Thursday, July 1, 2010

Shea butter.

We all know that naturals love shea butter. 
It's perfect for moisturizing our hair because it tends to dry out often.
There are two kinds of shea butters; ivory and yellow. 
Which one should you choose?

The colors are usually determined by the shea tree nuts used to make the butter. The color has nothing to do with the age of the butter; shelf life is usually forever as long as it is in a tub of some kind with a lid so that it doesn't dry out. In some cases, palm oil may have been added which may explain a yellow color. 

The yellow shea butter also has a faint odor to it whereas the ivory is pretty much odorless.

When choosing a shea butter make sure that it is "Unrefined". Some may think that "Refined" is better but in reality, the butter has been bleached, neutralized with lye, and heated it to very high temperatures. 

So which shea butter is better, ivory or yellow?
The answer is either! Both give the same results to heal, moisturize, and revive hair and skin. As long as the shea butter is "Unrefined" it's all good. The only thing you may want to keep in mind is the odor factor. I use the yellow shea butter and yes, the smell can be a little overwhelming but it's not a big deal. It's all on preference. But just know that I can sniff out shea butter anywhere now. :)

5 comments:

  1. I need to get some of this ASAP!

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  2. I love shea butter... Especially during the wintertime. It's the perfect moisturizer.

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  3. Apparently yellow shea butter is not real shea butter. Real shea butter is ivory. The yellow stuff is not butter from the shea nut but another tree indigneous to west Africa.
    I heard that from somewhere it could just be b/s...

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  4. I <3 this, very moisturizing!:D


    http://allthingsmarie.blogspot.com/
    Beauty. Fashion. Interior Design.
    & Life According to Marie.

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  5. The so-called "yellow" shea butter is actually african butter.

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