Hi, from my experience any shea butter that is white has been refined. If it has a off-white or yellowish color it is unrefined (unprocessed which preserves the healing restorative properties of the butter). The unrefined shea butter works much better for me. I apply it to my hair and skin. I first started purchasing the white shea butter from a place called L'Occitane (specialty shop for hair/skincare usually found in malls). This product was good, however when a friend suggested I try her shea butter which was a yellowish color/unrefined, I saw the difference within a few days. The unrefined works much better for me since I have eczema. Hope this helps. Oh, A good place to order unrefined shea butter is
www.natureswildchild.com. This company's shea butter is great, and the odor is very slight and disipates after it is applied.