Shea butter, shea butter

[SimplyBlessed]

Ok so since I have been here on LHCF for my short period so far....all I hear is shea butter, shea butter, shea butter....So today I'm going to whole foods to get some...but I have some ??'s

Is shea butter a moisturizer or sealent?? Are u ladies sealing with it or what??

Also what brands are good...I think when I called the whole foods that say they have a brand that starts with A, idk, and unrefined shea butter...so idk which one to get....but anywho any help would be great...

Hopefully its a good moisturizer b/c I cannot find a good moisturizer to save my life...I was thinkin if shea butter is one to give it a try or try the new long term relationship by HE...Thanks ladies

(I know a lot of u use shea butter so I better see some post lol )

 

[Vshanell]

Shea butter is a sealant. It's very heavy, I mostly use it on my face, sometimes my ends. I'm not sure about the brands but look for something un-refined....you don't want refined. I usually buy mine online because it's very cheap.

 

[SimplyBlessed]

yea i'm always confused bc while I've been searching I always see ladies using shea butter and an oil so i'm like is it a mositurizer ?? so sealent lol I should make this a poll

 

[SelahOco]

I suppose I use it like a moisturizer. That's how it seems to work for my hair..it really softens my natural curls.

I think wholefoods does sell a refined version of shea...probaby decent but likely more appropriate for the skin. It won't have the same properties as unrefined, but it will give you a since of whether or not you like the product. Here it's 9.99 for about 5 oz. I think.

 

[Muse]

I use it as both. It really seals my hair but I have used it alone and it moisturized as well. The key is to only use a small amount. I use unrefined shea from Nasabb.com that is the only one I will use. It is nice and soft.

 

[SimplyBlessed]

Bumping....I know more ladies use shea butter....

 

[MAMATO]

I mix mine with oils and whip it so it is both a moisturizer and a sealant for me.

 

[dlove]

I mix mine with oils and whip it so it is both a moisturizer and a sealant for me.

So do I. My hair loves unrefined shea butter. I moisturize using a distilled water spritz and seal with my shea butter concoction. I bought shea butter from butters-n-bars.com

 

[Charz]

My hair hates Shea butter, it just sits ontop of my hair.

 

[SimplyBlessed]

My hair hates Shea butter, it just sits ontop of my hair.

dont say that lol j/k hey no two heads are the same so we'll see how it treats my hair...

Well I went to whole foods and got some shea butter its by Alaffia and it says its unrefined ...so is this a good brand ladies?? I also went to target (b/c in tampa whole foods is right under target lol u will def spend to much money in 1 day lol) and got some HE LTR Leave in...sooo we'll see Idk which to try first or use them together...

 

[caramelmocha]

My hair loves shea butter I use it on my skin as well, I keep rubbing it in my hands until it turns oily then apply it to my hair

 

[Rei]

dont say that lol j/k hey no two heads are the same so we'll see how it treats my hair...

Well I went to whole foods and got some shea butter its by Alaffia and it says its unrefined ...so is this a good brand ladies?? I also went to target (b/c in tampa whole foods is right under target lol u will def spend to much money in 1 day lol) and got some HE LTR Leave in...sooo we'll see Idk which to try first or use them together...

that alaffia one is good. I've used it before. Its good, but the bottle is really small and it sucks if you're heavy handed. It really is better to just get it online

 

[SimplyBlessed]

that alaffia one is good. I've used it before. Its good, but the bottle is really small and it sucks if you're heavy handed. It really is better to just get it online

Yea it is very small and was like 10 bucks...I just hate getting things online...true PJ's just can't wait lol...

 

[DarkandLovely]

I absolutely love unrefined shea butter. It is the best moisturizer for my hair thus far--I also use it as a sealant. The key is to only use a little bit. It's great for the skin too.

 

[Rei]

Yea it is very small and was like 10 bucks...I just hate getting things online...true PJ's just can't wait lol...

I hear ya. I hate getting hair products online too, I despise the wait. But it ends up being cheaper. If you've never tried SB before though its good that you bought it at wholefoods, rather than buying a tub and then hating it. If you like it, buy now while you have the Alaffia so you never have a period where you run out. 1lb lasted me for months and months but I'm only CBL.

 

[Pandora1975]

I just did a braidout with a concoction I made that had equal parts shea butter and coconut oil, a few drops olive oil, a splash of brx braid sheen (has some great stuff in it). I also put a fresh sprig of peppermint in the jar (I froze the stuff to solidify it, then put the mint on top to seep in). This is the softest braidout I have ever had- its a chore to NOT be touchin my hair. It smells good and my scalp tingles. Best of all, its not greasy, which is shocking- just knew I had over done it. I'll add a pic if I can figure out how to hold the darned camera at the right angle.

