Shea Growth And Retention Regimen 2018

[FadingDelilah]

I just whipped my first ever batch of Shea butter and I'm feeling so good about it. I usually fail horribly when it comes to mixing up stuff, even when I have a great idea in my head or I follow a recipe to the tee. It's not my fault my ingredients act differently than everyone else's when I'm in the kitchen! (I'm talking about you, bread dough. )

First I mashed the Shea butter (with 1.5 tbsps of Safflower oil poured in) with a fork after I spooned it out of the jar. It was in large chunks that my cake mixers would not have been able to start whipping very easily so that's why I mashed it with a fork. To my surprise, scraping the fork through and through the shea butter got it to a soft, creamy consistency within about a minute. I guess that's how they whipped their Shea butter a thousand years ago before blenders and cake mixers, lol. I then whipped it with the mixers for about 3-5 minutes, and then spooned it back into the jar. It almost didn't all fit in but there was just enough space. I think I recall other people mixing theirs for longer (like ten mins) for more volume but I felt I had done it long enough so I just stopped.

I got the 100% Shea butter sold by Shea moisture for $12.49 at RiteAid because I wanted it today. I was pleasantly surprised I could find Shea butter at all (even for that high price) in my area because I live in the country where natural butters/herbs and many type of oils are nonexistent. I would like to order it online in the future to save more money though. I was just too ready to try it! It came in a size of 10.5 oz, and it was white, hard and grainy at first. It has a very faint, non-rotten nutty scent (not like the stronger nutty scent I remember New york city street vendor yellow Shea butter having). It came out nice and fluffy with almost no graininess left after whipping. I only feel one or two grains each time I use some. It doesn't bother me at all.

I was thinking about adding some vanilla extract so it could smell more fragrant but idk if thats a good idea because extracts are usually made with alcohol, right? I will have to research more before I try it. I love it so far regardless.

 

[YvetteWithJoy]

I tried my Shea butter + Bronner Brothers Firm Hold Curling Gel (latter is HG!!!) wash and go.

I applied both products from root to tip. I think I should have applied the butter to only my ends.

I'll try that next time.

 

[Virtuosa]

@Chicoro https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jos/59/7/59_7_351/_pdf/-char/en

 

[GGsKin]

I tried my Shea butter + Bronner Brothers Firm Hold Curling Gel (latter is HG!!!) wash and go.

I applied both products from root to tip. I think I should have applied the butter to only my ends.

I'll try that next time.

I started off just on my ends. Then half way up. Now I can't help but rub that butter all over when I apply. If I don't wash my hair soon enough though, it reacts with my gel and environmental dirt, and causes little 'dirt clumps' that behave like knots...yay. Still, I feel like the pros will outweigh the cons*.

*this is the only con I've experienced since Shea-sliding my way into this thread.

 

[Aggie]

This 3,oooth post is dedicated in memory to one of the original, most beautiful Unicorns,
Allandra, who has moved on to another plain, beyond that of the Shea-Made Unicorns.


Goodbye, beautiful Allandra.
​

May you always run free.


​

Okay this right here...I am officially depressed. I'm going to bed. I can't take this right now. I am so so sad! I am so very sad right now. Goodnight ladies. I have to go pray to get my strength back.

 

[jennex]

You know, I don't necessarily think that's damage. Go back and look at your picture with the straightened hair. Look at the hair from the roots of the crown. That hair texture is smooth and silky. That's your new growth and it looks gorgeous!

I do note that there is a color and texture change about three (3) inches down from the roots. I apologize for not remembering the specific situation with your hair, if you have given details to me before.

Did you get your hair colored before? The other great thing is the your hair length is hovering around shoulder length. If I don't count that beautiful, healthy texture extending from your roots, you've got about 9 to 12 inches of hair.

That means you can have perfectly healthy hair from root to tip in about 2 years maximum. That's a relatively short time if you 'trim as you grow'!

