shea butter & coconut oil...how could this be?

[missfreshlala]

Ever since is started visiting this board I've heard nothing but great things about shea butter and cocnut oil. So couple weeks back I ordered some online from iherb.com. they said both were 100% natural. When they arrived I was disappointed because the shea butter was obviously refined. Nevertheless I used them mixed together on wet hair b4 I roller set my hair. I didn't really notice any difference in softness like I had heard. But I figured it was still good for my hair. Today I used the mixture to moisturize my ends while watchin a movie. A while after I did this I touched my hair. It felt straw dry and rough. Out of panic I instantly put in some nexxus humectress as a leave in to save my hair. The purpose of this thread is to ask, what would be the reason my hair reacted this way? Is it the brand I'm using or is it something else. Lookin for some help here cuz I don't wanna be the only one missing out on these great products. Thanx in advance ladies

 

[I Am So Blessed]

coconut oil and shea but does nothing for my hair. NOTHING!!

 

[I Am So Blessed]

it just makes it sticky! and i had to wash it as soon as i put it in.

 

[Urban]

Sorry to hear they're not quite working out for you. You might want to try them by themselves, maybe one is not suitable for your hair, but the other is.

Although shea butter is not for everyone (I found it tended to soften, but 'sit' on my hair), I'd say don't give up on it until you try the unrefined type. With the coconut oil, does it specifically say either extra virgin or unrefined?

Lastly, it's good to try out new products because you never know what might work for you ... but if you truly find that it's not working for you, then just forget it and try something else or keep doing what was working for you.

 

[missfreshlala]

Yeah I'm gonna try and unrefined shea butter. And hopefully a better coconut oil but ill try them separately as u suggested. Thanx

 

[TemiLnd]

I'm sorry about your experience. Everyone's is different. I use a mix of shea butter, coconut oil and some oils. But I am realy light on the shea butter. Like Urban said, try each on its own and see what works best then start to tink around till you find a combination that works for you. Also, I make small batched as I need them cos depending on the weather my needs change. Goodluck

 

[AKUA WOOD]

I agree with everything that has already been mentioned.
Unrefined shea butter is very good - you can also try the shea oil.

Do you mind me asking if you used anything else apart from shea & coconut oil to roller set.

 

[lwilliams1922]

what brands did you order? I buy a lot form them but I never looked there for shea butter.

I also found that a little goes a long way and it works better for me on wet hair. I also like to rotate, shea butter for a few weeks then olive oil. I cook with coconut oil but I just never hit it off with the hair.

how are you wearing your hair? I assume you are natural from your siggy and you mentioned roller set. I don't know that it would work with my hair & a roller set but then again I'm not very good at roller sets.

sorry for the typos I'm on my phone.

 

[silenttullip]

Sorry about your mis-hap. Honestly if shea butter made your hair straw like *been there* you need more moisture. Shea butter is like a moisturize but I mean like a leave in conditioner and then do the shea butter. Coconut oil will also give you a straw like feel *if* your hair lacks moisture. Oils seal or can condition when used as a deep treatment but if your hair is already dry then nothing is being sealed in. Mixing them together without a leave in probably isn't a good choice. As temilnd said try each alone. It helped me a lot, I've found coconut oil makes my hair too soft, iow it takes the tightness from my twists and kinda gives frizz. I've found shea butter on its own is too sticky so I altered it by warming it up in the microwave rubbing a *small* amount in my hands and sliding it from the center of my hair to the ends I never let it touch my scalp (too much build up). As for altering coconut oil I'll add it to my deep conditioner and see how that goes. I hth

 

[lolascurls]

I'm lighter on the shea butter in my mix too!
Hope you have a better experience next time.

 

[discodumpling]

I LOVE my homemade cocoshealoe mix. But it ain't for everybody...

When experimenting with new products I try to do so on freshly clarified hair. Also refined shea has all the goodness sucked out & works nothing like pure shea.

 

[NikStarrr]

I am a big lover of shea butter (I make a blend of shea and EVOO). I wouldn't however use any shea butter or shea butter mixes on a rollerset--it's too heavy. It's great for braidouts/twistouts though.

 

[jeniece]

I agree with Nik...shea butter is more for twistouts/braidouts. It does depend on your own hair and how it responds though. I only use it on dry hair. I think once, at the very beginning of my journey, I used it on wet hair and it was a bad situation.

 

[Geminigirl]

I find with my children, shea butter works best on braided/twisted hair. I wouldn't use shea butter on a wash and go or as moisturizer for myself. I would use it for a braid/twist out and TST.

