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.
Related Articles
Flaxseed
or linseed comes from Linum usitatissimum, a blue flowered plant. Flax seeds
are thought to have originated in the ancient Middle East during biblical
times. Historians have traced its cultivation in Babylon as early as 3000 BC.
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.
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.
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.
I decided to go natural because…. Aside from health reasons, I wanted to go natural because I really love natural hair. It’s liberating!
If I were stranded on an island the products I just couldn’t live without are water, coconut oil, a satin bonnet and ouchless elastic headband because water will moisturize my hair and the coconut oil will add a bit more moisture, shine, manageability and act as a sealant. I would wrap my hair nightly with the satin bonnet and when I want to rock a puff, instead of a twist out, I will use the ouchless elastic band.
I decided to go natural because I was tired of my hair. I had long hair before getting it cut initially and although many believed I wasn’t, I was a perm head. My hair was getting dry and brittle from a lot of coloring, perming and cutting. I never seemed to be satisfied with how my hair looked, long or not. I had been researching going natural for months before cutting my hair but I was not sure if it was something I really wanted to do. I was scared of the stigma that may come with being natural and feeling unattractive. When I first cut the perm out, I received a lot of smart comments because I would pluck it out like an afro. People would walk pass me and put their fist up, LOL. When I cut it the second time, people really were surprised. 
The goal for my hair is just to continue to grow it out. I miss my long hair but I just do not miss having perms. Since going natural, I have learned that I have a pretty nice grain of hair. My hair gets real curly when I wet it and I never realized I had curly hair. The one thing I do not like is that my hair gets frizzy! I have found some good products that help me maintain that and basically on rainy days I just do not try. Even with that, to me, my natural curls are golden.
For much of my adult life hair extensions, weaves, braids, and sew-ins were my go to choice of styling. I also wasn’t a stranger to color and my hair being over processed not only by me but professional hairstylist as well. No one not even me listened to my hair. If my hair broke off it was cut short and hidden under a weave, wig or braids. This went on for years at least until 2009. In 2009 I noticed my once thick hair was see through thin and my hair line was moving back fast. I started researching and watching YouTube videos on hair healthy. With a fresh trim my hair started to grow and my hair line was slowly returning. Things were going great with my hair. Until March 3, 2010 three days before my husband’s birthday when I opted to get a touch-up (my new growth relaxed). The next day after getting my hair done was horrible, as I started to comb my wrapped hair down clumps of my hair began to come out, leaving me with a softball size bald spot in the top of my head. 
