Shea butter for hair care is chemical free, all natural, nutritious and versatile product. I frequently use shea butter and have found many ways to use it. But is shea butter good for hair? Are there benefits to using shea butter on natural hair?
Shea butter is a natural product with no chemicals and a very low allergen profile. It is safe for use on all hair types. It has anti-inflammatory properties and has vitamins A and E and a heap of fatty acids that can help your hair in a number of ways.
Shea butter for black hair, shea butter for relaxed hair? What are the shea butter benefits for hair and what are the best ways to use it?
Keeping your hair care routine simple, cheap and easy is effortless with shea butter and in this article, I will take you through all you need to know about using shea butter for your hair. I answer questions like what are raw shea butter for hair benefits. I share a shea butter hair treatment recipe and describe how to use shea butter for curly hair and more.
What Is Shea Butter?
Shea butter is made from the extracted oil derived from shea seeds. Shea seeds are found inside of shea fruit on shea trees native to West Africa. The shea seeds are encased in shells that can be found within the shea fruit. Shea butter has been used for centuries and is a popular beauty product.
To make shea butter, the first step is to remove the shea seeds from their shells and dry them out.
After the shea seeds are dried, the shea butter is produced into one of two products.
One of these products is refined shea butter, the cheapest and easiest production option. However, this process involves using chemical solvents and high heat. This results in shea butter without all the beneficial nutrients.
The second product produced is called raw or unrefined shea butter. This type of shea butter is often produced by hand where the dried shea seeds will be ground to a powder and then roasted. After roasting, the powder is again ground to form a viscous substance.
This viscous substance is then kneaded with water, then whipped while more water is added. During this process, oils are forced to the surface where they are then removed. The oils are then boiled, removing any water and impurities by forcing them to the surface.
PinAfter this process is complete, the solution that remains is strained and cooled. Once cooled, it solidifies and creates a cream consistency which is called shea butter.
Shea butter in its raw form can be a bit tricky to apply to the hair. It is quite thick, it can be hard to spread evenly through the hair and it can be easy to over do it. To combat this, I recommend whipping or melting your raw shea butter before using on your hair.
The shea tree can contain natural latex, so it is important for those with allergies to latex to be aware of this. Shea butter could possibly contain this natural latex.
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Is Shea Butter Good For Hair?
Yes! The benefits of shea butter on hair are aplenty. Shea butter is a super nourishing ingredient that could improve the health of your hair and scalp. If you have not tried using shea butter before, I highly recommend giving it a go.
Shea butter is often seen as a skincare product but it can work a treat for the hair too.
Below, I have listed the believed shea butter for hair benefits. The benefits of shea butter for hair have not been extensively studied and so the benefits listed are not 100% proven. However, there is a lot known about the nutrients and chemical makeup that is shea butter and there is a lot of strong anecdotal evidence to support the benefits shea butter can have for the hair.
What Are The Shea Butter Hair Benefits?
Super Moisturising
Shea butter contains vitamins A and E and essential fatty acids that make shea butter an emollient. Meaning when applied, it creates a protective layer while also moisturising and hydrating the skin underneath without feeling greasy.
Applying shea butter to the hair and scalp can protect, nourish and moisturise it, resulting in reduced dryness and split ends. It can also help increase your hairs’ shine and reduce damage from hair dryers and straighteners.
Can Reduce Frizziness
Shea butter will not only moisturise the hair but can also help to reduce the frizziness of your hair when applied. It is particularly good for those with curly hair who struggle with frizz.
Can Soften The Hair
Fragile and coarse hair will benefit from the moisturising properties found in shea butter. It can help to soften ends and protect the hair from split ends.
Nourishes The Scalp
Those with dry scalps will love shea butter’s nourishing and protective qualities. It is anti-inflammatory which can help reduce redness, itchiness and inflammation.
If you suffer from dandruff, shea butter can be a helpful treatment. It can also promote hair growth by encouraging a healthy scalp.
However if you have an oily scalp, I would not recommend using shea butter as it may worsen the condition.
Can Protect Hair Against Weather
Another shea butter benefits for skin and hair include protecting it from the weather. Shea butter contains a small amount of natural SPF (about 7) which can lightly protect the hair from sun damage.
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PinCan You Use Shea Butter For Hair Growth?
Shea butter and hair growth? Lets take a look.
For hair to grow, the conditions of the scalp must be healthy and moisturised and this is the first step in achieving hair growth. Shea butter has the ability to do this by hydrating and balancing the scalp. A number of studies indicate that shea butter could hold anti-bacterial properties, which can further help create ideal scalp conditions for hair growth.
The linoleic acid that is found in shea butter can help to reduce inflammation of the scalp and the hair strands.
So, shea butter hair growth can go hand in hand. However, it will not directly cause your hair to grow, but it will help to provide optimal scalp and hair conditions for this to happen.
Can You Use Shea Butter For Curly Hair?
Yes, shea butter can be a great product for curly hair. Shea butter contains many properties which make it a great choice for those with curly hair. You can apply shea butter directly onto your curly hair or you could purchase a shea butter hair lotion that includes shea butter and other ingredients and use that.
Shea butter can enhance the look of your curls, encouraging more curl to form and the curls to hold. It can help untangle your curls, keep them soft and bouncy with reduced frizz.