 

[Barbie83]

shea butter doesn't do anything for my relaxed hair except weigh it down.

Coconut oil, however, is a miracle for me. Have u tried using it on dry hair after moisturizing with something water based? That's how I use it, and its awesome.
(I use Hairveda whipped cream or Elasta Mango Butter, then seal with the coconut oil)

 

[tada1]

Hmmmm. I would suggest messing with different methods of application. Maybe try shea butter alone or shea butter mixed with olive oil.

I for one would not recommend using shea on dry hair. I think it works best on damp/wet hair. Also, with the coconut oil, a little goes a looooonnnnggg way. You wont need more than 1/4 a tea spoon for your entire head. Sounds strange, but that's how strong that stuff is.

Don't panic. Both work great for most people but even if your hair says no no nooo, you can always use them on your skin

 

[missfreshlala]

Thanx so much for your help girls. And to answer a question, I rollerset with lottabody setting lotion and a light leave in. I'm not natural yet. I'm transitioning. I have my friend that highly recomended the shea butter and she's a good support system. But I think she's gonna give I to the cream crack. She says she doesn't like the two textures. But they're not too bad to me

 

[lana]

My experience was the complete opposite of yours. I just bought unrefined African Shea Butter and Extra Virgin Coconut oil the kind you rub until it turns into an oil your hand. I put that on first (coconut oil) and boy my hair was so shiny and kept the moisturized feeling all week since my last wash. I'm so happy with my hair. I only used a little dime sized amount of shea butter at night and then the coconut oil right after washing and each day on the ends only. I wear my texlaxed hair flat ironed and it help up and looks great and this is day 6 after washing. I was going to create a post saying why have I waited this long to try coconut oil? why!? It's wonderful.

When I was natural I would have never tried a rollerset on this 4a/b head of hair, no way, no how, it's not going to turn out good at all. I barely get a good rollerset on this texlaxed head, because I have soo much of my natural (but easily straightened) texture remaining. Nope. That way my experience, but depending on your texture maybe your rollersets usually turn out great?

Definitely deep condition everytime you plan to use any type of heat. I love Keracare Humecto for a moisturizing deep conditioning treatment.

 

[melodies815]

Hey there.

I am 4a/b (whatever that means...lol) and I use shea as my main moisture.

My mix is quite heavy, but my hair loves it: Shea butter, cocoa butter (both melted in glad and mixed together....more shea though ), castor oil, vitamin E oil, Amla oil, Extra virgin olive oil and jojoba oil. It's thick, but it melts instantly...and I put it on my hair right after washing and conditioning.

The more the merrier for me! lol

Coconut oil, though, dries me out and makes my hair feel like dead grass. I found out I am allergic to coconut oil too...so maybe there is a connection.

With just that little bit, my hair is happy until my next wash and twist. I hope this is helpful to you.

cj

 

[lilsparkle825]

Maybe your hair just doesn't like one of the products. I love coconut oil, but I can't use pure shea butter...I found this out through adding it to my DCs, using it to seal, trying to baggy with it, and even using it as a moisturizer on my face and body. It was a NO GO and only resulted in my hair/skin being dry as IDK what. However, my hair will suck up some Miss Jessie's Baby Buttercreme and Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In (both of which are made with the stuff...go figure). If shea butter is not a miracle product for you, join the club

 

[hothair]

Shea butter: Always use only a little bit rub in your palm first ( you could also mix/whisk the tub using your fingers to make it easier to spread), I think you should only mix Shea butter with more moisturising oils like EVOO/ Castor oil, always remember LESS IS MORE.

Coconut oil: My hair likes this for prepoos, it makes my hair hard too sometimes especially if I use too much, mix same as above with a bit of EVOO/ Castor oil to get it more moisturising.

 

[Mdmommy99]

This may not be the case for you but Shea butter in any state does nothing for my hair. I kept using it for a long time because so many other people seem to love it, but for me it made my hair feel dry and limp. My hair loves coconut oil though. I would take some of the other advice and try each separately to figure out the culprit.

 

[angellike]

hmmm, i get that same feeling when i use too much oil or butter, my hair usually takes about a dime-nickle size of shea for my whole head, any more than that and my hair feels brittle too

 

[Laela]

I love both! I'm 100% natural, but for some reason, the shea butter straightens my hair so I don't use it as much as the coconut oil -- which I use mainly on my ends.