Having healthy hair is very important for almost everyone. Healthy hair can impact a person’s self-esteem and confidence, it contributes to a good physical appearance, and it protects the scalp from sun damage, wind etc. But having healthy hair is not easy. Many people often ask how to maintain healthy hair? The answer to this question is not simple. Because maintaining healthy hair is a long process. There are many hair products such as hair masks, sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners, natural oils etc. help you to maintain your hair. Today, in this post we are going to explain one ingredient that can play a main role in your hair care routine. Yes, we are talking about Shea butter. We know that shea butter is a great formula for moisturizing the skin but how about using it as a solution to hair damage? Sounds interesting right?
Let’s dive into the details;
What is Shea Butter?
Shea butter is made from the fat extracted from the nuts of the Shea tree. These trees are prominently found in Africa. The nuts are roasted, crushed, and processed to extract the fat, which is then melted, filtered, and solidified to produce the final product.
Shea butter is good for hair due to its moisturizing and nourishing properties. It contains fatty acids, vitamins A and E, and other nutrients that can help to hydrate and protect the hair.
Benefits of Shea Butter on Hair
- The prominent nutrients in Shea butter such as Vitamin A and E, penetrate the hair shaft and provide nourishment to the hair follicles, which can help to improve hair elasticity and reduce breakage.
- It helps to soothe and relieve itching or scaliness on the scalp with its anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties.
- Shea butter can create a protective barrier on the scalp thus protecting it from sun or wind.
- The high concentration of fatty acids, such as oleic acid and stearic acid, in shea butter, helps to hydrate the scalp and reduce dryness.
- Vitamin E in Shea butter acts as an antioxidant to nourish the hair and improve blood circulation to the scalp.
- When applied to the hair, Shea butter can help to smooth the hair cuticles and improve the overall texture of the hair, reducing frizz and creating a more defined, polished look.
Natural Ingredients In Shea Butter
- Fatty Acids – Oleic, Stearic, Palmitic, Linoleic, and Arachidic acid
- Vitamins – Vitamin A and E
- Antioxidants – Carotene, Polyphenols
- Natural Acids
10 Ways to Use Shea butter on Hair
1) Shampoo
We use shampoo every time we wash our hair. Hence having a shampoo with more natural ingredients and fewer chemicals is very important. Shampoo with Shea butter helps you protect your hair even if you don’t take any additional care. It takes care of the hair until the next wash by maintaining its hydration so if you are a lazy person then choosing shampoos with Shea butter would be a wise decision. There are many shampoos in the market with shea butter as their main ingredient. It can penetrate into the hair, protecting the hair cuticles from UV rays. It also acts as an ideal moisturizer for both the hair and scalp for natural, chemically processed, or heat-styled hair.
2) Regular Conditioner
If you need your hair to maintain its texture for a really long time and protect it from damage then using conditioner with the right ingredients is very important! Conditioners leave your hair soft, and shiny, improve manageability, protect from environmental factors, and provide moisturization to hair. Conditioner with Shea butter drenches strands in moisture without weighing down curls. If you have straight hair it is important to use the right amount of shea butter conditioner because it may weigh your hair down.
3) Hair Mask
One of the important tips to maintain healthy hair is to use hair masks. Hair masks provide deep nourishment and hydration to the hair shaft. They can penetrate into the hair and deliver a concentrated dose of vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial ingredients to help repair and revitalize damaged, dry, or dull hair. With the regular use of hair masks, the hair becomes more manageable, improves its texture, and hence looks healthy. Including Shea butter in your hair mask can be a game changer. You can use natural ingredients such as Henna, Egg, Avocado etc. to get long-term results. You also get raw unrefined shea butter which you can mix with other ingredients to create your own Shea butter hair mask. If you don’t have time then there are many hair masks available in the market.
4) Deep Leave-in Conditioner
For ongoing hydration, nourishment, and protection throughout the day, leave-in conditioners are essential not only to dry and frizzy hair but also to every type of hair. Unlike regular conditioners that are rinsed out after use, leave-in conditioners are designed to be left in the hair, providing continuous benefits. Leave-in conditioners with shea butter are double effective because it hydrates the hair reducing dryness, brittleness, and breakage. It can make the hair easier to style and detangle, reducing frizz and flyaways with its moisturizing property.
