Can Shea Butter penetrate?

[Neith]

I think my hair may like shea butter. It tends to love deep conditioners that have plenty shea butter in them.

From googling a little bit... I found that it's a saturated fat. So is coconut oil. I know coconut oil can penetrate...

So, does anyone know?

 

[msa]

I'm pretty sure shea butter can't penetrate, but maybe it's made up of some things that can. Hmmm, I'll have to check.

 

[Neith]

I'm pretty sure shea butter can't penetrate, but maybe it's made up of some things that can. Hmmm, I'll have to check.

Oh, really? I'll skip the shea butter for sealing then. Coconut oil has really been good for my hair. I was a little excited that I might find another heavy, deep penetrating oil/butter to use.

 

[AfroKink]

I thought it did penetrate. Allowing people to use it as a DC

 

[Neith]

I thought it did penetrate. Allowing people to use it as a DC

I'll do more research on it, but I'm just not finding anything that says it penetrates.

I'm sure it's wonderful on the hair though. I'm pretty sure that my hair likes it. It's been a key ingredient of my DC's for over a year.

 

[lashannasmall]

It doesn't penetrate for me. It just sits on top of my hair but other people love it.

 

[SweetSpirit86]

It doesn't penetrate for me. It just sits on top of my hair but other people love it.

Ditto. Wish my hair did like it, though. Smells so nice, lol.

 

[Sonye93]

Hey, here's a link at eHow. It says it penetrates both hair and skin, and is a good moisturizer. Hope This Helps!

 

[MizzBrit]

idk. but it does contains vitamins,nutrients and properties beneficial to the hair. it gives my hair a healthy sheen.

 

[msa]

So I just checked The Beauty Brains and here's what they have to say about shea butter....

It works the same way as petrolatum and mineral oil, by forming a barrier layer on top of the skin that reduces the amount of water that evaporates through the skin.

And here's how they define how oils moisturize (and shea butter is an oil)...

Moisture evaporates from your skin by slipping though tiny cracks and fissures. Oils form a barrier layer on top of the skin that prevents the water molecules from escaping. It’s all about stopping evaporation!

I'm still thinking shea butter doesn't penetrate. We know for sure that coconut oil penetrates the most, followed by olive oil, and then avocado oil. So, IMO, if you want something that penetrates, don't choose shea butter.

 

[melodies815]

^ not too sure about their science. I hope that doesn't come across the wrong way....but everything I have read that mentions shea butter being able to penetrate lines up with what I experience with my hair.

Conditioner or not, the is the one thing I cannot skip because my hair is dry without it. When I use oils, my hair eventually breaks and feels super dry because they don't moisturize...but shea butter...I could use it and nothing else,and my hair would be so happy.

I think it does penetrate, though for some types, it's too heavy and just weighs the hair down..

hth!!!

cj

 

[DMJ's Mom]

I don't know if it does or not but it makes my hair air dry softer

 

[Kurlee]

Generally, molecules with a straight chain geometry (saturated fatty acids), such as stearic acid, lauric acid, and palmitic acid can easily fit through the pores of the cuticle layer and slither through the CMC and into the interior of the cortex. Recent spectroscopic studies have allowed scientists to confirm that monounsaturated fatty acids are also able to readily penetrate the interior of the hair via this route. However, polyunsaturated fatty acids seem unable to penetrate into the interior of the hair at all, and remain either adsorbed onto the exterior surface of the hair or may get wedged into the cuticle layer.

Shea is comprised of mostly stearic acid and is a straight chain molecule. Therefore yes, it does penetrate. Oils that are mostly comprised of polyunsaturated fatty acids cannot. Like for instance, jojoba oil would make a great sealer because it is a mostly polyunsaturated lipid, but not able to really penetrate and "moisturize" and nourish the hair.

 

[msa]

^ not too sure about their science. I hope that doesn't come across the wrong way....but everything I have read that mentions shea butter being able to penetrate lines up with what I experience with my hair.

Conditioner or not, the is the one thing I cannot skip because my hair is dry without it. When I use oils, my hair eventually breaks and feels super dry because they don't moisturize...but shea butter...I could use it and nothing else,and my hair would be so happy.

I think it does penetrate, though for some types, it's too heavy and just weighs the hair down..

hth!!!

cj

I don't know anything about the science either...I leave the science to the scientists. Which is why I love places like the beauty brains and the natural haven.

The only reason I'm inclined to believe that shea butter doesn't penetrate is because most oils don't penetrate...very few of them do. And butters are just oils in solid form.

I don't know if anyone has studied the efficacy of shea butter specifically though. But they have studied the fact that it does have some sunblock type properties...which also leads me to believe that it's not penetrating into the strand.

But if it works for people, it works.

 

[Kurlee]

Also adding some other oils that can penetrate based on their chemistry:
- avocado!!!
-coconut
-rice bran
- meadowfoam
-olive

 

[msa]

Shea is comprised of mostly stearic acid and is a straight chain molecule. Therefore yes, it does penetrate. Oils that are mostly comprised of polyunsaturated fatty acids cannot. Like for instance. Jojoba oil would make a great sealer because it is mostly polyunsaturated, but not able to really penetrate and "moisturize" and nourish the hair.

Where's that quote from? It looks interesting.

 

[Kurlee]

http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlr...lchemist-helps-us-understand-oils-and-butters

I'm doing chem right now and all this makes so much sense!!!

 

[msa]

http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlr...lchemist-helps-us-understand-oils-and-butters

I'm doing chem right now and all this makes so much sense!!!

Thanks so much. I just read this article a few days ago but obviously the info didn't stick.

I failed chem all through high school so I'm glad someone understands it and can help us out!

 

[Chameleonchick]

Also adding some other oils that can penetrate based on their chemistry:
- avocado!!!
-coconut
-rice bran
- meadowfoam
-olive

Yeah meadowfoam and rice bran oils are pretty light. The others are faves in my book also.

 

[Neith]

http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlr...lchemist-helps-us-understand-oils-and-butters

I'm doing chem right now and all this makes so much sense!!!

Cool! So shea and cocoa butter can penetrate too!

I will consider trying these out.

Thanks very much for posting!

 

[BlkOnyx488]

How can you tell if it penetrates the hair or not?

 

[Neith]

How can you tell if it penetrates the hair or not?

Read this link...

http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlre...ls-and-butters

 

[BlkOnyx488]

Wow I deserve a science Credit for reading that
I think I need to break out the books and study this article before I fully comprehend it

Read this link...

http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlre...ls-and-butters

 

[KrystalClear]

This is great, I always wondered that. I want to use it for DC because my hair NEEDS thicker products.