0 Benefits of Shea Butter For Your Hair

DIY Hair Care Products on Etsy

I talk a lot about using unrefined shea butter but, what exactly are the benefits of unrefined shea butter?

Unrefined Shea Butter contains vitamins A, E, and F.  Vitamins A and E help to soothe, hydrate, and balance the skin. Vitamin F contains essential fatty acids, and helps protect and revitalize damaged skin and hair.  

From The American Shea Butter Institute:

• Moisturizer for Dry Skin
• Eczema cream
• Blemish cream
• For Softer Smoother skin
• For Burns
• Wrinkle Reduction cream
• Moisturizer for Dry Hair
• Shaving cream
• Anti-itch cream
• Skin Abrasions

[Source]

Vitamin F- Essential fatty acids (EFA) was previously called as vitamin F. Deficiency of EFA causes hair loss, eczema ... EFA Supplementation can thus be beneficial in the treatment of hair loss. [Source]

Vitamin E- Vitamin E can be used as a leave-on conditioner for dry and damaged hair. A small amount daily will treat dry hair and heal the hair shafts. [Source]

Unrefined Shea Butter, though it contains many beneficial vitamins, it looks like unless you're eating the shea butter, it simply is a great sealant and emollient for your hair. I am going to go on a hunch here and say it would also be beneficial in a rinse out conditioner, due to the fact that conditioners contain ingredients that are made to deposit minerals into weak areas of the hair shaft [Source].

Being that unrefined shea butter is an oil and their isn't much research about it's benefits to hair, little to nothing at all is known about whether it penetrates the hair shaft. So, it doesn't have to ability to "repair" damaged hair. It can help fill in damaged spots but, since we don't know if it penetrates the shaft, once you wash your hair, out goes the shea butter down the drain.Similar to the effects that silicone has, once you wash your hair the smoothness is gone because, the silicone is washed out.

An emollient is any substance that softens the skin by slowing evaporation of water.[Source] Thus, why your hair will feel soft after applying shea butter to wet hair or over a conditioner, it's moisturized and shea butter keeps the moisture in! This explains the nice smooth twist outs & braid outs, the soft hair, the shine! 

Tweet

0 Make Your Own Exoctic Hair Butters, With Just 2 Ingredients!

Make your own exotic hair butters! I was looking around on The Dish Forum found a post about making your own "butters" using almond oil, hemp seed oil, olive oil, macadamia oil...okay this list is can be endless! But essentially you can make your own  hair or body butter, Almond Butter, Neem Butter, or even JoJoba Butter!!

How?

80/20 (oil/hydrogenated oil) Yep, just 2 ingredients!

Use 80% of the oil of your choice mixed with 20% of Vegethix or Lipidthix (powdered hydrogenated oil) Which you can purchase from Lotion Crafters for $7.50 a pound!

What is LipidThix? Taken from: Lotion Crafters

"LipidThix™ is simply vegetable oil that has been hydrogenated to a powdered form. Soluble in oils, it is ideal for thickening oil soluble products and can be used in balms, butters, salves and scrubs. Creation of a butter such as avocado butter is as simple as melting 20% LipidThix with 80% avocado oil, mixing well and allowing it to cool. Firmness can be adjusted by varying the percentage of LipidThix added to the oil."

INCI: Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

Compare:

Almond Butter from EW ingredients: Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil (and) Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil)
Macadamia Nut Butter: Macadamia ternifolia (Macadamia) Seed Oil (and) Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Jojoba Butter: Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil (and) Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil


Tip for if/when you make your own butter:

"If you've been thinking about doing this, I highly recommend it. I'm getting the best results by melting the oil & LipidThix together then stick blending it periodically, as it cools, until it thickens - this gives the butter a nice, creamy texture. When I just melted the two together & mixed with a spatula, it seemed to look a bit gritty, which I wasn't crazy about."

Here is the thread: The Dish Forum

I plan to try this soon!! If you try it tell me how it works for you!!





Tweet

0 Hair and Water, How To Properly Moisturize and Seal Hair

When it comes to hair and water, I have touted that the two go together like fried chicken and french fries. I believe I have even wrote that water alone, with a sealant can be enough to moisturize dry hair. I have found that this may not be true.

"........water is not a moisturiser at least not on its own. Take a moment to digest that statement, I am not saying water is useless, I am saying though that it may not be as useful in plain form. I have looked at multiple studies of moisturisation of skin and hair, it is clear that both will take up water but both will also lose water." From: The Natural Hair Haven Please read the article she wrote, very informative.

What I learned about hair and water and waters effectiveness as a moisturizer when used alone, is that water used alone has no benefit to the hair.

Why is this?

