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Is Butter Good for Hair?

3 Healthy Hair Butters for Natural Hair

– Cocoa, Ucuuba, and Kokum

By Jacqueline Samaroo

Is butter good for hair? Well, that really depends on the kind of butter you are talking about. Keep reading to find out about three natural butters that have traditionally been used for hair health. Of course, you likely already know about cocoa butter hair benefits. No worries if you don’t – we’ve got you covered!

We also look at ucuuba butter and kokum butter in this post. They may not be as popular as cocoa butter but they definitely are worth adding to your natural hair care routine. Read on!

This is the second post in our Healthy Hair Butters series. Be sure to check out the first installment where we looked at shea, mango, and murumuru butters.

And, stay tuned! We’ll be covering lots of other healthy hair butters in the coming weeks!

1.      Healthy Hair Butters – Cocoa Butter

What is cocoa butter?

Cocoa butter is made from fermented cocoa beans of the Theobroma cacao (or cocoa) tree. The tree is native to Mexico where Native Americans began making use of cocoa products, including cocoa butter and chocolate, over 3,000 years ago. In modern times, cocoa butter hair benefits, as well as its goodness for skin health have been widely researched.

Cocoa butter is pale yellow in color, edible, and has a chocolatey scent. It is used to make yummy chocolate and several other cocoa products. It has also long been a popular ingredient in skincare products.

Cocoa butter contains several beneficial fatty acids. Chief among them are stearic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid. These fatty acids are very similar to the fats that help to maintain our natural skin barrier and keep our skin healthy.

Cocoa butter is a hard solid at room temperature but it melts just below human body temperature. Therefore, it melts easily on application. It is also readily absorbed into the skin.

Cocoa butter health benefits

Cocoa butter aids in skin repair and prevents skin damage. It is a powerful emollient with the ability to protect, moisturize, and lubricate the skin. It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is a good source of several vitamins (such as vitamin E), minerals, and other plant chemicals that can boost skin health.

Cocoa butter for hair growth

Cocoa butter hair benefits include:

• It will not clog the pores on your scalp.
• It has moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, and soothing effects for scalp health.
• It can be used as a treatment for dry scalp whether on its own or combined with other ingredients.
• It nourishes both scalp and hair while giving hair a healthy-looking sheen.

Two Cocoa Butter Products for Natural Hair Care

Cocoa Butter by Sky Organics

This is raw, unrefined, pure cocoa butter for skincare and haircare. If you like making your own natural hair care products, then this vegan cocoa butter from Sky Organics is a very good choice for any DIY hair butter recipe.

 

 

Sheamoisture Red Palm Oil, Cocoa Butter, and Flaxseed Oil Conditioner

This conditioner from SheaMoisture can either be rinsed out of your hair or used as a leave-in conditioner. Its formula moisturizes dry, curly hair while providing it with much-needed nutrients and improved elasticity. It also combats shrinkage, helping you to show off the natural length of your hair.

 

 

 

2.      Healthy Hair Butters – Ucuuba Butter

What is Ucuuba butter?

Ucuuba (or ucuhuba) butter is cold pressed from the seed of the ucuuba tree. The tree, also known as wild nutmeg, is native to Central and South America. Uccuba butter is dark yellow to golden brown, solid at room temperature, and has an earthy scent. It is thicker and oilier than some other types of hair butter and is quite similar to cocoa butter in several ways.

Ucuuba butter is rich in fatty acids, especially myristic acid. It also contains moderate amounts of lauric acid, and palmitic acid. Uccuba butter is used to make soaps, pomades, body and hair butters, and creams. It is often added to DIY hair butter recipes along with other beneficial butters and oils.

Ucuuba butter health benefits

Ucuuba butter is said to have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, making it an effective treatment for dry, irritated skin. It is also used to provide dandruff relief. Uccuba butter contains vitamin A and vitamin C, both of which have been shown to greatly affect and improve skin and hair health.

Ucuuba butter for hair growth

Uccuba butter has antioxidant effects, helping to prevent and repair damage to hair and scalp. It is also very moisturizing and helps to keep hair hydrated. Uccuba butter, like most other hair butters, also adds shine to your hair.

Furthermore, it has been shown to improve hair elasticity. Its lauric acid, in particular, has been shown to strengthen hair and reduce breakage.

Two Ucuuba Butter Products for Natural Hair Care

3CayG All Natural Ucuuba Butter

This is raw, unrefined uccuba butter that works well with dry, normal, and combination skin. It is also great for hair butter recipes! It is honey-colored with a fragrance that’s described as earthy mixed with the scents of nutmeg and cinnamon.

 

 

Céla Essential Balm

This is an all-over body balm that can also be used on your hair. It is formulated from six plant oils and six plant butters. Among them are coconut oil (known for its high lauric acid content) and bergamont oil (which softens curls). Also included is ucuuba butter for all the hair butter benefits we’ve looked at!

 

 

 

3.      Healthy Hair Butters – Kokum Butter

What is Kokum butter?

This unscented butter is produced from the seeds of the kokum tree. It is solid at room temperature, edible, and has a wide range of uses. The kokum tree is native to some of the savanna areas of Africa and the Indian subcontinent.

Kokum butter is hard with a chalk-like texture. It is a stable butter that is very similar to shea butter in how well it is readily absorbed by the skin. It has a wide range of uses in your skincare and natural hair care routines, as well as in your kitchen.

Kokum butter contains several fatty acids, including linoleic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid. It has anti-inflammatory properties. Kokum butter can be used on its own or added to other oils and butters in your homemade hair butter recipes.

Kokum butter health benefits

Kokum butter is a rich emollient that also has skin regenerative properties. Kokum has been shown to aid oxygenation of body cells, including scalp skin cells and the growing cells of the hair follicle. Oxygenation is vital for getting these cells the nutrients they need for healthy growth and proper functioning.

Kokum butter for hair growth

Kokum butter is a great choice for moisturizing dry hair. It strengthens and conditions hair. Kokum butter is also very similar to beeswax. You can use it as a vegan substitute for beeswax in hair butter recipes.

Two Kokum Butter Products for Natural Hair Care

Hera Nature Kokum Butter

This is 100% pure kokum butter that can be used on dry or acne-prone skin, as well as in natural hair care. Use it in hair butter recipes, knowing it will not change the scents of your other ingredients since kokum butter naturally has no scent of its own.

 

 

LOLI Beauty’s Chia Carrot Brûlée

Chia seed and carrot seed are the main ingredients in this balm from LOLI. It also contains kokum butter as a “vegan-friendly, botanical alternative to beeswax.” It’s a multipurpose balm that can be used for both skincare and haircare.

 

 

 

So, is butter good for hair? Hell, yes!! Tell us about any hair butters you use!