. He has always returned calls and e-mails quickly

> and is always very willing to answer questions. I know he spent time

> the other day talking to a brand new soaper and helping her

> understand some oil properties and other things about ordering oils

> in bulk.

>

> It is a shame this one incident occurred, but I think it arose from

> a product not meeting expectations even though it arrived exactly as

> described. Happens to all of us and sometimes we just have to roll

> with it!!

>

> Have a great day!

>

> pamela

>

>

>

>

>

> Re: Columbus Foods - shea butter

>

>

> Their response doesn't say much for their business practices.

> What a

> shame that they've gotten too big for common courtesy. Holly

> On Wed, 19 Nov 2003 20:15:14 -0600 Harrell

> <celestialnaturals@...> writes:

> > No, they did not mention anything before I bought it. After I

> got it

> > and

> > emailed them, I got an email back saying to heat it to 170F and

>

> > strain

> > through cheesecloth (which did nothing) and if I didn't like it

> buy

> >

> > refined in the future--that was normal Nigerian unrefined Shea.

> I

> > just

> > buy better unrefined Shea now, lesson learned.

> > Chris

> >

> > Hollice M wrote:

> >

> > > Did they mention the condition of it before you paid hard

> earned

> > cash for

> > > it????? If not, I'd mebbe have to think twice before ordering

>

> > from them

> > > again. The shea butter I have seen has always been creamy and

>

> > without

> > > debris. Did Columbus mention HOW you're supposed to clean it

> > up???

> > > Holly

> > >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Hi, Chris!! Whoa ... I didn't take offense at all!! Please don't stick scowls

into my messages where none were intended.

I wrote that in a hurry and it probably did come across very abruptly. I

apologize to you for that!

No offense taken or intended. It is a bummer you received the treatment you did.

Have a great night!

pamela