As stated in the article mentioned, hair does absorb water but, it also loses water was well. Hair cannot and will hold on to water. When you spray your hair with water, your hair will get rid of any excess water. Eventually over time, your hair will get rid of all of the water and thus become dry.

This may be why for some, spray in leave ins- which are mainly water, leave the hair dry after a  few hours. How do you remedy this problem and still provide your hair with lasting moisture? Remember, water still is a great moisturizer, when used under a sealant.

• Make sure you are not using water alone. Water sealed with shea butter or another oil is not enough to keep your hair moisturized for days on end but, it will help your hair retain some of the water longer.

"Our hair naturally trades moisture with the air to establish an "equilibrium" moisture balance with the surroundings. One study investigated the absorption and release of moisture on various hair samples treated with oils and compared the samples to non-oil treated ones. Researchers corroborated the fact that oils lower of the diffusion coefficient of water vapor and slow the loss of moisture of moisture from the hair." Taken from: The Importance of Working With Oils as Sealants

• "Oil seals are not permanent, neither are they 100% impenetrable" (taken from above article)

What does this mean for your hair? You may have to spritz your hair daily or even multiple times a day to keep a healthy moisture balance. Thus,why some naturals complain that by the end of the day their curls are back dry and thirsty.

Make sure your moisturizers have great conditioning and moisturizing ingredients. 

"Replenishing moisture is also a primary goal of hair conditioner. This is accomplished from a variety of ingredients, from water to oils. On most conditioners, the first ingredient listed is water. This is because it is the main ingredient in the conditioner. Panthenol and glycerin help bind water to the hair. The next ingredient is usually oil. The best oils for moisture replenishment are lanolin, olive, honey, various seed and fruits. Butters are also used in thicker conditioners for intense moisture." Taken from: Hair Care Ingredients- Conditioner  

 Remember not all oils are moisturizing and not all oils make great sealants so do your research!

So, what do you use to moisturize and seal? How often do you have to moisturize your hair to keep it moisturized? 

 

 

Tweet

0 Don't Worry You're In The Right Place!!

Look up...See the new blog name? "DIY Haircare Blog" Yay!

I decided to give the blog a new name and will be giving it a new "feel" soon as well. I figured, I don't really talk about WAHMs so I need to ditch the name "WAHMTown". I am also trying to find another layout with a curly headed woman...but, that's not too important.

Also, I have a New FREE Newsletter! Yeah, I know I am behind the times on that one. Lol! <----- Look at the top right of the page! I also have a Facebook and will be changing my Twitter account soon as well! I'm so excited about the changes and will be working my butt off to make all this become more coordinated! So please be patient with me. I plan to bring more tutorials, ingredient reviews, articles on different ingredients, discounts and GIVEAWAYS!




Tweet

0 Big Bang fashion in album Tonight

Korean Boy Group Big Bang finally released their mini album after 2 years titled "Tonight". Like as before, Big Bang is a trendsetter of Korean men fashion. In their new album Tonight, Big Bang members all are so cool with their clothing and material.

With concept monochrome outfit, Big Bang don't show up with a colourful themes, but more masculine than before.

The two concept photos feature Big Bang’s five members decked in monochrome articles of clothing with a matching pattern, with a splash of red on the members’ shoes. This theme is a little reminiscent of Big Bang’s old days, taking a step away from the super colorful outfits fans are used to seeing Big Bang sport in recent years.

Each members has it own styles and eccentric fashion. The members : G-Dragon, Seungri, Taeyang, and Daesung and now T.O.P all are wearing a jacket with colour white and black.

Big Bang in album Tonight photos :
















Watch Big Bang in single Tonight Music Video MV here

0 Parenting Toddlers- The 8 tips I use to keep me sane when dealing with temper tanrums!

Two years old...Oh this is the age when toddlers lose their mind. I'm sure every mother of a toddler can relate to the crying are you really going to cry because you can't pour juice all over the table!? and temper tantrums. I am now the mother of a two year old and I am barely making it day by day but, each day I learn how to better handle the all the crying, whining, and temper tantrums! Would I call this parenting advice? Not hardly! This is my survival guide that I'm sharing with you, feel free to add any tips in the comment section; we are in this together!

How I'm surviving, the terrible two's....

