Okay, it's not officially Winter yet, but it doesn't hurt to prepare ...
My obsession with shea butter does not stop at hair and body butters but extends to deep conditioners. A few tablespoons will infuse an inexpensive conditioner with moisture and slip. Try adding some melted shea butter to V05, Suave, or White Rain ... or mixing it with honey, egg, oil, or avocado to deep condition your hair this Winter ... and even Autumn!
NOTE: I am not paid to review this and other products. All products are purchased via my own pocket and curiosity.
Purpose: To moisturize dry hair, scalp, and/or skin.
Ingredients: shea, illipe, mango, kokum butters, grapefruit and pear essential oils, vitamins A, D, & E.
Number of trials: Multiple (80% of the container)
How I used it:
• Seal my hair after washing or spritzing with water
• Create a braidout
• Moisturize dry elbows, knees, ankles, and lips
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THE REVIEW:
My favorite characteristics about this product are the natural ingredients, mango-like smell, thickness, moisturizing capability, and versatility. For me, Jane Carter Nourish & Shine was most effective as a sealing agent after washing or wetting my hair ... AND on my skin (particularly, on my elbows, knees, and ankles) after bathing.
My not-so-favorite characteristic is the $22 price for the 4 oz. This pricing may be due to the ingredients being all natural and shea butter being high on the list (number one to be exact). Thus, one is paying for ingredient richness when purchasing this product. Additionally, a little bit of Jane Carter Nourish & Shine goes a long, long way.
Will I purchase it again? If it were cheaper and weren't a mixologist, then yes. At the moment, I'm just fine whipping my own butters for less than half the price. However, I do recommend Jane Carter Nourish & Shine to those desiring to purchase a thick, moisturizing, all-natural, rich, butter-based product that actually works. Here's a less expensive finding including more reviews on Amazon:
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PROS: moisturizing, thick, versatile (use on skin, scalp, and hair), a little goes a long way, nice scent (if you like mango), shea butter as #1 ingredient
CONS: expensive, has a scent (if you're not a fan of mango or fragrances, in general)
RATING: Overall, I give the Jane Carter Nourish & Shine4 out of 5 stars. If it were inexpensive, I'd probably give it a full 5 stars. Ideal for those with: thick hair prone to dryness Not ideal for those with: fine hair, or hair prone to oiliness
It's that time of year again to mix another whipped hairbutter! (My batch ran out this weekend.)
Ingredients (all are moisturizing):
• unrefined shea butter (softening) • coconut oil (protection [1] [2]) • olive oil • safflower OR grapeseed oil (high in fatty acids) • aloe vera gel • essential oil (for fragrance, optional)
Instructions:
Read my earlier post on the body butter mixture; the instructions are very similar. For every cup of shea butter, use 1/4 a cup of olive oil, 1/8 a cup of coconut oil, 1/8 a cup of safflower/grapeseed oil, and a few tablespoons of aloe vera gel. Of course you can tweak this mixture for a creamier or firmer consistency. Feel free add drops of your favorite essential oil for fragrance!
Grapeseed oil contains a high amount of linoleic acid, a type of omega-6 fatty acid. (Safflower oil, my first love, also contains this fatty acid!) Linoleic acid has many health benefits when taken internally (e.g., decreases LDL cholesterol), but what is not discussed as much are its benefits externally. When applied to the skin, this fatty acid can help combat dryness by providing protection against moisture loss (1). Additionally it has demonstrated a potential to effectively reduce the size of blackheads and whiteheads (2).
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It's that time of year again to mix another body butter! In my original batch, I used unrefined shea butter with safflower oil. Since then, I've experimented with a couple more substances and mixtures to get a feel for what my skin likes. Here's my latest mix that I use on my elbows, knees, ankles, and lips. Enjoy!
