shea butter for hair and face

Shea Butter for Hair and Face – Benefits and Uses

What is Shea Butter?

Shea butter, also known as karite, is extracted from the kernels found inside the fruit of the shea tree. Shea tree grows naturally in the wild only in West African countries and therefore shea butter has been used by Africans for thousands of years. Shea butter is actually an oil which is in solid form in room temperature. Shea butter has earned a name  ‘wonder cream’ because it is naturally rich in vitamins such as vitamin A, E and F and it contains essential fatty acids and antioxidants. In addition for these healing properties, shea butter is naturally high in cinnamic acid making it beneficial for battle against UV-rays.

Because of shea butters ability to rejuvenate skin cells, it is traditionally used for various of skin problems such as rash, dry skin, burns, acne and stretch marks making it perfect for face regardless of skin type.  Shea butter is also a great product for hair because of its conditioning properties. Shea butter is a common ingredient in known cosmetics and it is mainly used in hair- and skin-related products. If you want to get the best results from this nurturing cream, we suggest to use 100% pure and natural, unrefined shea butter.

SHEA BUTTER FOR HAIR

African people has been using shea butter to protect their hair and skin against Sub-Saharan dry climate. Nowadays shea butter is used in many hair products of the famous brands, such as The Body Shop, Estee Lauder and L’Occitane for example. Therefore natural unrefined shea butter is an excellent supplement for your natural cosmetics arsenal too. It is been clinically proven that shea butter has nourishing and moisturizing effects for skin and hair. Read below what are the most important benefits of shea butter for hair.

Shea Butter – Benefits for Hair

1. Moisturizing – Shea butter as a hair softener

First benefit of using shea butter for hair is that  shea butter makes locks look and feel soft and moisturized. It also tames frizzyness and makes hair more manageable. With its several vitamins and antioxidants shea butter nourishes hair from the deep because it seals the moisture by coating hair in a slim layer of fat.

How to use shea butter as a hair softener?

Apply a tiny clod (less than half of a teaspoon) of shea butter into your palms and rub it gently between your fingers to make shea butter liquid. You can add shea butter into both dry or wet hair. Spread shea butter evenly into hair strands. Don’t add all of the shea butter into same area because it makes hair look greasy! Brush your hair in the end.

2. Prevents breakage and reduces scalp irritation – Shea butter as a overnight treatment

If your hair is extra damaged and dry, you should use shea butter as a overnight deep treatment. Unrefined shea butter is full of vital vitamins E and A, minerals such as magnesium and copper and fatty acids omega 6 and 9, making it perfect for unhealthy hair to recover.

How to use shea butter overnight?

Apply at least a few tablespoon of shea butter into your hair with gently drafts from roots to end. Amount of how much shea butter you need depends on length and thickness of your hair. Massage shea butter also into the scalp as it prevents dandruff and other scalp problems by moisturizing the scalp making it perfect environment for hair to grow healthy. At last, put your hair into a bun or braid and put on a shower cap and a warm beanie to restore heat. Wash your hair in the morning as normal with a shampoo that does not contain silicone. With overnight treatment you get the most of the benefits of shea butter for hair.

3. Protects from UV-rays and environmental pollutants – Shea butter as a sunblock

If you plan to spend a sunny day outside, make sure you protect your hair from sun and environmental pollutants with shea butter. Shea butter contains naturally cinnamic acid which gives it SPF of 6, and it protects hair also from the air pollutants. Just take some butter and spread it to your hair before going out!

Shea Butter for Hair Growth

Shea butter has many benefits for hair growth because it rejuvenates weak hair follicles, nourishes and helps maintain a healthy scalp and is rich in hair boosting nutrients and vitamins.

Shea butter has a long list of benefits for hair such as

  1. sealing moisture into dry hair
  2. treating dry and itchy scalp
  3. treating damaged and brittle hair
  4. softening hair and promoting hair growth

All of these benefits for hair and scalp makes shea butter excellent for stopping hair loss and a great stimulant for hair growth. Most of the hair loss problems is caused by bad hair products which builds-up into the scalp and dirty and dry scalp. Keeping your scalp moisturized, healthy and nourished with vitamins and fats, helps you prevent hair loss and therefore shea butter promotes hair growth.

If you want to grow your hair thicker and longer, use the recipe for hair growth below.

Shea Butter Recipes for Hair

SHEA BUTTER HAIR MASK FOR DAMAGED HAIR

Recipe:

Directions:

  1. Melt shea butter and coconut oil gently in double boiler into a liquid form.
  2. Let the mixture cool for a couple of minutes.
  3. Add raspberry seed oil, aloe vera gel and rosemary essential oil.
  4. Put the bowl into a freezer for 10 minutes.
  5. Whip the mixture with hand mixer as long as the texture is nice creamy (this takes about 5-15 minutes depending on how cold the mixture got in the freezer).
  6. Store in a glass jar.

