I love shea butter on my ends, I prefer whipped shea butter as then I'm less likely to use to much, because less really is more for me.

I used to buy it here (http://www.naturessheabutter.com/Whipped_Shea_Butter_s/129.htm), I have in fact got a stash from there but they took away my favourite scent and I'm not a fan of the scent of natural smell of shea butter.

The last batch I got from here (http://www.simplynatural.net.au/), it's an Australian company, and I love it.

I'd love to hear if you use shea butter, where you get yours from and if you prefer whipped or not, unrefined or refined.

I didn't know there was another form of shea butter available :rolleyes: I have a tin of a 100% of unrefined pure African shea butter bought from here (http://www.mariposa-import.eu/webshop/product_info.php?cPath=65&products_id=93).
It's a bit difficult to use, as it is solid and you need to warm it up in your palms first. The results, when I remember to use it, are great! My hair gets cotton soft, I can't stop touching it.
I would like to try the easier-to-use varieties, though. It might help me use it more often!

I like to use the Shea Moisture Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner on the hair from my nape/ears down. I just use a little bit, maybe 1.5-2 pea-sized blobs worth, but it makes all the difference in my hair, I just love it! It has shea butter, jojoba oil, cocoa butter, aloe vera, and a few other ingredients that my hair seems to totally soak up.

I have had my jar of shea for so long and the labeled peeled off during my melting in the boiling water trick,that I don't remember who in the world made it.I got from the natural foods store here in town and its a purplish jar...Anywho-I'm currently using my shea as a conditioning treatment recipe that I picked up from TBB.Basically,it one part shea,one part carrier oil(I used jojoba but thinking back I should have used coconut)and half part conefree conditioner(I used Burts Bees Sugar Beet and Grapefruit)and I did add a drop or two of White Grapefruit EO.That;s not really part of the original recipe,it was for me because I love that scent.

anywho basically you melt the shea-mix it with the handmixer-stick it in the freezer for a few-mix again with mixer-back in the freezer.Repeat untill thick and creamy.Then,add a tiny drop to your wet hair for the moisture.The poster from TBB uses it as a before shower treatment too but I haven't tried that yet.I would love to give the original recipe sharer props but I can't remember who it is :cry:

I also added Lavender EO in my shea to cover up the natural scent.Like many others,I don't care for it whatsoever.Oh and mine is unrefined shea :)

I use unrefined shea butter from Akamuti. I bought 100g from them about a year ago, and I'm only just finishing it. My next block is on the way. :D I found I got used to the smell, and now I find it really comforting. I've been using it on my ends a lot lately, and also on my hands in the morning and evening. It makes them soooo soft. :D

I use whipped SheaAloe, I've tried the Shea Butter alone and it left my hair super dry. My ends love the SheaAloe mix and I also use in on my skin esp. in the Winter. I get mine form hairveda.net

I use 100% organic unrefined shea butter that I get from a local health food shop. I use it on my ends now and then...

I use refined shea butter that I nicked from a soap-making friend. I have no idea if there is a brand or where it comes from. I've been using it for a week and love the effects. I was thinking about unrefined, but I don't like the smell.

I use refined shea butter that I nicked from a soap-making friend. I have no idea if there is a brand or where it comes from. I've been using it for a week and love the effects. I was thinking about unrefined, but I don't like the smell.

I'm not a big fan of the smell. You can put EOs in there to make the smell nicer.

Can you use this to hold updos in place, i.e. comb it through your hair and then do a bun?

I discovered shea butter only recently. I found it to be the greatest kind of hand cream I have ever used - and I've pretty much tried the lot, drugstore and pharmacy brands as well as straight natural oils. But shea butter beats them all. One word of warning: this is not one of those "will be absorbed into your skin in seconds" creams. But if what you're looking for is protection for your skin that will last do give shea butter a try.

I'm using the unrefined version and although I am usually VERY sensitive to any kind of smell, I actually quite like this one - just slightly nutty or woody. And I'm quite intrigued by the texture. Rather than being a solid blob, as I had expected, the product I bought seems to be made of lots of tiny little waxy grains. You pick up a few on the back of a fingernail, and when you press them between your palm they first turn into a uniform blob, then slowly beging to melt.

