Esperanza’s Hair Butter recipe sounds delightful! Nowadays I look to unrefined Shea for my curls, but I’ve also used the following with great success:
Oyin’s Burnt Sugar Pomade (great hold, excellent ‘sealer’, loads of shine)
Jane Carter’s Nourish and Shine (love, love, love the fragrance, great ‘sealer’)
Blended Beauty’s Happy Nappy Styles (intense moisture and shine, a little hold, great definition which results in shrinkage)
Curls Whipped Cream (thick and rich, weighs curls down to reduce shrinkage, some hold, adds softness and lots of moisture, smells like vanilla!)
A popular homemade butter is unrefined Shea (melted slightly) whipped with Coconut Oil or Olive Oil. When it solidifies, it’s much softer than 100% shea which makes for a smoother consistency and easier application.
Does your routine include a Butter? If so, do you purchase one, or do you mix it yourself?
Also, if you’re a mixtress, what’s in it?!
Okay, I'm a natural junkie. For starters, for my protein treatments, I've purchased 100% pure Keratin Amino Acid and pure Hydrolyzed Keratin (and these have worked wonders for my fingernails when directly applied). I have pure Soy protein, wheat protein, Collagen Amino Acid and Silk Amino Acid that I ordered over the weekend-on the way (in which I can't wait to try directly on my fingernails as well). Okay, I also have my own moisturizing juju which has about 60 all natural & 95% organic oils and butters (in which I won't list them all)!! The oils and butters have gotten so bad until I had to purchase a small fridge to store them in my closet for easy access.
I have tried both JC Nourish and shine and the Oyin burnt sugar. Love them both.
I mix shea butter, extra virgin olive oil, extra virgin coconut oil, & sometimes couple capsules of vitamin e oil. I dont like to microwave anything,since it nukes minerals. For easier mixing apply some Ginseng Wonder 8 oil.
I mix my own as follows:
-100% organic unrefined shea butter (about 3 big teaspoons melted in the microwave for 1 minute)
– 2 big teaspoons of Ecostyler Krystal Gel with strong hold (I don't use it and needed to get rid of it)
-coconut oil root stimulator (about 10-15 drops)
-Africa's best hair and body oil (about 10-15 drops)
-Yes to carrots pamering conditioner (3-4 tablespoons)
I mixed this together really well and sat it in the fridge for about 10 minutes and then took it out and used it the next day and the day after. My hair has never been so soft while still having amazing hold.
Yeah I mix Shea butter with EVOO cause it really helps my hair grow and really defines my curls. I'm transitioning so while it makes my curls shine it makes my hairs stronger for less breakage.
I am transitioning and I have already started using a butter mixture for my scalp. I noticed that it has a better effect than the what I was previously using? I use the shea butter, coconut oil, and EVOO mixuture. I would suggest that you definitely start experimenting a little. I am not suggesting you buy an arsenal of hair products, but a little experimentation will not hurt. Has anyone else tried the QP Elasta Mango Butter? I am so curious…MEL
I was wondering, right no my hair is transitioning but since its around the beginning i only have a little bit of new growth is it still possible for me to use a shea butter mixture for my scalp? (such as shea butter, coconut oil, and a little evoo)
Unrefined shea's my butter. Sometimes, I'll whip it with jojoba, almond, or coconut oil and a few drops of an essential oil. Other times, I'll just mix it with cocoa butter (unrefined). That stuff smells AMazing!!
I am definitely a product junkie, but I'm trying to curb my spending because my friends already call my house the beauty supply store. Also, I make my own hair products and use my own mixes more so than what I've purchased. I'm also horrible about buying a product and then mixing it with something. I guess I feel the need to make everything "my own"… who knows… Lol! I just get so excited about hair and products that I tend to go crazy because I can't wait until I'm done with one product before trying another. I've recently received my 5lbs of raw, unrefined shea butter from Coastal Scents (I'm going to try butters-n-bars next). I haven't whipped up anything with this batch just of yet but here is my plan.
My plan is to whip a chunk of shea butter, coconut oil (probably about 3 tbsp, but I eyeball everything), grapeseed oil, and must include aloe vera gel juice (LOTD).
LOTD Aloe Vera Gel Juice has worked wonders for moisture in my hair. It is the staple ingredient in my moisture spray that I've been mixing and using for almost a year now.
NaturalK
Wow,
I am so glad I came across this post! These are some great ideas ladies.
Personally, my mix of butters consists of raw, unrefined shea butter & a variety of oils depending on the seasons: heavy oils for winter months (ie, castor, avocado) & lighter oils for summer (apricot kernel, olive oil, sunflower, etc.,). I also add vitamin E & jojoba. I would love to add some type of fragrance but not anything citrusy like grapefruit extract, orange extract/essential oil, lemongrass essential oil, peppermint oil, & tea tree oil, etc. I don't want to smell like citrus fruit & I only use tea tree oil for it's healthy properties.
