5lbs of shea..alternative uses needed

[DarkandLovely]

I wanted to buy some shea to make a moisturizer. There was a really good price for 5 lbs so I got that instead of 1 lb. I guess I didn't realize how much 5 lbs of shea butter actually is b/c I made my moisturizer (which I love) but now I have a ton of left over shea. Any suggestions of other uses for it. I'm almost about to start giving some away to family/friends : )

 

[LovinLea]

It doesn't spoil, right? I would just store it. The last time I bought shea butter was about a year and a half ago and I'm still working on it.

 

[bride91501]

I started mixing a little shea butter into my facial night creme, and my face feels AMAZING in the morning- butter soft! I tend to get dark circles under my eyes (hereditary), the shea butter has all but eliminated them as well.

 

[curly2shoez]

Did you buy it online and if so can I have details, also what kind of shea butter is it? I bought African shea butter and I mixed some with some essential oils like peppermint, Rosemary, and lavender and I use that to soften my feet instead of vaseline (?sp)

Mix it with castor oil for my steamed facials. I guess Shea butter like cocobutter is supposed to help with blemishes and castor oils helps with dark circles under the eye.

I heat mine up in the mic for a hot oil treatment with a lil cayenne pepper...

Just a few ideas...

 

[Allandra]

When I order unrefined shea butter, I order 5 pounds at a time. I use mine to make a blend for my hair and a blend for my body moisturizer. I use it on my body twice a day. I just store the unused portion until I'm ready to use it (store in a cool dry place of course).

 

[SimJam]

yup what they said, I use shea butter more on my body than hair usually whipped with olive, coconut and jojoba oils.

I bought 3 lbs exactly 1 year ago and Im abt half way through it.

its also good for eczema

 

[mscocopuff]

21 Reasons to Use Shea Butter

1. Dry skin
02. skin rash
03. Skin peeling, after tanning
04. Blemishes and wrinkles
05. Itching skin
06. Sunburn
07. Shaving cream for a smooth silky shave.
08. Small skin wounds
09. Skin cracks
10. Tough or rough skin (on feet.)
11. Cold weather,
12. Frost bites
13. Stretch mark prevention during pregnancy
14. Insect bites
15. Healthy skin
16. Muscle fatigue, aches and tension
17. For before and after strenuous exercise
18. Skin allergies such as poison ivy or poison oak
19. Eczema
20. Dermatitis
21. Skin damage from heat (hot grease while cooking, radiation treatment for certain medical problems, etc.)

Hope this helps!

 

[Fhrizzball]

You can also use it as a Prepoo, hot oil, DC.

 

[virtuenow]

Make some hair butters. I keep three batches of hair butter at a time-- using shea butter as teh base. One is shea butter/oil combination. It serves as the base of all of my other mixes. It inclues about half shea butter and 1/4 castor oil, and 1/4 coconut oil. I use it alone and add to make other mixes. One is a conditioner. I use half conditioner, and half the shea mix. It is a rinse out conditioner or daily leave-in styling tool. The next is a shealoe mix. I mix the shea mixture plus some aloe vera gel. Its kind of a butter or pudding depending on how much aloe u use. As much as a half and half mix.

 

[RossBoss]

I bought 32 lbs. of shea butter for myself a few months ago from a guy who gets it straight from Africa and I plan to use every bit of it. I simply keep the bulk of it in a dark cool place and scoop out some as needed. I melt it down a little and add manuka honey, grapeseed oil and rosehip seed oil and I use it that way. I take 2 showers a day and am constantly greasing up my hands and lips so I go through it pretty fast.

