Shea Growth And Retention Regimen 2018

[beauti]

Thanks luv! @ElevatedEnergy

And you're right about the shea absorbing better without all the extra

 

[ElevatedEnergy]

I was going to post pics of my mixture but I would not have done it justice. This description right here with pics to go along is awesome.

Post away Sis! You know there is no such thing as too many Shea pictures. LOL

 

[Chicoro]

I ran out of my Shea butter mix this week. My hair looks like a fuzzy ball of love. So, I pulled out my Shea butter that I have on my counter, in preparation to mix something. I put it on my hair unmixed. I used it straight from the container and didn't use any kind of mixer, blender or whisker.

It was gummy and smelled nutty. It was a bit hard to spread and I seemed to cake it up at the root of my hair. As our meticulously professional, field researcher stated, @ElevatedEnergy , I found that it absorbed quickly,too. My braids are free of any Shea residue. I used Shea with Scurl, and I had a bit of grease so my experiment is not as pure as ElevatedEnegy's.

For me, a huge part of the joy of using Shea for me is mixing it down with grease/oil and essential oils and dipping my fingers in that fluffy, yellow, sweet smelling, lemony colored goodness that is my whipped Shea butter!

But, it is good to know that in a pinch, I can use some of my butters as is. But I think I'm going to remain in the "New Greasy" Generation.



As @ElevatedEnergy communicated, the plain Shea butter absorbed into the hair quickly and beautifully! This is literally less than 5 minutes after I applied the straight Shea. Zero residue!



"Paws and taps mic". Clears throat and by accident, two airy nose breaths escape loudly from each nostril and wash over the crowd:

• I think I've retained another 1/2 inch in January. (On 5 countable strands!)
• My BRAIDS have never been this long before. They hang about 1 to 2 inches past my waist [when I pull them].

 

[IDareT'sHair]

@ElevatedEnergy
Thank for you sharing your Research & Your Experiment. .....

I may make a small batch with Shea & Chebe (no oil) and see how that turns out. And Matcha Powder and SB (no oil).

 

[caribeandiva]

I ran out of my Shea butter mix this week. My hair looks like a fuzzy ball of love. So, I pulled out my Shea butter that I have on my counter, in preparation to mix something. I put it on my hair unmixed. I used it straight from the container and didn't use any kind of mixer, blender or whisker.

It was gummy and smelled nutty. It was a bit hard to spread and I seemed to cake it up at the root of my hair. As our meticulously professional, field researcher stated, @ElevatedEnergy , I found that it absorbed quickly,too. My braids are free of any Shea residue. I used Shea with Scurl, and I had a bit of grease so my experiment is not as pure as ElevatedEnegy's.

For me, a huge part of the joy of using Shea for me is mixing it down with grease/oil and essential oils and dipping my fingers in that fluffy, yellow, sweet smelling, lemony colored goodness that is my whipped Shea butter!

But, it is good to know that in a pinch, I can use some of my butters as is. But I think I'm going to remain in the "New Greasy" Generation.

View attachment 424091 View attachment 424093

As @ElevatedEnergy communicated, the plain Shea butter absorbed into the hair quickly and beautifully! This is literally less than 5 minutes after I applied the straight Shea. Zero residue!

View attachment 424095 View attachment 424097

"Paws and taps mic". Clears throat and by accident, two airy nose breaths escape loudly from each nostril and wash over the crowd:

• I think I've retained another 1/2 inch in January. (On 5 countable strands!)
• My BRAIDS have never been this long before. They hang about 1 to 2 inches past my waist [when I pull them].

Congratulations on the progress!! Was your hair just as moisturized with the plain Shea Butter? Or is it more moisturized with the whipped oiled Shea Butter?

 

[IDareT'sHair]

My x1 lb of Raw, Organic Ms. Cleo's shipped!

 

[caribeandiva]

So after I finished separating the butter, I had a lot left on my gloves. So I rubbed it into my stomach and legs and went to go do something. A few minutes later, I happen to look down at my legs and noticed the Shea butter was gone. Like it had totally soaked in my body. Which got me to thinking if the greasiness one experiences is from the Shea butter or just all the oils and stuff we add to it?