If any of you ladies have added some type of wonderful (non citrus)fragrance successfully to your butter mix, please do share, Thanks in advance.
Thanks to Marcy, above, for reminding me to try adding aloe vera/aloe vera gel, to my butter mix. I've been meaning to try this everytime I surf a natural haircare online site & see that a lot of haircare products contain aloe vera/gel as an ingredient. Also, thanks to Jazz Stanton (The Date Experiment) for the Eco Styler tip, I have to try that too!! And Eboney, above is absolutely correct, your butter mix can double for a body butter, I cannot say enough about the money I have saved on body lotions this year!
Finally, I would love to try some of Anita Grant's products but that shipping is a killer, lol!!!
~~~Azure~~~
okay so i just moved back to the Caribbean after being in D.C for 5years.while in the states i used Pantene Curly defining moose which worked well but the humidity is too much for the product here it just gets stiff and diffcult to untangle..I purchased some Blue Magic hair food which has wheat germ oil and coconut oil but that makes the hair way too greasey so what is your advice in order to manage and style my hair?.. right now its water and gel i use and then style it in a "bun" which i wear to work..
i just whipped up my unrefined shea butter from Coastal scents. I used 5tbsp of shea, 1/4tsp of coconut, some jojoba and olive oil. I am trying to get my fall/winter moisture routine down and i love it whipped. The quantity is plentiful and the moisture stays in my hair longer.
I use a mix of 1 part shea butter, 3/4 part Lily of the Dessert aloe vera gel and a bit of honey.
I use it to seal in fall/winter. It's also very good for the skin.
Hi everyone.I have some aloe vera plants in my yard.Someone told me that If I steep the chopped leaf in water for a day or so I can then use that water as an aloe vera liquid?It goes bad by the second or third day, so how can I extract the juice from the fresh aloe vera to use in my hair? Thanks
I use Carols Daughter LOC Butter to seal but use Oyin Whipped Pudding for moisture. I love this combo and thus far it has worked wonders for me.
I just started using Elasta QPs mango and olive oil. Its inexpensive, smells great and is very moisturizing.
I also mix my own: shea butter, mango butter, avocado oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, vitamin E oil, honey, and essential oils.
@Basic Women: I will definitely have to try the Anita Grant.
@Marcy: I will be adding aloe vera gel to the
next batch I mix for my son.
Marcy, I am curious, do you use 100% pure aloe vera gel from the leaf our do you buy ready aloe vera gel?
I mix my own Shea Butter mix with a hand mixer that attaches to a food processer. Here is what i put in it:
-Unrefinded Shea
-Jojoba oil
-Sweet Almond oil
-Grapeseed oil
-Vitamin E oil
-Essential oils for fragrance
I mix it until it is smooth and it stays soft and creamy. It leaves my hair soft and shiny with out the greasy build up. Love, love, love it. And it does double duty for both my body and my hair so it makes travel much easier.
Thanks Cyndy. I'll pick up a hand mixer when I go "appliance shopping" this weekend lol. I need a new blender for my green smoothies!
I might mix a bit tonight & see what kind of consistency I can get from hand mixing. I'm so very impatient about trying new things lol.
Salutations,
I am so thankful for this post, because I have been playing with making butters, infusing oils (solar or heat-double boiler), and considering making essential oils. I have been researching about how to make butters, and I am still on the fence about whipping everything together with my hand held mixer or combing everything using heat in my double boiler (Please note that my hand held mixer and double boiler are only used for making hair and skin products, plus I follow specific directions when combing butters and infused oils using heat). I try to buy products that are organic, fair trade, and pass my research test. Everything else comes from the organic garden or wild harvested by hubby and myself. My current hair regiment is under construction because I have become an organic product junkie and need to simplify my routine. Esperanza's routine gives me hope that I don't need a lot of products to grow healthy natural curls, and inspires me to simplify my routine. Thank you for posting on this topic Curly Nikki. Live, Love, Peace. ~ Sweetsop
P.S. I have been interested in using avocado as a leave in conditioner, but my Hubby and friends think it will go bad too fast. If anyone knows how to do this, please post. My current idea is to use the avocados as a pre-wash or cowash treatment. (Please note that my avocado tree is young and the fruit isn't mature, so I give some away, compost, or make hair products. When the avocado tree is fully matured, we will be eating a majority of the harvest every year.)
At first I was a product junkie…and I also would create my own concoction by mixing a bunch of organic butters and oils: jojoba oil, shea butter, olive oil, coconut oil, etc….
But NOW I keep it quite simple and get the BEST results by:
–co-washing with Giovanni Deep Moisturizing Conditioner,
–rinsing with cold water
–sealing with both aloe vera gel (the Walmart brand) and 100% unrefined pure shea butter from (buttersnbars.com).
That's it.
My butter mix consists of shea butter, extra virgin coconut oil, and Oyin's burnt sugar pomade.