Your job now, is to pamper and love your hair and keep it protected and safe, especially that new growth. I still would encourage you to NOT cut your hair. It's 'practice' hair to learn to care for your hair.

If you cut your hair off and start with that lovely new growth, if you've still got some kinks to work out with your routine, you could end up damaging that, too. So, I think you are in THE PERFECT position to learn how to give your hair the ultimate love, care and support it needs!

I would strongly suggest that you write down what you do to your hair and the results you get. That means you may want to document in pictures as well. Please do not put these notes and pictures in some haphazard place.

Honor the information and knowledge by placing it in a pretty notebook or folder. Keep everything in one neat place that you respect and look forward to reviewing, enjoying and reflecting on.

You have now arrived at a place, full stop, where you have made a decision to give your hair the full attention and care that it needs. I'd say that you have truly arrived!

It's not time to shed tears. It's time to rejoice! You have arrived. It is time to take your seat at the Unicorn Table.

I know this wasn't for me specifically but this is awesome advice!! I'm printing it out.

 

[jennex]

My 3CayG order came in today. I wanna say this is enough for the rest of the year, buuuuutt...

View attachment 426614
View attachment 426616

Wow. 10 lbs of shea butter. I have a dream...

 

[Chicoro]

Thanks Chicoro! ... I hope what I meant is clear now.

Yes! I got IT!

It's as clear as a bell!!!


​

 

[Chicoro]

Congratulations @FadingDelilah on your successful endeavor into the forays of Shea butter mixing! Queen Shea is waiting to serve your hair with a delicious reward.

You live in the country you say? Soon, they'll have to add this sign to your street:

We want you to get safely across the street.


​

 

[Missjaxon]

Don't mind me I'll take that empty chair in the corner. Since I've been hoarding Queen Shea I might as well join you.

 

[Chicoro]

Don't mind me I'll take that empty chair in the corner. Since I've been hoarding Queen Shea I might as well join you.

Get out the corner girl. We got plenty of room right in the center!

 

[Missjaxon]

Get out the corner girl. We got plenty of room right in the center!

@Chicoro Yes, ma'am. Since I'm in the center I might as well ask for prayer. I have a little less than 16 lbs of Shea and I still considered ordering the pails.

 

[Chicoro]

@Chicoro https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jos/59/7/59_7_351/_pdf/-char/en

This was an excellent article! Thank you for providing the link to me, @Virtuosa ! It broke down the exact types of triterpenes in the butter which I was having difficulty finding.

My problem with this study: What were your thoughts about the article? The one thing that bothered me about the study is that the nuts were oven dried at 60 degrees for 24 hours. Most African women who gather nuts let them dry in the sun for days. I believe that their 'preparation process' , of oven drying the nuts, is problematic and could adversely impact the results.

Shea Magic Concerns: I think companies who take the nuts to export and process themselves overseas DESTROY all the magical properties of Queen Shea. As it relates to my hair, to get those super results we've seen from Shea butter using naturals first identified by @ThatJerseyGirl , it may be best to use Shea nuts processed by the women in the African Shea belt.

The Challenge to still to be Resolved: GET the middlemen OUT of the equation and GET the women CLOSER to the end customer so the women can make MORE money as they do most of the hard work. They need to be protected. They've got to demand that for themselves.

The Distance Dilemma: Discovering what is the most cost effective, profit protecting way to get hand made Shea from the African Shea Belt to African women in the United States, Europe, Latin American and South America?