TIP! If the compound is too thick, add some more raspberry seed oil to make it more fluid. Use this recipe as a overnight treatment to get the benefits. Directions you can find in a few paragraph above.

SHEA BUTTER HAIR MASK FOR HAIR GROWTH

Using black Jamaican castor oil in this hair growth recipe improves blood circulation in the scalp. It also helps to prevent dandruff and is helpful for itchy and dry scalp. Eucalyptus essential oil is anti-inflammatory and antibacterial which makes it a perfect stimulant for hair growth as it promotes a healthy scalp.

Directions:

  1. Melt shea butter in a double boiler.
  2. Put the bowl into a freezer for couple of minutes.
  3. Add jojoba oil, black Jamaican castor oil and eucalyptus oil into a shea butter.
  4. Mix well with hand mixer.

TIP! Use this hair growth recipe as a overnight treatment to get the benefits. Directions you can find in a few paragraph above.

Best Shea Butter Products for Hair

1. Molivera Organics

best shea butter

Molivera Organics is 100% pure raw African ivory shea butter.

>> CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON

2. Shea Moisture Strengthen & Restore Leave-In Conditioner

This amazing product contains raw shea butter, black castor oil, peppermint and apple cider vinegar.

>> CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON

FAQ Shea Butter for Hair

Is shea butter good for your hair?

Shea butter has multiple of benefits: it is packed with vitamins, antioxidants and fatty acids making it perfect for hair care.

Can you leave shea butter in your hair?

Yes, you can leave shea butter in your hair. Read above how to use shea butter for hair.

What is the benefit of shea butter for hair?

Shea butter is fully natural and is rich in vital vitamins and other properties. Benefits of shea butter for hair is for example its moisturizing properties, it helps to maintain healthy scalp, it prevents hair breakage and it protects from uv-rays.

Can you use shea butter on your scalp?

Yes, you can use shea butter on your scalp.

Is raw shea butter good for hair?

Raw unrefined shea butter is extremely good for hair. Be aware that you don’t use refined shea butter because it has lost its vitamins and therefore its benefits.

How long can you keep shea butter in your hair?

You can use shea butter in your as long as you want. Shea butter does not harm your hair at all!

Can you use shea butter as a leave in conditioner?

Yes, you can use shea butter as a leave in conditioner. Read instructions above.

Does shea butter make hair curly?

Shea butter deep moisturizes the hair so if your hair tends to curl naturally, shea butter can make your hair look more curly and healthy.

Is shea butter good for dandruff?

Yes, shea butter helps the battle against dandruff as it promotes the health of the scalp.

Can you mix coconut oil and shea butter?

Yes, you can mix coconut oil and shea butter. Melt them in a double boiler, put into freezer for 10 minutes and whip the mixture whit hand mixer. You can also read recipes above in this article.

SHEA BUTTER FOR FACE

Many people suffer from dry, itchy and flaky face skin, especially during winter. Dry air is the worst enemy of the face but fortunately you can find the answer to this problem out of shea butter. Shea butter is packed with nutrients, like vitamin A, which is used in many face related products, making it known for treating blemishes, eczema, wrinkles and dermatitis. Shea butter is also excellent aid for burns and stretch marks. In addition, shea butter contains antioxidants (vitamin E), polyphenols and phytonutrients making it anti-inflammatory, which leads shea butter to work so great at moisturizing and soothing all types of skin.

Benefits of Shea Butter for Face

Shea butter has several benefits for face and here are a few of them.

1. Anti-ageing properties

Environmental toxins have bad effect on your skin cells. Shea butter is high in oleic, stearic and linoleic acids which prevents oxidative stress caused by these toxins. Shea butter has properties that helps your skin to produce more new cells. As a result it supports the tightness and structure of your skin. In addition, shea butter protects your face from the aging effects of UV-rays.

2. Anti-inflammatory and healing properties

According to study made in 2014 shea butter is anti-inflammatory because of its high levels of cinnamic acid and other properties. With help of lupeol cinnamate, shea butter reduces skin inflammation and possibly prevents skin mutations, which is extremely helpful for people suffering from acne. Hence, you can calm redness and swelling of your face with shea butter.

3. Moisturizing effects

The compound of vitamins, antioxidants and fatty acids makes shea butter perfect for face. It helps to protect skins natural oils and seals the moisture deep into skin. According to study (2014), the moisturizing effect can last for hours instead of less than hour, which is typical for other face creams.