So I whipped up a small batch with just Shea butter using my immersion stick blender. As soon as the blender touched the Shea butter, it morphed into this beautiful cream....didn't even take a full minute.

View attachment 424081

I compared it to my previously whipped Shea butter with oils.


Naked whipped Shea on the top
Whipped Shea with oils on the bottom
View attachment 424077

The whipped Shea with oils is fluffy, while the naked Shea is a bit more grainy. So I decided to test it on my skin.

Whipped with oils on top
Whipped naked on bottom.

View attachment 424079
As soon as the whipped with oils came in contact with the heat from my skin, it started to melt and slide down my arm. The naked Shea did the same but took a bit longer...around 15 seconds.



However.....here's the GOTCHA....



When I rubbed it in my skin, the naked Shea soaked in with no residue left behind, while the Shea with oils just kinda sat there. It's been over 30 minutes and it's still just sitting on my skin. LOL

View attachment 424075

So this experiment was to say that if you are having problems with your Shea being greasy, eliminate the oils or just use less oils. It won't be as pretty but believe me when I tell you that Queen Shea needs no help from those little pawn oils. She can hold the crown all by herself.

View attachment 424083

Thank you for being so thorough in your research. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t suspect as much. I’m wondering if my white Shea Butter mix absorbs faster because I used less oil this time vs when I made my yellow Shea mix. I did use less oil because before I also had grape seed oil and sweet almond oil in the yellow Shea mix. I omitted them from the white Shea mix and only used coconut oil and olive oil. I did intentionally because I wanted the Shea to be as pure as possible.

 

[Chicoro]

Congratulations on the progress!! Was your hair just as moisturized with the plain Shea Butter? Or is it more moisturized with the whipped oiled Shea Butter?

Thank you!

YES! It is indeed less greasy, but super, super moist with the 'plain' Shea butter. It is shiny and not dull and coated. My all time favorite Hair Unicorn uses Shea butter STRAIGHT, too!

 

[Chicoro]

Thank you for being so thorough in your research. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t suspect as much. I’m wondering if my white Shea Butter mix absorbs faster because I used less oil this time vs when I made my yellow Shea mix. I did use less oil because before I also had grape seed oil and sweet almond oil in the yellow Shea mix. I omitted them from the white Shea mix and only used coconut oil and olive oil. I did intentionally because I wanted the Shea to be as pure as possible.

You got something there. I've had a 'Shea shift' in my thinking. I'm now contemplating how CAN I use this stuff straight with no chaser? I'll let it percolate while I sleep and dream.

Night night.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

@ElevatedEnergy
I think the Chebe Powder made mine too "dense" so I ended up having to add a bit of Apri.cot Ker.nel Oil to get that creamy sensation.

I should have tried the SB w/o anything. No Powder.

I'll do it the right way next time.

 

[caribeandiva]

My order was delivered today from Cleopatras choice!! 1 pound each of ivory and yellow Shea. Smells just like my bss Shea and can’t see any difference so far.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

My order was delivered today from Cleopatras choice!! 1 pound each of ivory and yellow Shea. Smells just like my bss Shea and can’t see any difference so far.

@caribeandiva
How much is the one you've been gettin' from the BSS? And what do they smell like?

 

[caribeandiva]

@caribeandiva
How much is the one you've been gettin' from the BSS? And what do they smell like?

$5 to $7 and they have the same nutty scent to me.

 

[ElevatedEnergy]

I ran out of my Shea butter mix this week. My hair looks like a fuzzy ball of love. So, I pulled out my Shea butter that I have on my counter, in preparation to mix something. I put it on my hair unmixed. I used it straight from the container and didn't use any kind of mixer, blender or whisker.

It was gummy and smelled nutty. It was a bit hard to spread and I seemed to cake it up at the root of my hair. As our meticulously professional, field researcher stated, @ElevatedEnergy , I found that it absorbed quickly,too. My braids are free of any Shea residue. I used Shea with Scurl, and I had a bit of grease so my experiment is not as pure as ElevatedEnegy's.