 

[DarkandLovely]

Wow you guys are amazing! Thanks a bunch I literally wanted to quote each and everyone of your responses. Thanks for all the tips now I'm glad I have so much extra b/c I'm excited to try each of your suggestions. Also good to know it has a lengthy shelf life. Keep 'em coming ladies

 

[DarkandLovely]

Did you buy it online and if so can I have details, also what kind of shea butter is it? I bought African shea butter and I mixed some with some essential oils like peppermint, Rosemary, and lavender and I use that to soften my feet instead of vaseline (?sp)

Mix it with castor oil for my steamed facials. I guess Shea butter like cocobutter is supposed to help with blemishes and castor oils helps with dark circles under the eye.

I heat mine up in the mic for a hot oil treatment with a lil cayenne pepper...

Just a few ideas...

It may not be the cheapest ever but I got it from OilsbyNature for $17. It's unrefined and it's the creamy off white kind which I find is the most moisturizing..not like the hard yellow kind.

 

[afrikurl]

I use it as a lp balm too. but I wanted to say that shea butter is an oil and that after a period of time it can go rancid. I actually had this issue a few months back. I had just ordered some shea butter on line (4LBs) and then my SIL sent me some from Ghana and then my cousin did the same thing. They both sent about 4-5 lbs. I did give quite a bit away to a good friend whose newborn had exema but the rest, I froze. DH just took it out of the freezer and it still smells fresh.

 

[Pompous Blue]

This is all some good info.

I bought 5 lbs of Shea Nilotica, separated it into 8 oz. ea., placed each in a Foodsaver bag and froze them.

I go through Shea butter quickly, too, using it for hair and body.

I got mine from lotioncrafter.com (used the 5% LHCF discount). It came in a pail.

I like the shea nilotica 'cause it is very soft and I don't have to whip it with other oils and such.

 

[miss stress]

exactly how do yall whip your shea butter? I want to add water, alovera gel, olive oil and monoi de tahiti oil to it.

From my understanding, I would melt it down, ad the ingridients and use the handmixer? how much of my ingridients to add? I just bought 2lbs of shea

thanks

 

[Allandra]

I mixed a few batches and poured mine into containers (with screw on tops) and stored in the fridge. I'm down to two containers in the fridge, so I'll be ordering another 5 pounds soon.

I let mine soften (NEVER with the microwave though). You can use a double boiler to soften it if need be. I whip mine with a hand mixer and a bit of jojoba oil. Love it on my hair (natural texture, not straightened hair, too heavy for that for me) and on my body.

 

[YoursTrulyRE]

You can melt it down and add it to conditioners, shampoos, and/or hair lotions. (Adds extra moisture to anything)

You can whip it up and use it on your body. (I do this all the time!!)

You can make serums with it. (a lot of ppl add this to their sulfur growth serums).

Or you can store it in a cool, dry place. I usually store mine under the sink in the kitchen or the bathroom.

Hope this helps.

 

[DarkandLovely]

exactly how do yall whip your shea butter? I want to add water, alovera gel, olive oil and monoi de tahiti oil to it.

From my understanding, I would melt it down, ad the ingridients and use the handmixer? how much of my ingridients to add? I just bought 2lbs of shea

thanks

I added eveything I believe is moisturizing...jojoba oil, olive oil, glycerin, and a little bit of castor oil. I really love how moisturizing it leaves my hair. Unfortunately, I didn't measure anything so not sure how I'm going to reproduce it

 

[chebaby]

i have 5 pounds of shea at home myself. i love love love shea butter so i use it all the time. i also use it on my body and face but my hair is what i got it for.

 

[cornaline]

one usage by some people in West Africa(cote d'Ivoire): after showering and before toweling I scoop some rub my hands to make it really creamy and I apply on my wet skin, all over my body. Then I rince it with warm/hot water for it to melt on your skin, rub a little bit then towel dry. The thing is you literraly towel the surplus on your skin ( might have to change your towel more often). a few minutes and your skin is smoooth and super soft all day long. I have been doing that for a week and wow my skin has turned velvet !!

 

[fatimablush]

if you use a hand held mixer..how long do you mix it?

i am thinking about ordering a 5 pound batch myself!