One-Ingredient Haircare
What kind of recipe only uses one ingredient? These ones, y’all.
Have you ever wondered what butter is best for your hair, or whether you could use butters in your hair without having to mix and match other oils or ingredients you might not have sitting around? The good news is that our butters are ready to go right out of the jar, and can be used for a variety of simple haircare hacks.
Shea Butter
Shea butter is the thickest of our natural butters, and is the most water-resistant. For this reason, it may seem like a bad idea to use in hair - it resists moisture by creating a barrier over the hair, so wouldn’t that dry hair out?
In some cases, yes. That is why we recommend not using shea butter on dry hair before moisturizing. For kinky or curly hair that is washed less frequently than straight or wavy hair, this is especially important because your hair is going more days without being cleansed - meaning the shea butter is spending more time blocking moisture you try to add. Shea butter can also result in more build-up in these hair types, which weakens the follicle and can cause dandruff.
How should I use it?
We recommend using shea butter very sparingly! Its thick texture goes a long way when applied, so you only need a little bit. Warm it between your hands, and apply starting at the ends of your hair. This is great for locking in moisture after a conditioning treatment, or adding definition to curls after your moisturizer is applied. Additionally, it works as a pomade to give shape to locs, or keep your edges from flying away. If you frequently use heat tools for styling, shea butter acts as a protectant if applied right before styling.
Cocoa Butter
As most people know, cocoa butter is an excellent moisturizer for your skin. Nourishing and non-greasy, cocoa butter can be a great food for your hair, too! Cocoa butter has an impressive amount of natural fatty acids, making it perfect for restoring moisture to dry hair and skin. And who can resist that smell?
Cocoa butter coats the hair, but not as densely as shea butter. However, cocoa butter solidifies much faster than shea butter, and can be hard to cut - yes, cut. Once you get yourself a nice chunk of butter though, it’s easy to melt down in a microwave or on a low-heat stovetop. Be careful when using it for masks for this reason - over 20 minutes in your hair, and the butter may begin to solidify and be a bit of a mess to remove.
How should I use it?
Cocoa butter is best as a “pre-poo” treatment. To reduce the amount of breakage you may experience when you wash and detangle your hair, try applying cocoa butter generously as a mask right before washing - or even as a moisturizer the day before. Very thick or curly hair may not see as many benefits from using cocoa butter as a finishing touch, because it is a lightweight oil. However, cocoa butter is ideal for fine hair for this exact reason! Work a small amount of heated cocoa butter between your fingers and ruffle through hair for a quick moisture boost without having to worry about your fine strands getting weighed down.
Mango Butter
Mango butter is a lot like shea butter, in that it has a very mild scent and works great as a sealant. However, mango butter is much lighter than shea, and is a great alternative for people with oilier hair types. Mango butter is easier to scoop than cocoa butter, and can be warmed in the palm of your hand for easy on-the-go application.
A special property of mango butter is the presence of tannins. Tannins are natural, astringent compounds that exist in all sorts of plants and lend a peculiar dryness to them: for example, dry wine is full of tannins. While this makes mango butter a little less moisturizing than shea or cocoa, it has the additional benefit of being a great antibacterial agent - which is perfect for maintaining a healthy scalp.
How should I use it?
Mango butter is great as a scalp treatment to alleviate itch, irritation, or flakes. Because it is a lighter butter, it sinks into the scalp quickly and doesn’t leave as much build-up as shea butter. For straight or wavy hair, mango butter can be used safely as a leave-in conditioner for the ends to prevent splitting or fraying. The fatty acid content imparts a lot of shine, so mango butter is the perfect way to add shimmer to next-day or drying hair. Simply warm a small amount of mango butter between your hands and smooth over your locks for an easy, non-greasy shine.
From pomade, to pre-poo, to a rockin’ shine refresher, our natural butters work perfectly on their own. Of course, you can spice up any of these tips by adding essential oils for a light hair fragrance.