For me, a huge part of the joy of using Shea for me is mixing it down with grease/oil and essential oils and dipping my fingers in that fluffy, yellow, sweet smelling, lemony colored goodness that is my whipped Shea butter!

But, it is good to know that in a pinch, I can use some of my butters as is. But I think I'm going to remain in the "New Greasy" Generation.

View attachment 424091 View attachment 424093

As @ElevatedEnergy communicated, the plain Shea butter absorbed into the hair quickly and beautifully! This is literally less than 5 minutes after I applied the straight Shea. Zero residue!

View attachment 424095 View attachment 424097

"Paws and taps mic". Clears throat and by accident, two airy nose breaths escape loudly from each nostril and wash over the crowd:

• I think I've retained another 1/2 inch in January. (On 5 countable strands!)
• My BRAIDS have never been this long before. They hang about 1 to 2 inches past my waist [when I pull them].

Yes, yes, yes....show us those juicy filled Shea braids....gifting us on your birthday!

I still plan on whipping my butter and adding fragrance to it, but leaving out all oils. I'm always looking for ways to use less in my hair, but without compromising effectiveness.

Come to think of it, 22nd Century on YouTube uses Shea butter straight out the jar and in small amounts. Our favorite Fotki Sister does too!

 

[ElevatedEnergy]

@ElevatedEnergy
Thank for you sharing your Research & Your Experiment. .....

I may make a small batch with Shea & Chebe (no oil) and see how that turns out. And Matcha Powder and SB (no oil).

Anytime Sis, I'm glad it helped!

@ElevatedEnergy
I think the Chebe Powder made mine too "dense" so I ended up having to add a bit of Apri.cot Ker.nel Oil to get that creamy sensation.

I should have tried the SB w/o anything. No Powder.

I'll do it the right way next time.

Let me know how the new batch turns out. Also, it was helpful to use the immersion stick blender instead of whipping it with the hand whisk. I just sat the blender on top of the butter and moved it around. I have a cheap one from Wal-Mart that I use solely for blending conditioners. It worked well with the Shea blending.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-2-Speed-Hand-immersion-Blender-White/53264466

 

[ElevatedEnergy]

Thank you for being so thorough in your research. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t suspect as much. I’m wondering if my white Shea Butter mix absorbs faster because I used less oil this time vs when I made my yellow Shea mix. I did use less oil because before I also had grape seed oil and sweet almond oil in the yellow Shea mix. I omitted them from the white Shea mix and only used coconut oil and olive oil. I did intentionally because I wanted the Shea to be as pure as possible.

Yeah I had a lightbulb moment today about that greasy factor. I was very shocked at how fast the Naked Shea soaked in.

 

[Aggie]

Just stopping through to say to Miss @Chicoro

Say what now?

It's my girl's birthday today? Wow! Happy birthday @Chicoro . I sure hope you bathin' in some Shea Butter on your birthday.

 

[Aggie]

View attachment 424083

This pic reminds me of the beauty of gracefully weathered rocks overlooking beautiful white sandy beaches. You know how it looks after years of water splashing over them - very pretty to look at but no one would dare walk on them.

 

[Aggie]

@ElevatedEnergy thank you for sharing your light bulb moment about the oiliness of the shea butter. I have to be honest though, I love having the oils in my mix, especially those wonderful beneficial oils.

I like the ease of which the SB mixture glides effortlessly on my hair and skin. I may just make an adjustment to the amount of oil that I use in my mixes to make it less oily for sleeping purposes.

Another thing, when I first started using the SB on my hair with no chaser, I was not enjoying putting it in my hair and that is why I was not very active in the thread in the very beginning because I couldn't understand the allure for this butter. Then magic happened when I mixed it and I was like Skerrrch - hits breaks! This stuff is wonderful.

I found that my hair and skin loves and will continue to use it this way unless of course if I run out of the mix. In that case, I'll use it straight until I mix some more of it up.

With that said - still shea lovin' skrong over hurr!

 

[caribeandiva]

30 day hair progress WITHOUT growth aides. I chose not to use the curlyproverbz growth oil after all and see what my hair can do on its own for now. I think I got an average 0.5 inches of growth over the last 30 days.