5) Hair Oil
Natural oils for hair and skin are proven to be effective for hundreds of years. Coconut oil, Castor oil, Jojoba Oil, etc. provide a long-lasting nourishment to hair with less maintenance. Now we can get shea butter in the oil form so it is easy to include shea butter in everyday hair care routine. Shea Butter Hair Oil is formulated with vitamins that help to tame frizzy hair and add shine to your hair. This can also be used for skin making it one of the essentials in your beauty regime.
6) Detangler Spray
Tangled hair is one of the common problems in people with curly hair, thick hair, and chemically processed or bleached hair. Using a detangler can help to brush the hair smoothly without affecting the hair cuticles. Thus you can prevent further damage to your hair. Shea butter softens the hair, conditions it well, and renews damaged transitioning hair or frizzy hair. Hence a detangler spray is what you need if you have any type of hair mentioned above. You can use detangler spray before or after the hair wash.
7) Scalp Hair Cream
People often face problems with dry and itchy scalps. This may lead to dandruff, rashes, and constant irritation. These problems may happen because of using dye too frequently, thick or coarse hair, or because of dermatitis condition. Hence finding solutions to such problems is really difficult. However with Shea butter as one of the ingredients, hair creams can be really soothing and help to cure the scalp with consistent use. This product has a tip that helps to apply the cream to the scalp easily.
8) Hair Serum
Hair serums can provide a concentrated dose of nutrients and benefits to the hair and scalp. They help to repair the damage, tame frizz, add shine, and moisture, and finally leave hair fresh and scented. If you style your hair often hair serum protects the hair from heat damage. If you have an oily scalp using hair serum can weigh your down and make it look dull and oily. Hence using hair serum totally depends on the type of hair. It is most suitable for curly, thick, color-treated, and damaged hair. Choose the best serum that contains natural ingredients such as Shea butter, Argan Oil, etc for healthy hair.
DIY Hair Mask Using Shea butter
Ingredients:
Shea Butter – 20gm
Coconut Oil – 10gm
Argan Oil – 10gm
Castor Oil – 10gm
Lavender (Or any essential) Oil – 5gm
Steps:
- Take the coconut oil in a small pan and keep it on the stove. The oil should melt down completely into liquid form.
- Take the pan off the stove and then add Shea butter. It melts down quickly with hot coconut oil. Butter and oil should mix evenly. If the She butter is not melting completely then you can keep it on the stove for a few more minutes. But don’t overheat it. It may lose nutrients with overheating.
- Let the mixture cool down.
- Then add Argan and Castor oil to this mixture. You can use any other natural oils that can promote healthy hair.
- Transfer the mixture to a big bowl and whip the mixture.
- After some time, it starts converting into a foamy mixture.
- Now add lavender or any other essential oil. This is an additional step to give a nice scent to the mask.
- Whip it again. Once it turns creamy and fluffy you can stop the process.
- Now you can apply this whipped cream to hair just like any other hair mask.
- Leave it for 10-15 minutes and then wash thoroughly.
- The remaining mixture can be stored in a glass container where it is not too cold or humid.
Questions About Shea Butter For Hair;
1) Does shea butter help in hair growth?
Not really. It only helps you maintain your hair healthily by providing hydration but it won’t directly deal with hair loss issues. Using Shea butter regularly in a hair care routine can help to maintain hair and scalp healthy which in turn may promote new hair growth.
2) Can I use shea butter on my hair every day?
You can use Shea butter daily but that is not necessary. Even if your hair is dry, and frizzy and needs a lot of moisturization, using Shea butter twice or thrice a week is enough to maintain healthy hair.
3) Why is Shea butter so good for hair?
Shea butter is rich in fatty acids such as oleic acid and stearic acid, vitamins, particularly vitamins A and E. Hence it provides the required nourishment to the hair. Along with that, its amazing anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties can help to soothe the scalp and keep hair hydrated for a longer time.
4) How to use shea butter for hair?
It can be used in its raw form or whipped or by using any hair product. You can get raw, unrefined shea butter to make your own hair product. Or buy formulated hair products that contain shea butter as their main ingredient.
