About three months ago I decided to try out Cocoa butter as
a hair daily moisturiser. I read about
the benefits of cocoa butter. I was curious to find out whether this butter
could work well for my fine hair, as I many people claimed that it does not
weigh the hair down due to being lighter than Shea butter.
Cocoa butter benefits
and hair uses
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| Source |
Cocoa butter is obtained from whole cacoa beans, which are fermented,
roasted, and then separated from their hulls. About 54–58% of the residue is
cocoa butter. Cocoa butter contains a variety of nutrients including vitamins,
potassium, calcium and magnesium. It is a good moisturiser and works
effectively against dry and itchy scalp. Cocoa butter stimulates the growth of
hair follicles and increases hair flexibility. It also protects the hair from
chemical and chlorine damage.
Cocoa
butter can be applied to hair overnight as a pre wash deep conditioner
treatment to make even the driest hair feel softer. It can be used in shampoos,
conditioners and in conjunction with other hair butters as a moisturising treatment. It can also be used directly on scalp and massaged into the hair.
I
liked what I read about Cocoa butter so I did a whipped Cocoa butter mix using the following:
50g Cocoa Butter
2 table spoons of almond oil
2 table spoons of jojoba oil
1 table spoon of olive oil
1 tea spoon of vegetable glycerine
3 drops of lavender essential oil
I
whipped all the ingredients together and used it for my hair.
Shea Butter
 |
| Shea Tree |
I
fell in love with Shea butter when I went natural in 2011! I love everything
about this natural ingredient including its smell and texture. I have written a
post on the goodness of Shea butter which includes the whipped Shea recipe I
use, so check it out here.
So which butter was better for my
hair?
I
was disappointed in the Cocoa butter! It just did not moisturise my hair enough.
It was as though it did not give it the nourishment that Shea butter does. Yes
it is true what I read about Cocoa butter being light on the hair and therefore
not weighing it down, but to be honest, this has not been a problem for me in
relation to Shea butter.
I
used the Cocoa butter mix for six or seven weeks to give it a good try, but my
hair just did not like it! It became drier and brittle even though all other
aspects of my hair care regimen stayed the same. So for me Shea butter is the winner.
This also reminded me that it’s OK to stick to the products that work for
you. So if it isn't broken don’t fix it
is the moral of the Shea versus Cocoa butter story for me. I have returned to
using my whipped Shea mix and my hair is now recovered from the experiment.
Which
hair butter works best for you?
Marisa.
