You have cherished desire of having long, thick and shiny hairs. You don’t know what to do and someone told to use Shea butter. Maybe you get surprised that your skin moisturizer can be used for your hairs too.
Let’s know all about it here in the article.
Shea butter is one of the natural remedies for most of skin, hair and health problems. It is found in the forests of Africa and extracted from the nuts of Shea or Karite trees.
The history of Shea butter as a precious commodity traced back to Ancient Egypt. Use of Shea butter to protect the hair and skin in the fierce sun and the hot dry winds of African deserts were common.
Table of Contents
What Is Shea Butter?
Shea butter or Karite butter is an off-white or ivory-colored fatty acid. It is widely used in the cosmetics industry as lotion and moisturizer. It is also used in the chocolate industry. Also used as a substitute for cocoa butter.
Extraction Of Shea Butter
Nuts of karite or Shea are boiled and crushed. The crushed nuts are roasted for some time and ground. By grinding they turn into a fine paste. Water is added to the paste to separate the butter.
The density of oil is lower than the water so the oil gradually comes above. The nuts shells and impurities remain down with water.
Remove the Shea butter floating on top and squeeze out excess water. Heat the floating paste in the boiler and bring it to boil. It gradually melts and turns into liquid state completely and evaporates remaining water.
Ladled the golden or yellowish Shea butter and put in a cool place to harden it. The harden Shea butter is now used in cosmetic and eating industry.
Use Of Shea Butter For Damage Hairs
Hairs start losing their actual shine and thickness when you don’t give proper care to it. It is a common aging factor in both men and women.
You may be having many hairs problem like –
- Hair becomes rough.
- Dry hair
- Dandruff
- Thin hair
- Split ends
- Hair falling
- Grey hair
- Hair stops growing.
- The texture of hair affected.
Every hair problem can have different causes and treatment.
a. Mechanical Factor
Too much combing, backcombing or using hair rollers can tear up the hair cuticles.
b. Heat
Using a straighter, curler, blow dryer or hair dryer can affect the structure of hairs. It can make them rough and dry.
c. Environment
Pollution, ultraviolet rays or used of unbalance pH water can lead to the breakdown of hairs. It can damage the cuticles and scalp.
d. Chemical Influence
Using chemical products like shampoos, conditioner or hair sprays can damage hairs. Colouring and bleaching service break down the disulphate bond of the keratin.
e. Health
Poor health or diet is a direct indicator of poor hairs. The drugs can also influence hair growth. Protein, vitamins, and minerals play an important role in the growth and health of hairs.
How To Apply Shea Butter On Hair For Growth?
- Wet your hairs and apply Shea butter after the shower
- You should divide your hairs into different sections. You can easily apply the Shea butter on every part of hairs.
- Liquefied the Shea butter by a double-boiler or in a microwave.
- After applying Shea butter tie your hairs. You can apply more Shea butter at a time of twisting.
- Keep Shea butter for an hour on your hair. Wash it with Luke warm water.
Use of Shea butter was always a controversial subject. Its suit to some and can cause side effects to some.
Benefits Of Using Shea Butter On Hair
Let Look At It Advantages First
1. Shea Butter Give Strength To Hairs
Unrefined Shea butter contains Vitamin E. Vitamin E provides strength to the hair follicle and repairs them. It also provides nourishment which leads to the growth of strong hairs. Shea butter works against baldness and ultra-thinning of hairs. It gives rise to the strong and healthy scalp.
2. Shea Butter Gives Natural Looking Hairs
Shea butter act as a moisturizer and conditioner. It has the ability to soften frizzy hair and make it more manageable. It prevents the hair from drying out and becoming brittle in harsh weather. By applying Shea butter, it coats each strand with the layer of fat. It gives shiny texture to hair and help in improving them.
3. Soothe Irritate Scalp
Shea butter used for centuries in Africa for hairs growth, dry scalp, and dandruff. It is a natural source to provide moisture to dry and damaged hairs. This owes an anti-inflammatory property which soothes the dry scalp eczema.
It can be absorbed by scalp easily and doesn’t clog scalp skin pores.
Melt the Shea butter in a double boiler. Once it cools down to apply it on your scalp. Rub it in a circular motion.