Ingredients grapeseed oil (high in linoleic acid, odorless)
unrefined shea butter (high in vitamins A, E; softening)
aloe vera gel (99% organic, moisturizing)
vegetable glycerin (humectant)
Melting the shea butter Perform the following if your shea butter is too firm to mix and/or contains impurities. Heat the unrefined shea butter over the stove until melted. Stir continuously. Use low to medium heat. Should be melted in less than 5 minutes.
Filtering the shea butter
If necessary, filter the melted butter through a napkin to remove any impurities. (This depends on how unrefined the shea butter is and from where you purchase it.)
All mixed up
Allow the melted filtered butter to partially solidify at room temperature. Then mix in the grapeseed oil, glycerin, and aloe. Allow the mixture to harden overnight. The next morning, it is ready to use! (Roughly estimated portions: about 4oz of shea butter, 2oz of grapeseed oil, several tablespoons of glycerin and aloe. May adjust to achieve your desired consistency.)
If you've been following this blog for a while, you know that shea butter is my number one love. I use it in my homemade whipped butter mixture to seal water into my hair. I also have a separate body butter mixture to seal moisture into dry areas of my skin.
Lately, I've been hearing a lot about kokum butter and decided to search for more information. It turns out that this particular butter is high in vitamin E, supports skin elasticity, and supposedly reduces/prevents wrinkles. Maybe I'll try it one day?
So, what is your favorite butter? How do you use it?
Here are some products containing kokum. To read more about the benefits of this butter, click here.
Homemade whipped hair butters. Natural. Easy to make. Inexpensive compared to those sold in natural hair shops. More effective than commercial, chemical-based moisturizers and sealants. Delicious for the hair. Did I mention easy to make? Below are links to recipes I've found online. There are endless others you can find on the web. Put on your apron, grab your utensils, and get to mixing:
Do you want to get the essence of henna without the hardening effect? Then check out the following henna-infused coconut oil whipped shea butter recipe by Curly Proverbz!
Directions:
1. Heat and stir henna and herbs in a heavy-based pan over lowest heat setting for about five minutes. (For her DIY details on henna-infused oil, check out this video.)
2. Add extra virgin coconut oil to the pan and keep stirring until melted.
3. Strain out henna with a cheese cloth.
4. Leave oil alone for a few days or weeks to infuse.
5. Crumble shea butter into small pieces into oil.
6. Mix together then whisk until whipped.
Ingredients: 1/4 cup shea butter 1/4 cup melted mango butter
1 tbspcoconut oil (penetrates and protects the strands against combing/styling breakage) 2 tbsp olive oil (moisturizing; possibly penetrates the strands) 3 tbsp avocado oil (moisturizing; possibly penetrates the strands) 2 tbsp grapeseed oil (to protect against moisture loss; sealing oil) few drops of lemon essential oil (optional, for added fragrance) Instructions: Break the shea butter into small pieces and place in a bowl. Using a hand mixer, whip the shea butter until fluffy and the chunks are gone. (If your shea butter is too hard, melt it only slightly to soften it a bit.) Add in melted mango butter and whip. Finally, add in the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly with the hand mixer. Finito!
Grapeseed oil contains a high amount of linoleic acid, a type of omega-6 fatty acid. (Safflower oil, my first love, also contains this fatty acid!) Linoleic acid has many health benefits when taken internally (e.g., decreases LDL cholesterol), but what is not discussed as much are its benefits externally. When applied to the skin, this fatty acid can help combat dryness by providing protection against moisture loss (1). Additionally it has demonstrated a potential to effectively reduce the size of blackheads and whiteheads (2).
If you've been following this blog for a while, you know that shea butter is my number one love. I use it in my homemade whipped butter mixture to seal water into my hair. I also have a separate body butter mixture to seal moisture into dry areas of my skin. 
Homemade whipped hair butters. Natural. Easy to make. Inexpensive compared to those sold in natural hair shops. More effective than commercial, chemical-based moisturizers and sealants. Delicious for the hair. Did I mention easy to make? Below are links to recipes I've found online. There are endless others you can find on the web. Put on your apron, grab your utensils, and get to mixing:
