Just popped in to say I love this thread and I've been lurking. I was anti-shea (for my hair) for years. My mother is a mixtress and made me a sheabutter mix for Christmas. I finally got the jar out about a month ago because of you ladies. I wasn't sure how I was going to use it. I'm transitioning so I wear twist outs, washing and retwisting weekly.
First shea wash - I was using shea butter daily to fluff my twist out. The day before I washed my twist out was on it's laaassstttt leg. I slathered it with shea and pulled it into a ponytail. The next day I didn't have time to prepoo. My hair is easy to tangle so prepooing helps me detangle and section for washing. Let me say - my hair hates sulfate shampoo so I usually use a shampoo bar, diluted shampoo, sulfate free or cowash. Well, I was rushing and grabbed the wrong bottle, a sulfate shampoo. I was shook because I hadn't diluted this bottle yet. First section couldn't be saved, so I thought. Before I put in a cheapie conditioner to try to detangle I started finger detangling and ladiesssssssssssssssssssss. The tangles and knots were easy to get out and I was able to mostly finger detangle that section. Was it the shea slide??? I wasn't convinced yet because the shampoo I grabbed was "natural" so I thought it could be the poo.
Second and Third shea washes were basically the same. No prepoo, just a slathered sheabutter ponytail. The shea coupled with diluted shampoo or my shampoo bar and I can literally finger detangle with ease and I've never been about that life. It's the sheabutter!!!
I'm not a mixtress so I've placed a order with my Mamma for some more sheabutter for my hair. She doesn't remember what she put in this batch but it's almost gone so...
I may order a pail, just in case.