4. Sealant For Hairs
Black hair texture causes dryness of the hairs. The natural sebum doesn’t reach ends of hairs. It has excellent property to lock down the moisture without making the hair greasy and heavy.
It also keeps your hair safe from the harsh climate. Also, act as a substitute for chemical conditioners. Use it directly on your hair strands.
5. Protection Against Heat
You can apply Shea butter on your hairs before using the curler or straighter. It helps you to lock up the moisture in hairs cuticles.
When heat is applied, it absorbs all the moisture from your hairs. It can also help you to manage your hairs properly. It saves your hairs from damage caused by heating.
6. Shield Against Ultraviolet Rays
Shea butter has a little but has some amount of SPF. It contains SPF-6, which is enough for the quick trip outside. It can’t take place of your sunscreen but is used as a base. Also, it can protect hairs from UV rays. It is considered beneficial for colored or bleached hairs.
7. Shea Butter Improve Hair Growth
Shea butter has concentrated vitamins and fatty acids. It restores your hair cells and nourishes them to the core.
By regular applying of Shea butter on the scalp, it can help you to get rid of baldness. Shea butter restores hair follicles and scalp. It gives birth to new, healthy and fast-growing hairs.
Disadvantages Of Using Shea Butter On Hair
1. It Makes Hair Dry
The water of your hair evaporates in 4-7 days. When you apply Shea butter on your non-moisturise hairs, it can contribute to dry hairs. Shea butter is one of the heaviest oils. It can create a barrier between your hair shaft and water.
2. Shea Butter Frizz
You shampooed your hairs and on top apply Shea butter. It sealed your cuticle from not allowing moisture from the atmosphere.
3. It Doesn’t Moisturize
It sounds strange after knowing the moisturizing effect of Shea butter. When you have healthy scalp you don’t need any moisturizer. Skin scalp produces its own sebum. Shea butter just stays at top of the scalp and lead to dandruff.
4. Shea Butter Is Not Water Soluble
Gels like Aloe Vera, jojoba oil or almond oil are water soluble. They can be removed easily after a hair wash. Shea butter is not water soluble and stays on your hairs for long period of time. It keeps your hairs strand sealed and lead to dryness.
Shea Butter For Your Hair – Yes Or No?
There are some cons and pros of Shea butter we already present to you. Use of Shea butter depends on what kind of hair problem you are dealing with.
It might help you with it. Shea butter is believed to have many benefits for hairs. The claims are not scientifically proven and are anecdotal.
Shea butter can be beneficial for your hairs but might not work for another person.
The Compositions Of Shea Butter
Oleic and stearic is the main component of Shea butter. Other fatty acids of Shea butter are linolenic, palmitic, linoleic and arachidic acids. It also contains cinnamic acid which absorbs Ultraviolet rays of a sun.
Refined And Unrefined Shea Butter
There are two types of Shea butter you can find in the market. Unrefined Shea butter has more goodness of nature. It can make your hair a little softer and it’s slightly better at moisturizing.
Many users dislike the natural aroma of Shea butter. The Shea Butter refined to remove its natural aroma and to bleach it. Other natural or artificial compounds added to provide it with a good smell.
Hexane is a chemical widely used in the refining process of Shea butter. It can cause some side effects. Hexane is a carcinogen and causes much other health problems.
Shea Butter Grading
Shea butter is available in different grades. Its real power is in its nutrient. Refining can extract all the nutrients. It is available in five grades.
They are as follows:
- Raw or unrefined, extracted using water
- Refined by natural process
- Highly refined and extracted with solvents such as hexane
- Lowest uncontaminated grade
- with contaminants.
The cheapest is lowest grade and lowest quality. Nutrients had extracted from it. Always use Good quality, a grade of Shea butter with its nutrients intake. Only grade A contains vitamins A and E.
How To Differentiate In Refined And Unrefined Shea Butter?
Refined Shea butter is bleach-white in color without any odor. It lacks all its properties and healing effects. Unrefined Shea butter is having a nutty scent, beige color, and all its properties.
How To Store Shea Butter?
Shea butter can remains fresh at room temperature. Never put it in a refrigerator it can freeze and difficult to use later.
Shea butter intakes all its properties for two to three years at a cool place and moist place. But after this period, avoid using it. Unrefined Shea butter is natural and organic compound. It can lose it properties with time.