 

[mj11051]

I never things like shea butter from Whole Foods, I get my shea butter from www.coastalscents.com. It's the best shea butter I ever used.

 

[MummysGirl]

Used to use it mainly as a moisturiser 1st few months I started using it then I made a moisturising sprtiz (Water, conditioner, glycerin and evoo) which I now use as my moisturiser and then seal in with my shea butter mix (shea butter, aloe gel, coconut and castor oils).

I use shea butter as my moisturiser when I have my curly styles that I don't want to frizz up... e.g. when I do my braidouts, when taking out the braids I use shea butter as my moisturiser.

 

[Muse]

that alaffia one is good. I've used it before. Its good, but the bottle is really small and it sucks if you're heavy handed. It really is better to just get it online

Which with shea butter is what you DON'T want to be-heavy handed. You really only need a couple of dabs and a little really does go a long way. If you use too much you will not have good results. I think a lot of people who claim shea butter just sits there on the hair or makes it hard are either using too much or using a bad brand or both.

 

[WantNatural]

I LOVE shea butter! I bought a 1lb tub of raw unrefined shea butter on Amazon for about $6 bucks about a month ago. I use it on my face, hands, feet, and my hair as a moisturizer. I then seal with olive oil.

I use HE LTR as a leave-in and also on my ends as a moisturizer twice a day and seal with oil after I read that suggestion from another member on another thread. My ends need special help, and this is definitely making a difference.

 

[melodies815]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my shea butter.

I think one of the keys too is the type of hair.

I literally SLATHER shea butter on my hair. I can't recall the woman's name, but I watched a lady with 4a/b hair who uses a lot of shea butter on her twists and twistouts and said that she finds she doesn't have to moisturize again until it's time to wash. She washes once per week.

I do the same. I put a LOT on.

It does not sit on my hair or make it hard or anything. My hair seems to soak it up. I might need a porosity control intervention...

cj

 

[SimplyBlessed]

So I took everyone's advice and tried the shea butter last night....I used it with a leave in so I guess u can say I used it as a sealent...I was not heavy handed (very unusual) and I will say a little does go a long way....I just lightly rubbed one finger on top and rubbed in my hand until it melted and applied....

Today is wash day so when I take out these celie plaits I'll tell yall how it feels lol

thanks for all the advice ladies!!

If I do use it again I will be ordering online b/c wholefoods aka whole lotta money was too expensive for such a small jar

 

[Pandora1975]

If you have any small African shops, they may have it. That's where I got mine. $4.50 for 8 oz.

 

[HipHopPoetics]

i swear by shea butter. But I have 4b hair and have huge issue with retaining moisture. I use shea butter as my moisturizer, and I haven't had any problems with dryness. Whole Foods has some good unrefined shea butters, but I'd recommend finding another local organic store. They usually carry the same lines as whole foods, butter offer a lower price. Whole Foods (and my local organic market) carry a brand of shea butter that is unrefined and has a small amount of jojoba oil added to make it soft. I think it's called African Essence. It's a 4oz jar and is $11.99.

 

[SelahOco]

Sheabutterhut.com

buy 2, get 1 free

 

[Melissa-jane]

it suits thicker haired ladies and can replace gel, lays down you edges well. Also goood for evening skin tone.

 

[so1913]

I've been getting my unrefined shea butter from nasabb.com over the past few years and love it. I use it ocassionally for my hair and all over body.

 

[adw425]

I am very lucky because I can get unrefined shea butter from several African shops in the neighborhood around where I work. I just brought a three pound tub Tuesday for $15.99. I melt mine down and add camellia, sweet almond, coconut and grapeseed to it and let it re-solidify to a softened solid state and use it from head to toe. It is the best hand cream in the world, but I digress. I add it to my conditioner and homemade hair masks for a moisture boost and I use to seal seasonally as my hair likes butter-type sealants in the colder months and oil in the warmer months.

 

[music-bnatural-smile]

Cantu shea butter leave in is delicious... it takes out tangles, its a great moisturizer, and its not greasy but not un-greasy (if you know what I'm trying to say)
it feels like pudding too i love playing with it lol

 

[that_1_grrrl]

Shea butter made a great moisturizer for me. I gave myself a shea butter deep condition once. My hair was soft and moisturized for days.

I probably would not use a sealant with shea butter because I think it takes of that itself, which is why I voted "both".