How to Use Shea Butter for Face

Use only pure, raw and unrefined shea butter for face, because refined version can cause face to break-out. Take small amount of shea butter into your palms and melt it between your hands. Apply to clean face with gentle round movements. Let it absorb into face before going to sleep or putting make up on.

Shea Butter for Face at Night

Our skin is quite active at night time. It is extremely important to remember to cleanse your face properly before going to bed, because at night time the skin produces sebum and sweat which can cause the blocking of the skin pores once combined with dirty face. This leads to break outs, black heads and white heads. At night time our skin renews itself which is why you need to feed it proper nutrients during night.

Shea butter contains vitamin A, preventing the face from getting dry and fading scars and renewing skin. Vitamin E is extremely important antioxidant in face products as it has anti-aging properties and it moisturizes skin deeply and helps heal blemishes. Vitamin K is excellent for dark circles and advancing flawless skin. At last, vitamin F (fatty acids) moisturizes face, keeps it flexible and protects it from harsh elements.

Benefits of using shea butter for face at night

Shea butter has multiple benefits when you use it at night. Here are the most common benefits of using shea butter for face at night:

  • reduces inflammation
  • boosts collagen
  • heals acne
  • promotes youthful skin
  • fades scars
  • moisturizes dry and flaky skin
  • renews skin cells
  • soothes irritated skin
  • smooths hyperpigmented face
  • reduces dark circles under eyes

Shea Butter Recipes for Face

Shea butter is non-comedogenic and fast absorbing making it perfect ingredient for day and night creams.

SHEA BUTTER NIGHT CREAM

With this recipe you can learn how to use shea butter for face at night. This recipe is great for dry skin and acne skin also.

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Melt shea butter in double boiler.
  2. Put it into a freezer for 5 minutes.
  3. Add jojoba oil and E-vitamin oil.
  4. Mix with hand mixer for 5-15 minutes until the texture is creamy and easy to handle.

TIP! Add more jojoba oil if the texture is too thick. Even though shea butter contains itself E-vitamin, adding E-vitamin oil prevents the cream from becoming rancid and to last longer.

Best Shea Butter Products for Skin

1. Better Shea Butter

Raw, unrefined and 100% pure shea butter.

>> CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON

2. Sky Organics Shea Butter

100% organic, unrefined, ivory shea butter.

>> CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON

Shea Butter for Skin Lightening

Because shea butter is great for fading scars and stretch marks, it is also great help for lightening skin. Shea butter reduces redness and inflammation causing it to naturally lightening your skin and evening out the skin colour.

Shea Butter for Acne

Shea butter is excellent for acne sufferers because it it non-comedogenic and therefore it does not clog pores. It is important to apply shea butter to clean skin and let it absorb properly. Dermatologists recommend to leave shea butter on acne areas for at least eight hours. Shea butter is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory making it perfect for acne skin. Use only raw and unrefined shea butter for acne and avoid any fragrances that irritates skin. Shea butter night cream recipe above is excellent for acne skin.

Shea Butter for Stretch Marks

Does applying shea butter for stetch marks actually work? This is the question most people often asks. And the aswer is: yes!

Stretch marks are often created by tearing of the skin dermis caused by rapid weight gain, pregnancy or even rapid growth during puberty. In all these occasions skin is forced to stretch quickly. Stretch marks occurs often in women skin making them self-esteem to become lower. Although stretch marks cannot be hidden thoroughly, they can be diminished with shea butter. Shea butter also helps stretch marks to prevent their development. Shea butter is very effective natural option for preventing and fading stretch marks.

FAQ Shea Butter for Face

Is it OK to use shea butter on your face?

Yes, it is ok to use shea butter on your face.

Can shea butter clog your pores?

No. Unrefined shea butter is non-comedogenic and using it properly it cannot clog your pores.

Is shea butter good for acne?

Shea butter has helped many acne sufferers, so it is safe to say that shea butter is good for acne.

Is shea butter good for oily face?

Shea butter is good for oily face because it deep moisturizes the face so the skin does not produce that much oil.

Can shea butter go bad?

As every other natural product, shea butter can go bad after certain time period. It can go rancid and smell bad. Store your shea butter in dark and cool place for making it last longer.

Can you put shea butter on your lips?

Yes, you can use shea butter as a lip balm and put it on your lips.

Is shea butter yellow or white?

Raw unrefined shea butter is often more coloured than refined one, but the colours can vary from off-white to yellow or even greenish.

Does shea butter make you break out?

Shea butter properly used does not usually cause break out because it is non-comedogenic.