Is it better to use Off-White or Yellow Shea Butter?

julzinha

Well-Known Member
I am considering buying Shea butter for the first time and I don't know whether to purchase the off-white shea butter or the yellow shea butter?

Does one work better than the other? What is the difference?

Thanks :)
 
Any "shea butter" that is not the off-white kind is either not shea butter at all, or is mixed with some other oil like palm oil. Don't let anyone try to convince you it's the O.G. thing.
 
YouTube - Shea Butter 101; Off White Shea Butter
YouTube - Shea Butter 102; Yellow Shea Butter

yellow shea isnt really shea butter, but a similar african butter...i like both, but i think i like pure unrefined shea better.

Thanks for the videos. I was always wondering about the difference. I think I ended up with some of the "fake" yellow shea butter and I never did like it. The yellow butter she showed looks good and I'll be on the lookout to try some of that.
 
My shea has always been a light beige color. It gets white as it ages and goes stale (also smells bad). There's another product called yellow shea or golden shea.
 
My shea has always been a light beige color. It gets white as it ages and goes stale (also smells bad). There's another product called yellow shea or golden shea.

I don't know if you're already doing this but I usually put my shea butter in the refrigerator to keep it from going stale. I have kept mine in the door of my refrigerator for 8 months and when I take it out, I just sit it on the counter for an hour, scrape the bit I want to melt into liquid and put the rest back into the frig. It's never smelled bad or anything. Have you tried that? It may keep it from going bad and giving off awful smells.
 
I use both the unrefined yellow and the off white. Both have worked fine for me. I've never noticed a difference.
 
I have used both. Both of them were raw. One was a little bit on the off-white-beige colore and the other one i have now is a little bit yellow in color. I think they say its preference. But they do have ones they sell that are a bright yellow that has been mixed with something and i do not buy it.
 
Usually I but pure unrefined shea butter which is an off white. I brought some shea butter from a member on another hair forum .. And its yellow. The smell is very strong ... Like a nutty smell!! I prefer the off white shea butter.

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Long Hair Care Forum App
 
Disclaimer: From the Texas Natural Supply Website

Shea Butter (Raw & Unrefined) White
SKU SHEBURW
INCI: Butyrospermum parkii

* All of our suppliers of Shea Butter - Raw & Unrefined are members of the Africa Fair Trade Council *

AFRICA FAIR TRADE COUNCIL - a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness in Africa and the rest of the world about the importance of fair trade. It also advises new businesses in Africa on how to incorporate fair trade practices into their business plans so that they can support the growth of their communities.
The differences between raw and refined Shea Butter lies in how the Shea Butter is extracted from the nut and how it is processed after that.

The basic process is the same in most families. Shea Nuts, the fruit of the Shea Tree is picked, cracked, grilled and pounded to extract the butter. It is then boiled in water for a number of hours until the fresh shea butter rises to the surface. It is then scooped into gourds and left to cool and set.This process and the way it is done imparts the smells noted with each batch. Manual extraction processes leave more of the raw ingredients in the Shea Butter.

After it is extracted, it can be further refined removing color and impurities that some people don't like. This further refining can also remove some of the smell.
You can think of the difference between raw Shea Butter and refined Shea Butter as being similar to the difference between wheat bread and white bread.

All of our Shea Butter is mechanically extracted. No chemicals (other than water) are used in the process.

Shea butter is known especially for its cosmetic properties as a moisturizer and emollient. It is also a known anti-inflammatory agent.

Shea butter can be effective at treating the following conditions: fading scars, eczema, burns, rashes, severely dry skin, and in lessening the irritation of psoriasis. Shea butter provides natural UV sun protection.

Shea butter can be found in many high end moisturizing skin products. It is also used in hair conditioners to add and maintain moisture in dry brittle hair, in addition to revitalizing, repairing and preventing breakage. Shea butter can be used as an all-natural hair conditioner.

