A New Plan to Help Hydrate Your Strands: Abandoning Shea Butter

May 21, 2014

I’ve been thinking a lot lately….about hair butter. I’ve tried countless recipes all involving shea as my base, and I’ve been sorely disappointed with the results every time. That’s the problem I’m having. The solution? Here goes:

I’ve been thinking of tossing out my shea butter and getting a butter made from an oil I know my hair loves instead!

I researched a few things online and found that pretty much any oil you use in your hair can come in the form of a butter.. My hair happens to love argan oil, avocado and jojoba oil too…so… why not use them as a base for a new hair butter creation? I’m jumping off the shea butter wagon, since it hasn’t been doing much for my hair. If you’ve been experiencing the same thing with shea butter, maybe you should abandon ship too. Branch out a bit and see what you can come up with. I know I am!

To get started, I’ve taken the liberty of researching some of a few butters that I know work well for hair in oil form. There are a couple butters on the list too, cupuacu and murumuru, that I chose simply because they get rave reviews in all the hair care forums I frequent. Read the list below and see which one you think might work best for you, then start hunting it down. Call your local natural food stores first. If you can’t find it there, then look to ordering it online. If you don’t see the butter you want here on my list, just look it up. I bet you can find it.

Argan Butter:

As I mentioned earlier, my hair LOVES argan oil. I use it to soften up my ends and detangle my hair. Argan butter is definitely gonna be my first choice as a new base for a hair butter. It:

Rebuilds hair’s hydrolipidic natural film often damaged by coloring, heat-styling, and UV.
Restores moisture and strength to dry, brittle hair.
Adds shine & softness, while frizz is also tamed.
Helps prevent the formation of split ends, stimulates hair growth, and also helps heal scalp conditions; such as seborrhea, dandruff, psoriasis, dermatitis, itchy scalp, and oily scalp.
Can also be used to protect hair from the damaging effects of styling tools and chemical treatments.
Makes it easy to detangle and comb unmanageable hair.

Avocado Butter:

As a super-food, avocado has long been known to aid in improving one’s self from the inside out. There are so many hair, skin, and body benefits to list that I bet I’d need couple pages to mention all of them…..so I won’t. I’ll focus on the top ones for using avocado in terms of hair care:

Rejuvenates and moisturizes the scalp.
Exceptional treatment for revitalizing dry, damaged, lifeless hair.
Deeply conditions your hair and scalp, leaving them looking lustrous and full of life.
A rich source of proteins, amino acids and vitamins.
Helps with promoting the growth of healthier tresses.

Jojoba Butter:

Jojoba oil is awesome for hot oil treatments, which made me want to research the butter a bit, and I found a smorgasbord of different perks to using it, in butter or oil form. Check it out:

It is readily accepted by the scalp and does not mess with the scalp’s natural balance. This is because of its similar molecular structure to sebum (the scalp’s natural oil).
It is reputed to have antibacterial properties. It soothes the scalp and can be used to treat dry scalp problems and dandruff.
It is composed of 98% monounsaturated fats and 2% saturated fats so it can penetrate the hair follicle and strengthen hair fibers from the inside.
Jojoba also hydrates hair from the inside of the hair shaft. So it works well as an agent for reducing hygral fatigue (the swelling and shrinking of hair as it gets wet and dries that can weaken the hair fiber over time).
As a conditioner jojoba helps to add shine, elasticity and softness to hair.
Jojoba can be used to add volume to thinning hair. It adds volume and body to hair strands thereby giving an appearance of thickness.
You can mix jojoba with essential oils and massage the mixture into the scalp to stimulate blood flow to the scalp and encourage hair growth. I do this almost daily; jojoba is light and non-greasy.
Jojoba is an emollient – it fills in cracks that are on the surface of the hair cuticle, i.e. it helps to repair hair damaged by heat and styling.

Olive Butter:

It wasn’t until recently, when I started doing oil rinses with olive oil, that I learned what amazing things olive oil can do. I think this might be my third choice as a new butter base. Here’s why:

Prevents DTH Hormones Production. (A hormone called DTH is the culprit in many cases of hair loss, as it causes the hair follicle shaft to narrow. Olive oil actually stops this from happening, which means you can hold onto your hair for longer.)
Promotes Scalp Health. (Olive oil is loaded with antioxidants, which can keep the skin of your scalp in better shape. It can even reduce the damage done by hair care products or overuse of styling products.)
Naturally Conditions the Hair. (Olive oil can make your hair shiny and soft. That’s why it has been used for centuries as a natural hair conditioner.
Fight off Fungi and Bacteria. Dandruff, head lice and other adverse conditions can contribute to hair loss. Fortunately, olive oil fights off all of these things, helping keep your hair healthier.
Improves Blood Circulation. (Olive oil massages can improve the blood circulation in your scalp. This increased blood flow can stimulate the follicles, which then produce thicker strands.)

Cupuacu Butter:

I haven’t tried this butter yet, but I am definitely curious. It’s supposed to be able to hold quite a bit of water, keeping your hair moist and hydrated. I’d love to try it out because i can’t use glycerin where I live. There’s no moisture in the air in West Texas, so water-greedy glycerin dries my hair out super fast. If cupuacu can hold moisture on its own without zapping moisture from my hair, we’ll be best friends. here are all of its benefits:

Promotes smoothness and softness to the hair and skin increasing the natural moisture and elasticity.
Proven to be beneficial for brittle, dry hair due to its long lasting hydration properties to replenish moisture while promoting a healthy shine
Hydrophpllic (water-loving) with a high-capacity to retain water and prevent moisture loss.

Murumuru Butter:

I love the fact that this oil is intended for use on wet hair. I’m very interested in what it could do if used as a base. Here’s what I found about its benefits:

Known to be a super emollient.
Promotes moisture retention, restores sheen and softness while improving the flexibility of your hair.
Wonderful for conditioning dry, brittle, damaged hair.
Creates a permeable barrier that is said to prevent moisture loss when applied to wet hair while keeping hair soft and pliable and skin super soft.