The advantage of purchasing a shea butter product for curly hair is that the additional ingredients can further help to nourish and style the hair. However, using raw unrefined shea butter to curly hair will still help your locks and is a favourite ingredient amount those with curly hair.
Can You Use Shea Butter For Baby Hair?
Another raw shea butter benefits for hair is that it is considered safe for all skin and hair types. If you baby has excessively oily hair/skin you may want to avoid using shea butter on their hair.
Baby hair products will often contain chemicals, preservatives, etc. Pure shea butter is completely free of these additives and is an all natural product with a low allergen profile.
A study conducted in babies with eczema found a lotion containing shea butter was effective in reducing irritation for up to 75% of babies.
Using shea butter on baby’s hair can ease cradle cap. It can help moisturise their hair to manage frizziness and flyaway hairs and provide a nourishing, soothing and protective layer on their hair and scalp.
It is a good idea to perform a patch skin test before applying all over.
Exactly How To Use Shea Butter For Hair
Shea butter can be used in the hair in a number of different ways. Just remember that when you are using shea butter on your hair, your hair should always be dampened before applying the shea butter.
Applying shea butter to dry hair will not result in the same moisturising effects. I have listed a few of the ways you can use shea butter below. Give it a try for yourself!
1. Use As A Hair Mask
Using shea butter oil as a weekly hair mask can be a super nourishing and moisturising treat for your hair. It is also super quick, mess free and easy to apply.
To use shea butter as a hair mask, you can simply apply your shea butter straight to the hair and leave it for 20 minutes to overnight.
Once it has had time to soak in, you should wash it out with a mild shampoo.
You can also melt your shea butter with essential oils, aloe vera or another oil such as almond or coconut. An example recipe is below:
Ingredients for hydrating and softening hair mask:
- 1 tablespoon melted shea butter
- 1 teaspoon aloe vera (on eBay)
- 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
Method:
Simply mix all of the ingredients together and apply it to your hair for 30 minutes and wash out.
You could use this shea butter for hair and skin. It not only makes a hydrating and softening hair mask, it can also be used as a nourishing moisturiser for the skin.
2. Whip Your Shea Butter
Is whipped shea butter for natural hair a good idea? Why whip it? If you have purchased raw unrefined shea butter, whipping it may be a good choice.
Raw shea butter can be quite difficult to spread an even layer onto the hair. Whipping air into your shea butter can help a lot in its spread-ability.
Alternatively, you can just melt your shea butter. Whipping your shea butter will double its volume and is quite easy, see below.
You can also used whipped shea butter for skin and hair.
PinIngredients:
- Raw unrefined shea butter (as much or little as you want)
Method:
- Melt your shea butter in either the microwave or stove pot
2. To avoid burning yourself, wait until the shea butter is slightly cooled
3. Whip your shea butter on a medium-high speed for a couple of minutes until the shea butter has a meringue like consistency
4. Store in containers in a dark, cool place. Do not store in the fridge as the texture may change.
This will last 6-12 months.
3. Combine with more ingredients for a shea butter treatment for hair
You can combine a number of ingredients with shea butter such as aloe vera, vitamin E oil, almond oil, coconut oil and more.
By adding additional ingredients to your shea butter, you can reap even more benefit from the nutrients available in the other products.
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Best Shea Butter For Hair Products
There are many shea butter products available to purchase for your hair. Below are some of my favourite shea butter hair care products. Check them out.
Unrefined Shea Butter
You do not have to purchase hair care products with shea butter in them, you can simply purchase unrefined shea butter and use it as is or make your own DIY hair care yourself.
Unrefined shea butter is cheaper than many hair care products available and will go a long way. It is also a good way to reduce the amount of plastics you are purchasing.
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Shea Moisture Manuka Honey and Marfura Oil Intensive Hydration Masque
This shea moisture manuka honey and marfura oil intensive hydration masque is a thick and luxurious product for providing the hair with hydration. Those who colour their hair regularly or frequently use heat tools could benefit from this product.
It leaves dry hair feeling soft and bouncy. This product is very popular and has received plenty of great reviews. It smells great and will smooth, moisturise and soften the hair. A little on the pricey side but it is worth it.
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Life & Pursuits Aloe Soothing Scalp Hair Oil
Dry, irritated and itchy scalp? This Life & Pursuits aloe soothing scalp hair oil can help those who suffer with an itchy, dry and flaky, irritated scalp. Itchiness of the scalp is not only annoying it can lead to hair loss in dry areas. This oil can also help reduce frizziness and dry hair.
You can massage the oil into the scalp and the lengths of hair, leave it in for a couple of minutes to overnight, wash it out and the scalp and hair should feel soothed and refreshed.
This product has received a majority of great reviews. However, some have said it hasn’t helped their itchy scalp.
This product is quite affordable, if you experience an itchy and irritated scalp and want to reduce frizziness and dry hair, why not give it a try yourself.
Click here to see the latest prices.
Final Words
I hope you have found this guide to using shea butter for hair useful and interesting. Shea butter is a nourishing, nutrient rich, protective and soothing butter. All natural, chemical free, cheap and versatile, what’s not to love?
Want to learn more? Find all our guides to natural living here. You can also read our guide to using almond oil on hair here and how to get rid of lice naturally here. If you want more help for your hair, find my hair detangler spray recipe here. You can also find out more about using cocoa butter instead of shea butter here.
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