Shea butter promotes quicker healing of small wounds, burns, cuts and scrapes.
Shea butter is an efficient natural makeup remover.
Shea butter is safe to use on babies, children and adults.
Shea butter helps prevent and soothe sunburns.
Shea butter is high in vitamins A and E.
Shea butter helps moisturize dry skin.
Shea butter soothes sore, overworked muscles.
Shea butter is recommended for conditioning animal’s coats.
Shea butter makes an excellent natural lip balm.
Shea butter helps restore elasticity of aging skin.

Suggested Usage Levels: Lotions & Creams: 3-5% | Balms: 5-100% | Bar Soaps: 3-6% | Hair Conditioners: 2-5%

Incomplete heating and then cooling of Shea Butter can cause the butter to crystallize as it cools. This crystallization can cause lip balms, body butters and other formulations to turn gritty. To avoid this, Shea Butter must be heated to about 175 degrees and kept at that temperature for at least 20 minutes. This will allow the Shea Butter to melt completely so that crystals will not form after it has cooled.

Shea Butter (Raw & Unrefined) Yellow
SKU SHEBURY
INCI: Butyrospermum parkii

Country of Origin: Ghana

* All of our suppliers of Shea Butter - Raw & Unrefined are members of the Africa Fair Trade Council *

AFRICA FAIR TRADE COUNCIL - a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness in Africa and the rest of the world about the importance of fair trade. It also advises new businesses in Africa on how to incorporate fair trade practices into their business plans so that they can support the growth of their communities.
The differences between raw and refined Shea Butter lies in how the Shea Butter is extracted from the nut and how it is processed after that.

The basic process is the same in most families. Shea Nuts, the fruit of the Shea Tree is picked, cracked, grilled and pounded to extract the butter. It is then boiled in water for a number of hours until the fresh shea butter rises to the surface. It is then scooped into gourds and left to cool and set.This process and the way it is done imparts the smells noted with each batch. Manual extraction processes leave more of the raw ingredients in the Shea Butter.

After it is extracted, it can be further refined removing color and impurities that some people don't like. This further refining can also remove some of the smell.
You can think of the difference between raw Shea Butter and refined Shea Butter as being similar to the difference between wheat bread and white bread.

All of our Shea Butter is mechanically extracted. No chemicals (other than water) are used in the process.

Shea butter is known especially for its cosmetic properties as a moisturizer and emollient. It is also a known anti-inflammatory agent.

Shea butter can be effective at treating the following conditions: fading scars, eczema, burns, rashes, severely dry skin, and in lessening the irritation of psoriasis. Shea butter provides natural UV sun protection.

Shea butter can be found in many high end moisturizing skin products. It is also used in hair conditioners to add and maintain moisture in dry brittle hair, in addition to revitalizing, repairing and preventing breakage. Shea butter can be used as an all-natural hair conditioner.

Shea butter promotes quicker healing of small wounds, burns, cuts and scrapes.
Shea butter is an efficient natural makeup remover.
Shea butter is safe to use on babies, children and adults.
Shea butter helps prevent and soothe sunburns.
Shea butter is high in vitamins A and E.
Shea butter helps moisturize dry skin.
Shea butter soothes sore, overworked muscles.
Shea butter is recommended for conditioning animal’s coats.
Shea butter makes an excellent natural lip balm.
Shea butter helps restore elasticity of aging skin.

Suggested Usage Levels: Lotions & Creams: 3-5% | Balms: 5-100% | Bar Soaps: 3-6% | Hair Conditioners: 2-5%

Incomplete heating and then cooling of Shea Butter can cause the butter to crystallize as it cools. This crystallization can cause lip balms, body butters and other formulations to turn gritty. To avoid this, Shea Butter must be heated to about 175 degrees and kept at that temperature for at least 20 minutes. This will allow the Shea Butter to melt completely so that crystals will not form after it has cooled.


I have always used the yellow (raw) shea butter. It does not work with my mixture (fine and coarse) of strands if used straight. I always have to mix it with something. I like to make it creamy with aloe vera and oils:) HTH
 
I tried the yellow beauty supply "shea butter". From what you ladies are saying its not really shea butter, maybe that explains why my hair hated it.
 
You never want bright yellow shea butter. Butters-n-bars.com has a good breakdown of the 3/4 colors you can expect good unrefined shea butter to be
 
Back
Top