I use 1 part unrefined shea butter and 1 part coconut oil and blend the two. I then mix in a tbsp of castor and olive oil, a tsp of aloe vera gel, and I use about 20 drops of sweet orange essential oil until it smells delicious! This keeps my hair moisturized for 3 days without having to reapply.
I got the sweet orange oil from Whole Foods. It was on sale for like 2 or 3 dollars and I couldn't pass that up! :o) I have a unrefined cocoa butter that I use blended for my skin but I just may have to try that in my shea butter mix!
For kimmie 0810: I believe the best way to whip the butters is to melt them first. I use a double boiler with low heat to melt the solids, then add the liquid oils and EO off the double boiler. I then use a hand mixer with a whip attachment to whip to the desired consistency. I whip over an ice bath to shorten the whipping time. Using more or less oil will change the consistency. It's hard to mess up, so don't worry.
I'm love butters, but I'm not ingenious/motivated enough to make my own butter blend…I much prefer to buy what other folks concoct! I use Oyin Burnt Sugar, Jane Carter Nourish & Shine, Afoveda Totally Twisted or Shea Amla (depending on the season) & Darcy's Botanicals Organic Coconut Butter Styling Pomade.
I use 100% shea butter and i mix in tea tree oil and olive oil. Its a really creamy mix. Wish i could make it smell a lil better though. Some say add rosemary oil?..idk but my next mix will be with only coconut oil since i found a giant jar at krogers for 7 bucks. Id rather get the real thing than "organic" and have to shell out more money…anywhoo
I am currently using a whip I made myself! it contains:
shea butter
coffee butter
coconut oil
aloe butter
vitamin E oil
olive oil
Peppermint oil
I don't know the exact measurements. I just eyeball it until it looks like what I want.
I also use Jane Carter- shine and Define
My Honey Child, pure shea butter, an other concoctions I make!
I mix pure shea, coconut oil, and a dash of Eco Styler. I get seal and hold all in 1. The consistancy is smooth and creamy. It keeps my hair moisturized until the next wash, usually 3 to 4 days.
When u "whip" do you do it by hand? I've never blended my own butter before & don't really use a butter but my hair needs something different since I've moved from FL back to VA. Surprisingly, my hair prefers the humidity of FL & I had great definition & shine when I was there.
I have plenty of shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil, & rosemary. Do I just soften the butters & stir until blended?
Thanks in advance.
I mix and sell my hair butters. Most are Shea, Mango, crisco (cooking oil), and/or Aloe butter based. Some of my fav oils are Olive, Castor, Sunflower, jojoba, coconut, Calendula, and wheat Germ. You can find out more about my butters at:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/AuNaturalebymzsixx
I love Jane Carter's Nourish & Shine. I'd buy it for the scent alone. Love. I like how it makes wet hair/damp shine.
I also use a homemade whipped mix of coconut oil, shea, jojoba and olive oil.
@ AusetAbena, mango butter is scentless. It is also a little firmer than shea butter. It's not easy to apply on it's own like the shea is. The one I bought was from Mountain Rose Herbs, you can look them up online. I melted it in a bowl immersed in warm water then whipped it with coconut oil (50:50 mix). My coconut oil was already liquid since the weather is so warm. It's creamy and melts on contact with the skin. I'm waiting to see what it will look like once it gets colder.
After 'spritzing' with LOTD Aloe Vera Juice, I use a mix of unrefined shea, cold-pressed coconut oil, EVOO with a few drops of tea tree and rosemary oil added in.
(Planning to try Esparanza's cocoshea mix…just to see if the cocoa butter makes a significant difference… apart from the obvious fragrance issue 😀 )
My butter is really simple and I have Milan from AGrlCanMac to thank for introducing me to it. Shea butter mixed with coconut oil and 100% pure aloe vera gel. Works better than anything else I've tried.
http://meentirely.onsugar.com
Anita Grant's virgin mango coconut whip is amazing and makes my hair extremely soft but not greasy. It contains virgin mango butter, virgin coconut oil, jojoba. I also love Karen's Body Beautiful hair butter when I need something a bit heavier.
http://basicwoman.blogspot.com/
I mix them up and sell them and they all include butters; shea, mango, cocoa butter, avocado and I even have an orange butter. 🙂 My fav oils to add are evco, jojoba and calendula. evco is a great moisturizer, jojoba, as we know, allows the skin to breath and calendula is helpful with those who suffer from skin irritation.
You can check out more about the ingredients I use on my blog www.bellebutters.com
My homemade whipped butter is similar to Esperanza's: mostly shea butter with bits of cocoa butter, coconut oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, tea tree oil, green tea extract, vitamin E oil and lemongrass essential oil.
I use a 1:1 ratio of melted shea butter with coconut oil, which according to Nikki is quite coommon. Can't beat the natural organic route. I am interested in using mango butter. To anyone who uses it I'd like to know how it works. I love the smell of mango oil, so does the butter smell nice as well? They sell it on butters-and-bars website.