It does retain a certain stickyness when melted by and at body temperature, which is why I initailly was a little hesitant to put it into my hair, but recently my hair had been going through a rather annoying phase of "I just can't get enough / retain moisture" stragglyness, I decided to give shea butter a try. While it does make the hair feel slightly sticky straight after being put on (on wet hair) once it dried it really came up trumps for me, making my hair feel silky without making it feel or look overoiled. Hurray!

katharine

I got Unrefined Shea butter from Nature's Wild child a while ago. I don't mind the smell at all but my mother hates it. Its too thick for me to use as is I make a mix.

5 parts Shea
2 parts Camellia oil
3 part Kukui nut oil
a couple of drops of EO. I use Lavander or Ylang ylang.

Melt shea in microwave, mix in other ingredients and let it solidify.

I love my Shea Butter. I get mine in little plastic tubs from one of several small local beauty shops. I think it's unrefined as it's in lumps and has a distinct scent. The tubs I get have a label on the top saying what the stuff is, and how it's used, but there's no manufacturer or anything. All the stores I've seen it in have the same tubs with the same labels. I wonder if there's some enterprising independant soul around here buying it in bulk and reselling it?

I usually melt it with coconut and a tiny bit of jojoba oil, but now I need to try aloe also. I use it on both hair and skin, and it's the only thing keeping me from scratching my arms raw from dry skin this winter.

Can you use this to hold updos in place, i.e. comb it through your hair and then do a bun?

You could do this but it's very thick so I'd be careful how much you used, I'd be experimenting at home before I tried it out.

I actually like it more for my face as a night treatment. I spread a small amount on my face next day my skin is velevety soft all day.

I like to use the Shea Moisture Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner on the hair from my nape/ears down. I just use a little bit, maybe 1.5-2 pea-sized blobs worth, but it makes all the difference in my hair, I just love it! It has shea butter, jojoba oil, cocoa butter, aloe vera, and a few other ingredients that my hair seems to totally soak up.

I just brought some of this leave in on Friday. I haven't tried it yet, but it smells so good. I'm waiting to wash my hair before trying it.

I like to use the Shea Moisture Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner on the hair from my nape/ears down. It has shea butter, jojoba oil, cocoa butter, aloe vera, and a few other ingredients that my hair seems to totally soak up.

I've seen mention of this leave in and I wish I knew where to get hold of it in Australia!

I use unrefined sheabutter, unlike many others I like the scent of natural shea :) I bought mine here http://www.kroeshaar.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=33&category_id=42&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=65

Can you use this to hold updos in place, i.e. comb it through your hair and then do a bun?

If I've used some shea on my length (just a small bit melted in my hands and smoothed from ears downwards) then I find my buns are neater and stay neater longer because all the wispies are held in place nicely.

I use unrefined, organic (I think) shea butter. It came as a big, solid block, so I melted it down, added some EO, and now it's a bit smoother to use. I use it sometimes on my face, sometimes on my hair, but I've also used it as an ingredient in a tattoo healing balm that I created, and it's amazing for that purpose, too!

I use unrefined shea butter from Akamuti. I bought 100g from them about a year ago, and I'm only just finishing it. My next block is on the way. :D I found I got used to the smell, and now I find it really comforting. I've been using it on my ends a lot lately, and also on my hands in the morning and evening. It makes them soooo soft. :D

That's the shea butter I use and I love it. I use it on my hair to keep it soft and tame any flyaways, and as an all over body moisturiser. :inlove:

I have used Agbanga Karite (http://shop.agbangakarite.com/category.sc;jsessionid=959585190C7227FD907A1263C69 6B8FA.qscstrfrnt02?categoryId=2) and Oils By Nature to oil (http://www.oilsbynature.com/products/shea-butter-organic-unrefined.htm) to heavily oil my hair. I like the unrefined stuff but then, I don't mind the smell and I don't go anywhere with it on my hair.

I am currently using a mix of shea and avocado butters from Oils By Nature because I head here (http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/05/14/two-natural-oils-that-make-your-hair-shiny-and-strong/) that avocado is a good oil to penetrate the hair and impart moisture.

I tried some shea butter as a night cream last night and my skin feels divine today, I wouldn't use it every night but it's a great treatment :) Thanks Misso for letting me know.

Now I'd really love to see a study on what shea butter does to your hair as the difference between using it with my hair butter made from avocado & olive oil and using it without seems to be big for me.

OOps, double post!!!

I'm also using Alaffia (http://www.alaffia.com) shea butter shampoo and conditioner and my hair has never been better!!!!!