 

[caribeandiva]

I like the ease of which the SB mixture glides effortlessly on my hair and skin. I may just make an adjustment to the amount of oil that I use in my mixes to make it less oily for sleeping purposes.

I think that’s what I’m gonna do too.

 

[Aggie]

30 day hair progress WITHOUT growth aides. I chose not to use the curlyproverbz growth oil after all and see what my hair can do on its own for now. I think I get an average 0.5 inches of growth over the last 30 days. View attachment 424117

Oh yeah. You are having some wonderful results with SB @caribeandiva. Keep it up sis!

 

[Chicoro]

Yes, yes, yes....show us those juicy filled Shea braids....gifting us on your birthday!

I still plan on whipping my butter and adding fragrance to it, but leaving out all oils. I'm always looking for ways to use less in my hair, but without compromising effectiveness.

Come to think of it, 22nd Century on YouTube uses Shea butter straight out the jar and in small amounts. Our favorite Fotki Sister does too!

Thanks for the clarification!

No Carrier Oil Added Shea Butter Mix Process:

• Put Shea butter chunks in bowl.
• Add my essential oils.
• Mix with my stick blender.

I'll try this process this weekend!

 

[Chicoro]

30 day hair progress WITHOUT growth aides. I chose not to use the curlyproverbz growth oil after all and see what my hair can do on its own for now. I think I got an average 0.5 inches of growth over the last 30 days. View attachment 424117

Ahm....that looks like MORE thank 0.5 inches of growth, to me! Great progress. No cutting, please! Your braids will be touching its little "Hair Feets" solidly on your shoulders, by end of March.

 

[victory777]

Great Progress @caribeandiva !!

 

[Jade Feria]

Dear Shea Lovers,

Only us selected few will be able to appreciate the beauty of these pictures....or the sheer Shea craziness

View attachment 424069

The texture is soft to the touch and spreads easily. Ms Cleo's ivory Shea butter is oh so yummy.

View attachment 424067

Slicing, weighing and separating in 6 ounce measurements, as that's the amount I use in my mixes now. I ran out of ziplock bags so had to wrap in Saran wrap.

View attachment 424063

Boxed up to store. I was a little sad to box my Queen Shea back up.

View attachment 424065

I have never smoked cigarettes but mannnnnn if I did, I woulda lit up one of them Newport one hunnit's that @ThatJerseyGirl be on. That was a rather lovely Shea cutting experience.

This reminds me of all the drug dealing movies. Check the purity, weigh it, bag it up, sell it LOL!! Shea butter is OUR drug!

 

[Jade Feria]

Just when I make a 16 oz batch of Shea sealant with oils, y'all wanna be making discoveries about using Shea without oils!
But you all are right though, I do use my pure whipped Shea from time to time, and of course it's awesome.

I used my Shealoe body butter again today. It started to settle/separate a little, which I suspected might happen. Any tips on preventing this? I did use a 92% aloe vera gel solution, which is probably the reason. I'm wondering if this also happens with pure aloe vera gel. Regardless, the butter still works beautifully.

@beauti , I did not use any preservatives in the Sheabiscus DC mix. It's not a DC itself; it's a mixture I made to add to my DCs, so that I can easily incorporate Ayurveda (and more Shea).

@caribeandiva that is some GREAT progress! It looks like more than 0.5inch. Looks like an inch at least! Yasss retention!!

 

[IDareT'sHair]

@caribeandiva
Great Progress Sis!

Thanks for sharing. That's really inspiring for a monthly check.

Very noticeable results.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

This reminds me of all the drug dealing movies. Check the purity, weigh it, bag it up, sell it LOL!! Shea butter is OUR drug!

@Jade Feria
You're right! It DOES!...

 

[caribeandiva]

Ahm....that looks like MORE thank 0.5 inches of growth, to me! Great progress. No cutting, please! Your braids will be touching its little "Hair Feets" solidly on your shoulders, by end of March.

Yes ma’am, no cutting!! My ends look wonderful and feel great. I don’t need to cut. Hair feets