Shea butter is one of those ingredients you can find pretty much everywhere these days, hair shampoos, skin creams, lip glosses. It is said that it was even loved by the great Cleopatra, so why the craze for shea? Shea butter is great for hydrating and conditioning properties, and we can attest to this when we apply a lip balm made from 100% pure shea butter on chapped and dry lips. Usually, shea butter is ivory in color with a nutty odor, and the trees take up to fifteen years to produce fruit.
A fun fact is that there are about 2 billion shea trees in Africa and it has been called women's gold, (this is interesting), yes, shea butter employs the most women in the countries where it grows and is produced.
A round of applause for girl power! Shea butter is not a new super food or magical ingredient for people in Africa, every part of the shea tree is used. Shea butter has been used for thousands of years in Africa and is still widely used today, even though a large amount is imported to make our favorite curly hair products.
But what is shea butter? Shea is a nut derived from the shea tree, grows in 19 countries in Africa and is a native plant.
What do you need to know about shea butter for hair?
SHEA BUTTER FOR HAIR
• Type of ingredient: Emollient
• Benefits: Hydrates, softens and protects hair
• Hair: Those with thick, coarse, dry and/or damaged hair
• How often you can use it: Weekly
• Works well with: Other hair oils and butters
Benefits of Shea Butter for Hair
But let's get back to shea butter and our hair and skin care routine, because we are always looking for hydration, especially when it comes to curly and naturally curly hair.
Moisturizing benefits : For daily hydration of skin and hair, shea butter is an ideal product. It is effective in repairing dry, chapped skin and hair.
Moisturizing
Creates a moisture-retaining barrier for hair and skin (occlusive!). Shea butter locks in moisture! LOCLCB Liquid Oil Cream, or Liqiud Cream Butter in our case, shea locks in moisture and if you know anything about the LOC method mentioned above, you know that if you have a very tight curly hair pattern, you need something to seal the strands and retain moisture until you refresh your hair again. Check out our
Anti-inflammatory - Shea butter is rich in skin and hair friendly properties, vitamins A, D, E. Shea butter helps to soothe irritated skin which leads to skin regeneration.
Revitalize
Shea Butter and Your Hair Type If you have medium to coarse hair, you will benefit more from using raw shea butter on your hair, while for those with finer texture, shea butter may weigh down your hair and make them look greasy, so try applying a little at a time. For naturally curly hair types that suffer from dryness, shea butter is great for sealing in moisture and nourishing strands.
How to use shea butter
Buy products that contain shea butter : To get the benefits of shea butter as the main ingredient or raw shea butter. Many styling and hair products are formulated with shea butter.
Buy Raw Shea Butter : Raw Shea Butter has a nutty smell, many people who find it too strong can mix Shea Butter with an essential oil like lavender, orange oil to mask the smell or you can get a version refined which removes the odor (the latter reduces the amount of nutrients the shea butter will have). DIY your own hair mask or cream and add a little shea butter for some much-needed hydration.
Hot oil treatment : Heat your shea butter so that it melts and use it as a weekly treatment. We recommend washing it after 30 minutes with a mild shampoo. To avoid buildup, you should use a clarifying shampoo to cleanse your scalp if you use shea butter often, no-poos, co-washes, and sulfate-free shampoos are great, but don't skimp when it comes to a clarifying shampoo! "