I use whipped shea from Chagrin Valley.
It's the lemon-almond scent which smells SO GOOD you'll taste it. You kinda have to. It smells like shortbread cookies. Doesn't taste like them, which is fortunate because I'd run out.
It's the consistency of cool-whip.

I use whipped refined shea butter-for my hair and everywhere else! I get mine from a friend on another forum. I love the smell of it.

The Manor Hall deep conditioner (that I use as a leave-in) has shea in it. If you like EO's and other stuff with shea, it's worth a check out. It smells very earthy! *love*

Just bought some organic unrefined shea butter off ebay, what can I do with it?

Two great threads are here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=96)and here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=282), and this one's (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=320)also chock full of information.

And why don't you try the search function next time - it's faster than waiting for a response :flower:

My hair seems to really like shea butter too. I created a mix of shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil, and sweet almond oil. I smooth it over my hair when dry and it takes away the frizz and gives me a ton of shine. Not greasy either (unless I apply way too much).

I want to try whipped shea butter though.

Thanks :D I forgot about the search function

So I whipped, whipped shea butter, conditioner and a bit of oil to make up a heavy conditioning mix. It worked really well and I'll be using it again. The best thing was that I didn't need to shampoo (sls shampoo) my hair to get the mix out. I'll work out the mix next time. I think it was about 4 parts conditioner, one part shea and .5 part of avocado oil.

So I whipped, whipped shea butter, conditioner and a bit of oil to make up a heavy conditioning mix. It worked really well and I'll be using it again. The best thing was that I didn't need to shampoo (sls shampoo) my hair to get the mix out. I'll work out the mix next time. I think it was about 4 parts conditioner, one part shea and .5 part of avocado oil.

If you were to add a bit of bpal oil then it would be a fragrant hair-heaven!

My hair is in love with shea butter:heart:.I use it almost daily,:thumbsup::hollie: mixed with some coconut oil

I use unrefined shea butter from Agbanga Karite (http://www.agbangakarite.com/shea.php). It does have quite the aroma, but all shea butter smells go away after about a half hour, so if you can handle it for that time, then you can use unrefined, which I think is much better.

For those who have used both whipped shea butter and regular shea butter in recipes, does anyone know the ratio difference? For example, if a recipe calls for 2 tablespoons shea butter, how much whipped shea butter would need to be used instead?

For those who have used both whipped shea butter and regular shea butter in recipes, does anyone know the ratio difference? For example, if a recipe calls for 2 tablespoons shea butter, how much whipped shea butter would need to be used instead?


I'd probably try a recipe with the same amount, first and then up it to possibly half again, so if it called for 2 tablespoons I'd use 3.

I buy my unrefined shea butter (and my cocoa butter) from this UK Ebay seller. (http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Scotia-Fair-Trade) They claim it is also fair trade. The quality is excellent, I have used refined shea butter before (what I could find) but I am not going back to refined. I don't dislike the smell, but it doesn't last long anyway.

I mix it with my conditioner, use it as is (melted with my hands) for skin and hair, and also use it for my lip balm / handcream mix. My hair loves shea butter and coconut oil the best.

I love my shea butter, I use it head to toe and never feel greasy.:D

Medvssa - I just bought 100g from the seller youi recommended on Ebay. Looking forward to it arriving and giving it a try:-)

My hair is having a love affair with shea butter right now. :bigeyes: I use Western shea butter from Garden of Wisdom. It is unwhipped and unrefined (although I've been thinking about hand-whipping it.) I just get a little bit in my hands, rub it between my palms to warm it up, and smooth it onto my hair. It is sticky for a little bit but it always absorbs fairly quickly. I WAS using it as part of Fox's shea butter conditioning cream (very similar to the recipes already given on this thread), but I can't find my little tub of it and I'm holding off making any more until I decide whether I want to switch conditioners or use something in place of the coconut oil.

Yeah. I'm rambling. It's truly great stuff, though. :thumbsup:

I can never remember to pick up some shea butter. I think my hair would probably love it, especially since my mother's hair used to love it.


I use whipped SheaAloe, I've tried the Shea Butter alone and it left my hair super dry. My ends love the SheaAloe mix and I also use in on my skin esp. in the Winter. I get mine form hairveda.net

Hmmm,that's pretty interesting, I'll have to look that up.