Finding products to make hair softer and silkier is a lifelong pursuit for many people, especially those with coarse or frizzy hair. Beauty-conscious and eco-conscious consumers often prefer using natural oils rather than products made in a laboratory. One such natural oil is shea butter, which brings significant conditioning and healing to dry, damaged hair.
Source
Shea butter comes from Africa's karite tree. Karite trees bear their first fruit--shea nuts--about 15 years after being planted, but the trees may not produce highly valuable fruit until they reach the age of 30. The butter is derived from these nuts, which are often picked by local villagers. Although East Africa produces some shea butter from these trees, West Africa remains the main source.
Extraction
Shea butters can be extracted using different techniques. Traditionally, villagers pick the nuts, crack them open, grill them and pound on them. When the nuts are boiled, the shea butter eventually floats to the water's surface and is skimmed off to cool in gourds. This is raw shea butter.
Modern extraction techniques involving solvents yield a more refined shea butter that does not provide the same conditioning and healing benefits as raw shea butter, which is cold-pressed without the use of solvents, according to The Ecologist.
Application
At room temperature, unrefined shea butter is a solid, but rubbing some between your hands will melt it. Applying a small amount to dry hair will add luster and shine. For a deeper conditioning, you can soften the butter by warming it, then apply it all over your head, leaving it on for 45 minutes before shampooing and styling as usual. The oil will penetrate the hair shaft, making it softer and silkier with less damage and fewer split ends. Shea butter also helps keep the scalp healthy.
Properties and Storage
Shea butter contains fatty acids and vitamins that benefit hair and skin. Raw shea butter is usually a creamy white or yellow color, though variations occur depending on the source of the nuts. Raw shea butter has a nutty aroma, while more refined butters have had the aroma removed. Because shea butter has a low melting point, it should be stored in a cool place. The effectiveness of shea butter begins to diminish after a couple of years, the Treasured Locks website reports.
Products
Many hair and skin care products broadcast the fact that they contain shea butter. Even if the amount of shea butter in a product is very small, the ingredient's name may be featured prominently on the product label. Consumers need to remember that although smaller percentages can be helpful, only 100 percent shea butter delivers the full benefits of this natural oil.
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