1. I spend time ALONE to THINK and RECOVER. Every night or morning I spend time alone to think and get my mind together. I simply think about the day and figure out how things can be better tomorrow. This is a must. 
2. Go outside. I could spend days indoors and never step foot outside when I am really busy but, toddlers...oh they need outside. My daughter is so much more pleasant to be around when she has had time to run around in the fresh air and sunshine When it's cold, we go on car rides. Just let the child out...
3. Get off the computer. Even when I have work to do on the computer, some days I have to just wait until naptime or bedtime. There is really no way to get around this at times, two year olds hate to not be the center of attention. They need to feel included. If you MUST work, get them a desk (big chair and tray table) and let them "work" alongside you.
4. Call them back. I find that my daughter acts her absolute worse when I'm trying to hold an important conversation on the phone about how to fry chicken or how I'm going to fix my hair...What!? That's what friends are for... I have learned to save long phone conversations until night or naptime. Unless, you want your toddler to yell and scream while you're on the phone. I don't.
5. Remain calm. We all can get a little unhinged after dealing with 456 temper meltdowns, when you reach number 457, remain calm. I find that when I'm calm, my daughter is calm. Yeah, she may still be upset but, it cuts the temper tantrums in half.  I have learned how to be calm yet, stern. "We aren't going to eat pie right now but, we can color. Okay? Let's go color a pretty picture for daddy!"
6. Hide it or throw it away. At the end of the day when I'm thinking about all the things I could improve on, I try to figure out what caused some of the meltdowns (not mine, the toddler's). If the tantrum was because she couldn't play with my phone, I try to remember to keep it out of her sight when I'm not using it. I used to be all, well she has to learn no is no and whatever...haha! Now, I just move whatever it is and move on to something else. Thankfully, toddlers have the memory of a goldfish and are easily distracted. 
7. Ask questions. When my loving sweet daughter gets to whining and crying, I use a trick I learned from a friend; just ask what's wrong. "Did you hurt yourself?" "What's wrong?" "Are you hungry?" "Why are you crying?" "Want a hug?" "Do you need a nap?" (sometimes she will say yes to this!) Asking questions makes them stop crying and think, toddlers can't cry and think. 
8. Pick your battles, wisely. Is it really going to hurt her to wear her purple shoes with her black dress? Not really, so just say okay and move on. Some things are just not worth the fight. Thanks to my husband, I have been left feeling stupid plenty of times when he has asked "Well, why can't she have it?" and all I have is "Because I said so!!". Really? Really?! Just give the child another grape or cookie and move on with life. 3 cookies instead of 2 is going to hurt who? No one.
9. What are you tips? What have you learned?

I by no means, advocate giving a child everything they want but, I have learned that some things are just not that serious. 

Hope this helps you!!

Also, check out The Peaceful Solution Character Education Program they have a Parenting Manual that I use and love! Helps keep me sane!




Tweet

0 GIVEAWAY!!! DIYHaircareproducts Hair Product Sample Gift Basket!

*GIVEAWAY*

DIYHaircareProducts is  giving away a SAMPLE GIFT BASKET which includes:

• 4oz Whipped Shea Butter Body & Hair Butter
• 1 oz. Dried Hibiscus 
• 1 oz. Dried Chamomile
• 1 oz. Dried Horsetail
• 1 oz. Powdered Fenugreek
• 4 oz. Unrefined Shea Butter
• 3 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
• 3 oz. Avocado Oil
• 2 oz. Coconut Oil
• 3 oz. Bottle Hair and Body Lotion
• 3 oz. Bottle Rinse Out Moisturizing Conditioner

Everything is ALL Natural!!! (unless fragrance is specified) 

There are enough ingredients in this basket to make your own body butter, hair oil, body oil and body butter!!

Yes, I'm going to be giving away this whole list of amazing products to 1 awesome winner!! 

How do you qualify? Simple. 

Mandatory Entry:

You must add DIYHaircareProducts to your list of Favorite Etsy shops. (just log into Etsy, type in "DIYHaircareProducts" or click our store link and add our shop to your Favorites.)

Come back to this post and leave a comment letting me know you added my shop to your Favorites! 

*Leave Your Etsy Username in the comments*

Additional Entries:

Follow WAHMTown on Twitter

Follow this blog ------> "Google Friend Connect"

*PLEASE READ* Since this GIVEAWAY is so awesome, I won't be giving away the basket, UNLESS I get 100 unique entries! So what does that mean for you? If you blog, let your followers know! If you have a Twitter, re-tweet this GIVEAWAY! Let everyone you know, know! Spread the word anyway you can! You can do it through YouTube, Facebook, Etsy, or even forums!

This Contest will run from March 8, 2011 to March 22, 2011!! 

So you have 2 weeks to get your entries in and to spread the word! 

Wait, there's more...

Everyone who enters will receive a special discount code to use on any purchase from DIYHaircareProducts!! I will post the discount code on the blog, the last day of the GIVEAWAY!!

So, are you ready? Let's go!!!

*Be sure to leave an email or some form of contact information so that I can contact you and let you know you have won! Winners will have 48 hrs. to respond, after that, I will pick a new winner.

Tweet