Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Natural Hair Agenda Series: 10 Butters for Your Hair and Skin

Shea, Cocoa, Olive, or Mango may be some of the most common butters known that are beneficial for your hair and skin. Murumuru and Illipe Butters are amongst the more expensive on the market, but there are other less expensive ones available that can be used alone, or mixed with other butters and even conditioner to enhance their properties.
 
Butter made from fruit, beans, seeds and leaves is produced by hydrogenating the cold pressed oil extracted from them. From oils themselves, for instance Hemp Seed Oil, butter is produced by extracting the oil and combining the fatty acids and unsaponifiables (wax) from the oil. Extracted oils are also blended with Palm Oil, Soybean Oil or other vegetable oils to make butter.

The following is a list of butters that you can use on your body and hair - some of which you may have not heard of.
 
1. Sweet Almond Butter - its properties are similar to Shea Butter and it contains essential fatty acids. It is great for dry skin/scalp because it hydrates the skin and restores elasticity.

2. Coffee Bean Butter - is natural protection from ultraviolet light and is becoming a popular ingredient in sunscreen products. It is an antioxidant and contains phytosterols which have anti-irritation and anti-inflammatory properties, condition skin and hair and promote moisture retention. It is good for dry skin.

3. Kokum Butter - it has the ability to soften skin and heal ulcerations of lips, hands and soles of feet. Kokum Butter helps reduce degeneration of the skin cells and restores elasticity.

4. Hemp Seed Butter - is rich in essential fatty acids that nourish the skin and helps reduce moisture loss from the skin. 

5. Avocado Butter - is a great moisturizing treatment for hair. It makes a good butter for belly balms and lip balms. It can be used as an eye makeup remover and in hair conditioning creams.

6. Green Tea Butter - is anti-inflammatory, anti-cellulite (much cheaper than those anti-cellulite creams on the market - about $9 for 8oz) and has anti-irritancy and anti-fungal effects. It has a high content of polyphenols (antioxidants). It protects the skin from aging and against UV-B rays.

7. Pistachio Butter - rich in fatty acids that moisturizes and softens skin. It has excellent penetrating qualities - good massage butter. It also has a low comedogenicity (doesn’t clog pores).

8. Macadamia Butter - has a high concentration of palmitoleic acid, a naturally occurring fatty acid. Our production of palmitoleic acid decreases as we get older so this butter is great for mature skin, as well as and dry skin.

9. Orange Butter - has a high concentration of Bioflavonoids (Vitamin P - that neutralizes free-radicals) polyphenols (antioxidants). It has anti-cellulite and anti-inflammatory properties and other protective benefits for skin, such as a cleansing and toning effect. It can improve oily, acne prone skin. 

10. Cupuacu Butter - is similar to Cocoa Butter, but has a softer, creamier consistency. It contains essential fatty acids and phytosterols, and is very moisturizing for skin and hair. It is also a natural protection from UV-A and UV-B rays. It can be used to treat skin conditions such as eczema and dermatitis and adds shine and replenishes moisture in hair.

Almost all of the butters mentioned above can be purchased at reasonable prices via the links below. Texas Natural Supply sells sample sizes starting at $1.60 and up. The Kokum Butter may be a bit expensive at about $13 for 8oz, as well as the Cupuacu Butter at about $3 an ounce. Remember, if you have an existing scalp or skin conditions consult your doctor or pharmacist before using.

More Information:
Texas Natural Supply - http://www.texasnaturalsupply.com
From Nature With Love - http://www.fromnaturewithlove.com

Stay tuned for more articles from the Natural Hair Agenda Series.

Guest Blogger Laquita Thomas-Banks is one of the Natural Hair communities most noted writers. Her credits include writing for Clutch magazine and its sister site Coco and Cream, the Examiner.com as the DC Natural Hair Examiner. She also writes natural hair articles for Pumpsicle, AfroGlitz, Living No Lye, Sanata International print magazine, and a guest blogger on Kinnks.  She was also featured during BOND Inc’s Spotlight.
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