Cocoa Butter vs Shea Butter

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

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.