So I've been mixing my own whipped shea butter since going natural (for over five years now), and it has gone many a transformation, usually for the better. Below is my latest recipe that I use it to seal my hair after a fresh wash and condition. (I actually eyeball the portions but will do my best to give you actual ratios based off memory.) Ingredients: ½ cup shea butter ¼ cup aloe vera gel 1 tbsp safflower oil (or oil of your choice) 1 tbsp coconut oil 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp grapeseed oil 1 tsp honey Instructions: Break the shea butter into small pieces and place in a bowl. Using a hand mixer, whip the shea butter until fluffy and the chunks are gone. (If your shea butter is too hard, melt it only slightly to soften it a bit.) Add in the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly with the hand mixer. Finito!
You do not need a lot of ingredients for this mixture nor do you need any hard-to-find ones. All you need are an inexpensive conditioner, shea butter, and olive oil.
Ingredients: 4 parts cheap conditioner (e.g., VO5, Suave, etc.) 2 parts shea butter 1 part extra virgin olive oil *Optional: feel free to use another oil instead (e.g., safflower)
Instructions: 1. Melt the shea butter until soft but not until a liquid. 2. Whip the shea butter the safflower oil and conditioner. 3. Apply the concoction to freshly washed hair. Let sit for 30 minutes, then rinse and style as usual.
Do you want to make your own curling pudding or twist cream? Or do you want a product that holds without the dryness or flakiness? Here is a recipe worth trying:
Ingredients (large batch): 1 tbsp castor oil 1/4 cup shea butter 1 1/4 cup your favorite gel
Instructions: Whip the shea butter with the castor oil using a hand mixer (ideal) or a fork. Then mix in the gel thoroughly. Use to define curls or apply before twisting for a defined twist-out.
Cupuacu butter is starting to attract some popularity but has been underrated for a while. If you don't know much about it, you might want to continue reading ...
WHY CUPUACU BUTTER IS GREAT:
1. It is VERY moisturizing. Cupuacu butter has an amazing ability to absorb and retain water, thus restoring moisture to dry hair. Think moisturizer and sealant in one.
2. It has emulsifying properties. This butter is said to aid in the stabilization of an emulsion. (An "emulsion" is a system (as fat in milk) consisting of a liquid dispersed with or without an emulsifier in an immiscible liquid usually in droplets of larger than colloidal size).
HOW TO USE CUPUACU BUTTER:
1. Use it straight or mix with other ingredients to make a whipped butter. Cupuacu butter can be used alone (since it is already soft and moisturizing on its own) or mixed with oils, others butters, or aloe vera to create a whipped body or hair butter.
2. Add to a conditioner. Add some cupuacu butter to your conditioner to make it more moisturizing.
3. Use as a styling agent. Cupuacu butter can be used alone or mixed with a gel for twisting, twistouts, braids, braidouts, or for use as a general styling agents.
While shea butter is extremely popular in hair care and skin care, mango butter is not heard of as much. Chances are, if you have not tried mango butter, you may be missing out ... especially if you are not a fan of shea butter.
WHY MANGO BUTTER IS GREAT:
1. It is moisturizing and does not sit on top of the hair. Ladies who have tried both shea butter and mango butter tend to agree that mango butter is more moisturizing and absorbs into the hair better.
2. It has emollient properties. Mango butter can help to smooth the hair and skin as well as seal in moisture.
3. It provides more hold and definition. At room temperature, mango butter is more solid than shea butter. It is probably because of this characteristic that it is able to provide more hold and definition compared to shea butter.
4. Light to mild, sweet scent. If you find the nutty scent of shea butter a bit strong or odoriferous, you may prefer the milder, sweet scent of mango butter.
HOW TO USE MANGO BUTTER:
1. Mix with an oil (or oils) to make a moisturizer. For moisturizing, mango butter is best used when mixed with an oil (or oils). Since it is fairly hard at room temperature, the butter should be melted first. Then add olive oil, coconut oil, safflower oil, grapeseed oil, and/or your favorite oil to create a more pliable moisturizer than may be applied to the hair or skin.
2. As a holding agent. Melt the mango butter slightly and apply it to the hair prior to twisting or braiding.
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NOTE: I am not paid to review this and other products. All products are purchased via my own pocket and curiosity.
Purpose: To moisturize dry hair, scalp, and/or skin.
Ingredients: shea, illipe, mango, kokum butters, grapefruit and pear essential oils, vitamins A, D, & E.