Article title:
Triterpene Alcohol and Fatty Acid Composition of Shea Nuts from Seven African Countries

Points from the ten (10) page article that struck me as interesting:

1. The seven (7) countries from which Shea nuts were pulled for the study:
   • Ivory Coast (West Africa)
   • Ghana (West Africa)
   • Nigeria (West Africa) Highest levels overall of triterpenes in its Shea nuts, based on the sample studies
   • Cameroon (Central Africa -transitional country in that trees start to change from West African to East African type.) Cameroon tends to have low kernel fat in general.
   • Chad (Central Africa-transitional country in that trees start to change from West African to East African type.)
   • Sudan (East Africa- Nilotica Shea)
   • Uganda (East Africa-Nilotica Shea)
2. The major triterpene constituents found in Shea butter are:
   • (alpha)amyrin (quantity is higher in East African Nilotica Shea)
   • (beta) amyrin (quantity is higher in East African Nilotica Shea)
   • lupeol (same amounts in West and East African Shea)
   • butyrospermol (quantity is higher in West African Shea)
3. Fatty acid (the butter part) composition is dominated by
   • stearic acid (28 to 56%)
   • oleic acid (34 to 61%)

• The MORE stearic acid, the more triterpenes in the nut. (West African-Vitellaria paradoxa)
  • Higher triterpene levels are associated with higher latitude and lower elevation.
  • Both of which reflect HOTTER temperatures.
• The MORE oleic acid, the less triterpenes in the fat. (East African-Nicolotica sub-species)

I drank up every ounce of information in this deliciously satisfying article!
Thank you, @Virtuosa ! If you find any more, let me know, please.​

 

[Chicoro]

@Chicoro Yes, ma'am. Since I'm in the center I might as well ask for prayer. I have a little less than 16 lbs of Shea and I still considered ordering the pails.

That's okay, baby. There's no judgment here. We all done got "got" by Queen Shea.

Shea butter got you, too.

Head on over to the Dave Ramsey thread so that your Shea buying can be subverted by your desire to stay out of debt.

Let us pray:

 

[Chicoro]

Okay this right here...I am officially depressed. I'm going to bed. I can't take this right now. I am so so sad! I am so very sad right now. Goodnight ladies. I have to go pray to get my strength back.

We understand. Take care of you.

 

[Chicoro]

Today is Shea butter batch making day!

 

[Chicoro]

Enjoy your weekends. All you unicorns or potential unicorns, try to keep any bad behavior in check.

Hooves DOWN!

None of 'dis:

 

[Chicoro]

I know this wasn't for me specifically but this is awesome advice!! I'm printing it out.

Au contraire, but it was! If you read it and it resonated with you, it's for you.

 

[VinDieselsWifey]

Well Shea butter has now got my almost 3 year old niece doing the Shea slide. My sister has been trying for almost 3 years to find something that would keep her daughter’s hair moisturized for more than a day. I sent her some of my whipped Shea mixture and for the first time EVER her hair stayed soft & moisturized for a whole week!

 

[Chicoro]

Well Shea butter has now got my almost 3 year old niece doing the Shea slide. My sister has been trying for almost 3 years to find something that would keep her daughter’s hair moisturized for more than a day. I sent her some of my whipped Shea mixture and for the first time EVER her hair stayed soft & moisturized for a whole week!

Congratulations! I am sure that is a relief for both your sister and her daughter! What's in your Shea butter mix? Also, does your sister use some other product in conjunction with the Shea mix?

Shazam! Shea strikes again!

 

[VinDieselsWifey]

Congratulations! I am sure that is a relief for both your sister and her daughter! What's in your Shea butter mix? Also, does your sister use some other product in conjunction with the Shea mix?

Shazam! Shea strikes again!

Thanks!
I don’t know exactly what products she uses. I think she uses some Shea Moisture products.
My whipped butter has Shea, cocoa, mango, avocado, murumuru, cupuacu butters and wheat germ, tamanu, castor, emu, hemp, and batana oils.

 

[Chicoro]

Thanks!
I don’t know exactly what products she uses. I think she uses some Shea Moisture products.
My whipped butter has Shea, cocoa, mango, avocado, murumuru, cupuacu butters and wheat germ, tamanu, castor, emu, hemp, and batana oils.

Thank you for the response. So glad to hear that your niece has found something to help keep her hair moist.

 

[ThatJerseyGirl]

@ArrrBeee -- My apologies for being late, but CONGRATULATIONS for making the Shea Hall of Fame!!!!

