Shea Butter...Unrefined VS Refined

When it comes to Shea butter, you have two choices. Unrefined or Refined, but which do you choose? First let me back up for a minute and tell you a little bit about Shea butter.
Shea butter is derived from the seed of the Shea tree in Africa. It contains both vitamin A and E. It's not only used in the hair, but also to treat skin conditions like wrinkles, eczema, blemishes and dermatitis. It is also used to treat insect bites, sunburns and frostbite. The differences between unrefined and refined is how the two are processed. Both of them have the same origins from the Shea tree. The nuts are harvested and crushed to extract the butter. It it during the extraction process where you can distinguish between the two.

Unrefined Shea butter is extracted using water only, either by hand or machines, without the use of chemicals and synthetics. This end product is also commonly known as raw Shea butter or organic Shea butter. Its color ranges from beige to light golden yellow and its texture is usually grainy. This method will keep all the vitamins, minerals and other properties of the Shea butter intact. Unrefined Shea butter has a smoky and nutty smell which can be unappealing to consumers. I find adding essential oils such as rosemary, peppermint or lavender help to disguise the smell.

Refined Shea butter is extracted using hexane and other petroleum solvents. It is then refined and bleached by heating it to high temperatures. Other additives and preservatives are also added to remove the nutty smell, resulting in it becoming odorless. It is also white in color which is more physically appealing instead of the yellowish color of the pure traditional Shea butter. This type is also smooth in texture because they have been refined to get rid of the grainy molecules. During the refining process, Shea butter loses many of its vitamins and minerals.

So, which do you choose? Unrefined Shea butter has the highest concentration of vitamins, antioxidants and benefits that you could possibly get. If you do not mind the nutty smell, go for this type because they are far more effective compared to refined ones. They are, however, more expensive compared to refined ones and you would have to learn how to store Shea butter properly so that they can last longer.

Remember, Shea butter is not a good moisturizer, as it doesn't contain any water. Applying it to dry hair can result in locking moisture out of your hair, making it brittle and prone to breakage. It is, however, an excellent sealant for the moisture that you do put into you hair. I like melting my unrefined Shea butter in a plastic container by immersing it into a cup of boiling hot water. Then I'll add coconut oil, lavender oil, rosemary oil, sweet almond oil and grapeseed oil to it. I'll apply a good moisturizing leave in conditioner to my damp hair and seal it in with the Shea butter concoction, concentrating on my ends. Mix and match to come up with a concoction that your hair will love. LOVE YOUR HAIR!!!