Number of trials: Multiple (80% of the container)
How I used it:
• Seal my hair after washing or spritzing with water • Create a braidout
• Moisturize dry elbows, knees, ankles, and lips
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THE REVIEW:
My favorite characteristics about this product are the natural ingredients, mango-like smell, thickness, moisturizing capability, and versatility. For me, Jane Carter Nourish & Shine was most effective as a sealing agent after washing or wetting my hair ... AND on my skin (particularly, on my elbows, knees, and ankles) after bathing.
My not-so-favorite characteristic is the $22 price for the 4 oz. This pricing may be due to the ingredients being all natural and shea butter being high on the list (number one to be exact). Thus, one is paying for ingredient richness when purchasing this product. Additionally, a little bit of Jane Carter Nourish & Shine goes a long, long way.
Will I purchase it again? If it were cheaper and weren't a mixologist, then yes. At the moment, I'm just fine whipping my own butters for less than half the price. However, I do recommend Jane Carter Nourish & Shine to those desiring to purchase a thick, moisturizing, all-natural, rich, butter-based product that actually works. Here's a less expensive finding including more reviews on Amazon:
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PROS: moisturizing, thick, versatile (use on skin, scalp, and hair), a little goes a long way, nice scent (if you like mango), shea butter as #1 ingredient
CONS: expensive, has a scent (if you're not a fan of mango or fragrances, in general)
RATING: Overall, I give the Jane Carter Nourish & Shine4 out of 5 stars. If it were inexpensive, I'd probably give it a full 5 stars.
Ideal for those with: thick hair prone to dryness Not ideal for those with: fine hair, or hair prone to oiliness
Okay, it's not officially Winter yet, but it doesn't hurt to prepare ...
My obsession with shea butter does not stop at hair and body butters but extends to deep conditioners. A few tablespoons will infuse an inexpensive conditioner with moisture and slip. Try adding some melted shea butter to V05, Suave, or White Rain ... or mixing it with honey, egg, oil, or avocado to deep condition your hair this Winter ... and even Autumn!
It's that time of year again to mix another whipped hairbutter! (My batch ran out this weekend.)
Ingredients (all are moisturizing):
• unrefined shea butter (softening) • coconut oil (protection [1] [2]) • olive oil • safflower OR grapeseed oil (high in fatty acids) • aloe vera gel • essential oil (for fragrance, optional)
Instructions:
Read my earlier post on the body butter mixture; the instructions are very similar. For every cup of shea butter, use 1/4 a cup of olive oil, 1/8 a cup of coconut oil, 1/8 a cup of safflower/grapeseed oil, and a few tablespoons of aloe vera gel. Of course you can tweak this mixture for a creamier or firmer consistency. Feel free add drops of your favorite essential oil for fragrance!
Grapeseed oil contains a high amount of linoleic acid, a type of omega-6 fatty acid. (Safflower oil, my first love, also contains this fatty acid!) Linoleic acid has many health benefits when taken internally (e.g., decreases LDL cholesterol), but what is not discussed as much are its benefits externally. When applied to the skin, this fatty acid can help combat dryness by providing protection against moisture loss (1). Additionally it has demonstrated a potential to effectively reduce the size of blackheads and whiteheads (2).
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It's that time of year again to mix another body butter! In my original batch, I used unrefined shea butter with safflower oil. Since then, I've experimented with a couple more substances and mixtures to get a feel for what my skin likes. Here's my latest mix that I use on my elbows, knees, ankles, and lips. Enjoy!
Ingredients grapeseed oil (high in linoleic acid, odorless) unrefined shea butter (high in vitamins A, E; softening) aloe vera gel (99% organic, moisturizing) vegetable glycerin (humectant)
Melting the shea butter Perform the following if your shea butter is too firm to mix and/or contains impurities. Heat the unrefined shea butter over the stove until melted. Stir continuously. Use low to medium heat. Should be melted in less than 5 minutes.
Filtering the shea butter If necessary, filter the melted butter through a napkin to remove any impurities. (This depends on how unrefined the shea butter is and from where you purchase it.)
All mixed up Allow the melted filtered butter to partially solidify at room temperature. Then mix in the grapeseed oil, glycerin, and aloe. Allow the mixture to harden overnight. The next morning, it is ready to use! (Roughly estimated portions: about 4oz of shea butter, 2oz of grapeseed oil, several tablespoons of glycerin and aloe. May adjust to achieve your desired consistency.)