It is taking me some time to read through all of the posts, as this thread is moving at lightening speed. Based on the advice of @Chicoro, I wouldn't cut your hair either. I would do just what she says and give it some tender loving Shea!

I want to order some more Shea, but I think I have enough for now. In fact, I think I'll go in the kitchen and make another batch. It appears that my husband has been using my shea and has been complaining about shaving his head more often. It was so funny....he said "I just shaved my head two days ago and already it's growing back".... Come to find out, he has been using my Ayurveda-shea mix. Men are funny. He'll use anything within reach. I remember when he used my Albolene make up remover on his shaved head when we were on our way out for the day. I knew he was looking extra shiny and the stuff was running down his face. I was like what did you use? He said some stuff in a jar with a blue top lololol....

 

[ArrrBeee]

@ThatJerseyGirl

Thanks so much! I'm not going to cut it. I'll just focus on getting it healthy. Lol at your hubby jacking your stash.

Today I pre pooed with fenugreek infused oil and aloe Vera juice. Then I cowashed with Mizani Supreme Oil conditioner and then used a tea made of Amla, Brahmi, and Ashwaganda powder. Followed up with more Cornish.

I can already see the results. I used to lose so much hair when I detangled. It was awful. This was what was in the comb today:

 

[Aggie]

Okay thanks ladies but my strength is back after some praying. I really needed that.

I don't even have to add anymore shea butter to my hair tonight and it's been 3 days since my last application tonight. My hair is still very soft and moisturized but I know by tomorrow I will have to do some shea gliding for sure. I was just not up to it last night and tonight my hair is still soft. So I'll give her a good shea lovin' tomorrow night. Night night ladies.

 

[LivingInPeace]

I made a new batch yesterday with Shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, olive oil and chocolate sugar cookie fragrance oil. I made enough to fill two 8 oz. hard.

 

[Saga]

I mixed my shea butter with Grape Seed Oil, avocado oil, Hot Six Oil, and Sweet Orange EO. It was so good, my mother asked for her own batch. I cannot believe how different the texture and viscosity is after whipping. I thought for sure it'd either harden or melt depending on the temperature inside the house.

 

[ThatJerseyGirl]

Thanks!
I don’t know exactly what products she uses. I think she uses some Shea Moisture products.
My whipped butter has Shea, cocoa, mango, avocado, murumuru, cupuacu butters and wheat germ, tamanu, castor, emu, hemp, and batana oils.

I love this shea recipe. The only thing I need are the cocoa and murumuru butters.

 

[ThatJerseyGirl]

@ThatJerseyGirl

Thanks so much! I'm not going to cut it. I'll just focus on getting it healthy. Lol at your hubby jacking your stash.

Today I pre pooed with fenugreek infused oil and aloe Vera juice. Then I cowashed with Mizani Supreme Oil conditioner and then used a tea made of Amla, Brahmi, and Ashwaganda powder. Followed up with more Cornish.

I can already see the results. I used to lose so much hair when I detangled. It was awful. This was what was in the comb today:

Absolutely. I keep saying to myself that I will make some Ayurveda tea, since I have all of the powders. There is no excuse lolol....I will make some tomorrow when I make my shea mix.

Keep up the good work! We are here to help you when you need it

 

[Saludable84]

Subjected to pure laziness, Shea Butter can keep my hair good for 2 weeks. Right now, I’m only going one week. It takes about 2 days for me to really feel the softness (that’s how long my hair takes to dry).

I made a batch with Cocoa Butter, and I don’t think I’d be able to make it 2 weeks, more like stretch a bit over 1 week. Considering that even whipped Shea can be a bit “heavy” on my hair, the added butter gives “lightness” without sacrificing results. If that makes sense. I still get a really nice softness that’s kinda unreal

Anyway, I’m happy with this little deviation, because SB is good for the winter, but with weather change soon come, heavy is going to work.