Although Americans recently have started to embrace the benefits of shea butter for the hair and skin, African women have been using shea butter for years. While many women spend a proverbial arm and leg on expensive hair treatments, others use an all-natural substance free of dyes and chemicals. Hmm ... which should you choose?
1.
Wash, towel dry and comb your hair. Separate your hair into small sections about two inches wide and secure the hair with clips. Don't fret if you don't have enough clips for all of your hair; just start on one half of your head and then clip the other half when you're finished.
2.
Put a small amount of unrefined shea butter in your hands and rub it between your palms to soften it. Take one section of hair and, starting at the scalp, massage the butter into your scalp and along your hair to the ends.
3.
Continue to apply the shea butter until you've tackled each section of hair. Scoop and warm more shea butter in your hands as needed.
4.
Leave the shea butter in your hair for at least 30 minutes for a gentle conditioning. If your hair's in really bad shape and you need a deep conditioning, you can leave it for several hours. Rinse well with warm water, and work your style magic.
Things You'll Need
1.Shampoo
3.Comb
5.Shea butter
2.Towel
4.Hair clips
Tips & Tricks
Don't fret too much about the strong smell; the shea butter aroma will fade soon after you apply it to your hair.
References
Everything Shea; Shea Butter -- Africa's Golden Gift; Lisa Maliga
Revitalise Your Health: The Magical Benefits of Shea Butter
Project Muse; African Shea Butter: A Feminized Subsidy from Nature; Carney, Judith Ann and Marlène Elias; 2007.
Add to this Article
advertisement
advertisement
