Coconut Oil and Shea Butter

This post is another that has been a long time in coming :) But it's finally here! 

I wanted to talk a bit about the oils we've been trying in Q's hair. First, I had wanted to either make my own "products" or stay away from them completely - well I'm starting to think that was some pretty naive thinking! lol!

First I had heard that I could just wet her hair with water and gently comb in out with a wide tooth comb every morning. (This works well, we still do this most mornings) I thought that sounded good - easy enough - and non-intrusive.

BUT I felt like there was more I could be doing to help the hair stay moisturized - and defrizzed. After naps and after being in the carseat (for any amount of time) Q's curls just love to get matted and frizzy, looking like we never detangled them at all!

So I got satin pillowcases and covered the back of her carseat with a piece of satin. 

(The satin was old, so maybe not as slippery as it could have been - I'm thinking I'd like to try some other fabric)

... the satin DID help! But not enough.

Next I have read about adding coconut oil to the hair for moisture...I've done this! But on Q's light hair anyway, it is VERY easy to get too much - which then just makes her hair oily and greasy looking. Not moisturized and healthy! 

Then I heard about African Shea Butter (which is also a key ingredient in many good products for curly hair) so I decided to try some! www.thelegendsofafrica.com 

I love the stuff! I still have to be careful not to use too much at a time, but I find that it's more forgiving than the coconut oil, and less "greasy" - maybe it absorbs into the hair better? I'm not really sure! But I found in also worked quite well in keeping her curls from tangling in the carseat. 

(Coconut oil worked too, as far as keeping tangles at bay, but Shea Butter was better!)

(her hair is still wet in this picture - I add the oils to wet hair)

Just natural (un-attacked by the carseat as of yet!) and dry...

So now our "daily routine" is to spray with water and detangle, then add Shea Butter! 

(organic, unrefined)

And I've stumbled on another "routine" that we're just starting and I think is working well ... every so often (twice now - lol) I cover her curls with coconut oil and olive oil and let it sit. Then I wash out the majority, but not all ... then the next day I braid her hair and keep it up, letting the oils get a chance to really soak in. Wash again that night and get all the excess oils out ... this leaves Q's hair SUPER soft and looking fabulous!!

Shea Butter

Shea Butter is a new experience for me! But I'm learning there are many uses for it. Most commonly it is used as a moisturizer. Whether it works because it's a fat and locks in the moisture so the hair can use it - or whether it is moisturizing in and of itself - I don't know! I've read things from different sources that seem to conflict with each other. But the one thing that still holds true, either way you look at it - Shea Butter can help moisturize your hair! Keeping it soft, supple and shiny, too!



Here are a few links to browse :)

Hair Boutique  (a thread in their forum about recipes to make yourself - all for your hair! Some include Shea Butter as an ingredient, and some don't.)

a GREAT clip from this website helps me understand the stuff a lot more!...


What is African Shea Butter?
Shea Butter is a fat derived from the fruit of the karite tree in Africa. Reviewing the Cosmetics Database, as it stands now, shea butter has a toxicity rating of 0 and its scientific name is BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII. Hopefully, more research can be done on this product so more benefits can be found for its use.

The website is called Natural Hair Grows.

 And here's a post about Hair Butter Recipes! Taken from The Blacker the Berry..... 

Easy Toddler Twist Hairdo

This one was so quick and easy I just had to post it! 

(Sorry no step by step pics, but I think you can manage without!)

We bought some Shea Butter last night and so today was mostly about playing with that and seeing how it affects Q's hair - but we still needed a style, too! I figure Q likes being able to see and not have her hair in her face all day :) So this is what we did! I just parted it in four sections and rolled them each towards the back of her head. Two going to the left and two going to the right. Then I clipped them! TaDa!

Stay tuned for a post about my adventures in using the Shea Butter and Coconut Oil in Q's hair!!