Shea butter is one of those ingredients you can find practically everywhere these days—hair shampoos, skin creams, lip glosses. It's said that even the great Cleopatra loved it, so why the shea craze? Shea butter is excellent for its moisturizing and conditioning properties, as we can testify when we apply a lip balm made with 100% pure shea butter to chapped and dry lips. Shea butter is typically ivory in color with a nutty scent, 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 majority of women in the countries where it grows and is produced.
Cheers to girl power! Shea butter isn't a new superfood 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, although 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, grown in 19 African countries and native to Africa.
What do you need to know about shea butter for hair?
SHEA BUTTER FOR HAIR
• Ingredient type: Emollient
• Benefits: Hydrates, softens and protects hair
• Hair: Those with thick, coarse, dry and/or damaged hair
• How often can you 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 routines, because we're 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
It creates a moisture-retaining barrier for hair and skin (occlusive!). Shea butter locks in moisture! LOCLCB Liquid Oil Cream, or Liquid Cream Butter in our case, shea butter locks in moisture, and if you know anything about the LOC method mentioned above, you know that if you have very tight curly hair, you need something to seal the strands and lock in 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 soothe irritated skin leading to skin regeneration.
Revitalize
Shea Butter and Your Hair Type: If you have medium to coarse hair, you'll benefit most from using raw shea butter on your hair. However, for those with finer hair, shea butter may weigh down hair and make it look greasy, so try applying it sparingly. For naturally curly hair types that suffer from dryness, shea butter is excellent for sealing in moisture and nourishing strands.
How to use shea butter
Buy products containing shea butter : To get the benefits of shea butter as the main ingredient or raw shea butter, choose products with 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 it with an essential oil like lavender or orange oil to mask the smell, or you can get a refined version that removes the smell (the latter reduces the amount of nutrients the shea butter will have). Make your own hair mask or cream and add a little shea butter for much-needed hydration.
Hot oil treatment : Warm your shea butter until it melts and use it as a weekly treatment. We recommend washing it out after 30 minutes with a gentle shampoo. To avoid buildup, you should use a clarifying shampoo to cleanse your scalp if you use shea butter frequently. No-poo, co-wash, and sulfate-free shampoos are great, but don't skimp on clarifying shampoos.
