Hair Butters For Natural Hair: All You Need To Know

Hair butters for natural hair? What's that? Are they for cooking too? Are they important?  If you've wondered about the need for hair butters in your natural hair journey, this article is for you. 

This article is also for you if you've never thought about incorporating hair butters into your hair kit. 

What are butters?

What Are Hair Butters?

They are smooth, creamy products made from natural ingredients and oils that support natural hair growth and care.  Some are made from a blend of fruit seeds and oils, whipped together. 

A few common examples are shea butter, cocoa butter and mango butter. 

We'll discuss some of these hair butters for natural hair. 

5 Examples of Hair Butters for Natural Hair

1. Shea butter

Shea butter is one of the most popular hair butters in hair history. It's gotten from the shea nuts of the Vitellaria paradoxa tree in West Africa. Shea butter has a thick consistency and a nutty fragrance. 

Additionally, shea butter is a lightweight butter, so if you want a product that doesn't weigh your curls or coils down, this might be your cup of tea.  It's a great option for dry and damaged hair. Its moisturising, sealing and protective properties make it a good first choice for hair care. 

2. Cocoa butter

Cocoa butter is a fragrant hair butter that many people love.  Cocoa butter is made from roasted cocoa beans. For the chocolate lovers, it smells yummy too, so you might want to resist the temptation to eat it 😉. 

Fun fact, cocoa butter is also known as Theobroma cacao, Theobroma, a Greek word for “Food for the gods”. 

For naturals who don't like heavy butters, cocoa butter is a heavy butter, so you might want to avoid it or use it sparingly. The presence of fatty acids and antioxidants in cocoa butter helps with hair nourishment, reducing scalp irritation and boosting hair growth. 

3. Mango butter

Your delicious mangoes are great for your hair as well.  Mango butter is obtained from the oil of mango seeds. This butter has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, which make it soothing to the scalp. 

Mango butter is another good lightweight option for your hair. 

4. Murumuru butter

The murumuru butter is rich in vitamins A and C. It has a similar fatty acid composition to cocoa butter.  This hair butter is obtained from the seeds of the palm tree Astrocaryum murumuru. 

Murumuru butter is stealthily gaining popularity in the natural hair space. It repairs damage by penetrating the hair shaft, deeply moisturizes and is great for detangling. 

5. Kokum butter

Kokum butter comes from the seeds of the Garcinia India, also called the Kokum tree in India.  The butter from the Kokum seeds is great for people with a sensitive scalp, as it doesn't irritate.

It's also a lightweight, low-grease butter, so there is no fear of heavy product buildup when you use it.  There are so many other good butters for natural hair you can explore. Remember to do a patch test before you try a new one. 

Let's sum up nicely why they are good for your hair. 

Importance of Hair Butters in Natural Hair Care

1. They are great for sealing in moisture, as these butters contain natural oils too.
2. Butters leave your hair feeling shiny. They give your hair a natural sheen and keep it soft. 
3. These butters are great for styling your hair. They can tame flyaways and keep your scalp protected. Remember to use in moderate amounts.

So, how do you include butter in your routine? Here are 3 ways. 

3 Ways to Add Butters to Your Natural Hair Care 

1. Incorporate butters in your re-moisturization routine. Whether LCO or LOC, use butter as cream. 
2. They are great for styling your protective styles. Apply a generous amount before making your two-strand twists or braids. 
3. Use it as a strengthener and protector for the ends of your hair.  

At this point, let's discuss some questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Hair Butters

1. If I use a hair butter, do I need leave-in conditioner? 

Yes. Leave-in conditioners give your hair the moisture that hair butters lock in or seal. 

Note that some naturals skip the leave-in conditioners and stick with just butters, while some naturals are not fans of butters.

 Ultimately, the choice depends on how your hair feels about it.  If you don't react to them, they don't clog your scalp, and your hair looks better when you use butters, then by all means, skip the leave-in conditioners and use butters. 

2. Can butters replace oils?

No. Hair butters don't replace oils.  While both have sealing properties, they play separate roles in hair care.  If you want to use both, you absolutely can. However, be mindful of the oil content in the butter to avoid greasy hair from excessive oil application.

Wrapping up 

Butters are not just for eating. Your hair can benefit from them, too. Take your time to find butters that work for you and incorporate them into your routine as much as you can.