hair butter for 4c hair
Since starting my natural hair journey, no product has been more of a staple than shea butter.
As you may or may not know, my big chop a few years ago was actually inspired by a devastating realization. I am allergic to castor oil. Meaning that one of the best products for natural hair growth does not work for me.
Instead, I have to substitute with other oils such as avocado oil and coconut oil. Which is fine.
Thankfully one thing that does wonders for my hair is organic shea butter. So I have been using it faithfully ever since.
However, a few weeks ago I started asking myself what other kinds of butters exist and if I should give any of them a chance. Well, I did find a few and tested them for us.
In this post, I share the best hair butter for 4c hair.
What is hair butter?
Hair butter is a popular haircare product for women with a 4c hair texture. It helps provide hydration, protection, and definition to black hair which can be prone to brittle hair strands and frizz.
Hair butter is typically made from a combination of natural ingredients, such as butters and natural oils. These ingredients work together to provide extra moisture, soften the hair, and a healthy scalp. They also provide a protective layer to help prevent natural hair breakage and split ends.
When choosing hair butter, make sure that it is specifically formulated for 4c hair and provides the right balance of hydration and hold. Especially, because you don’t want it to weigh down your hair and make it look greasy.
Is hair butter good for 4C hair?
Yes, hair butters are great for 4c hair, because they provide many benefits for natural hair growth. Some of the benefits include:
- Hydration: Hair butters are rich in essential fatty acids and vitamins that help hydrate and moisturize natural hair textures. That leads to soft, smooth, and more manageable hair.
- Protection: Hair butter also creates a protective barrier on your hair, which prevents breakage, split ends, and damage from heat styling and extreme weather conditions.
- Definition: Some hair butters, such as shea butter, help define and add shine to your curly hair, resulting in more healthy-looking and bouncy curls.
- Nourishment: Butters like cocoa butter are also rich in vitamins and minerals. That helps nourish your hair and leads to overall healthy hair growth.
- Frizz control: Natural butter also helps control frizz because it smoothes coily hair and creates a more defined, sleek look. Especially helpful for 4c hair bun days when you don’t want to use a gel or edge control.
- Itchy scalp: Hair butters, such as mango butter, have a stimulating effect on the scalp, which increases blood circulation, thus encouraging hair growth.
- Sealant: Butters, such as African shea butter, are often used following a leave-in moisturizer or essential oils to seal in the moisture. Very helpful right before styling your hair in a protective style.
As you can see the benefits of hair butter range from excellent moisturizer to dry scalp repellent. This is why hair butters are such popular hair care products. But to get the best results, you want to make sure you choose a hair butter that is best for your 4c hair.
What butter is good for 4C hair?
As mentioned before, shea butter is the OG hair butter for 4c hair. I have been using it as part of my haircare routine for years and it never disappoints. However, there are more butters for natural hair that work well.
Here are three of the best hair butters for 4c hair:
1. Shea Butter
Unrefined shea butter is considered the best choice for natural hair care for good reason. It is rich in fatty acids, vitamin E as well as A, and many minerals which make it so nutrient.
In addition, shea butter is a great choice for hydrating 4c hair, because of its many water-binding properties, which make it perfect for dry hair and split ends.
Last but not least, shea butter has anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce redness and skin irritation, which is why you can use it on your hair as well as on the rest of your body.
2. Mango Butter
Mango butter is another great option for 4c hair because it is high in antioxidants, which work great as a protective layer from the sun and heat. That makes it a great alternative for women with color-treated hair as it will keep your hair from fading.
Moreover, it is also more lightweight than shea butter, which makes it a good choice when it comes to styling your natural hair.
Lastly, mango butter is known to provide exceptionally great hydration to the skin which helps with flaking and dandruff.
3. Cocoa Butter
Cocoa butter is the third hair butter on 4c hair and works wonders if you are experiencing a lot of hair damage and hair loss. The main components of cocoa butter are saturated fats, which seal in moisture when applied to hair.
Thanks to the high concentration of vitamin E, cocoa butter also doubles as a natural moisturizer, which will keep your natural hair strong and free of frizz. That makes it especially good for those with very dry and brittle hair.
Last but not least, this hair butter also helps to control dandruff. It stimulates your scalp to produce its own natural oils, which helps soothe and lubricate inflamed skin that would otherwise flake and peel off.
If you ask me, all three hair butters are pretty good for 4c hair. However, keep in mind that some may work better for certain hair types than others.
How do you use hair butter on 4c hair?
Now let’s talk practical application of hair butter on 4c hair. As briefly mentioned, hair butter is often used following a leave-in conditioner or mineral oil as the C in the LOC method.
I personally, mostly use hair butter as part of my 4c hair care regimen on wash days and co-wash days, rather than as a daily moisturizer. The steps are as follows:
Start by washing your hair with a moisturizing shampoo and deep conditioner. Afterward, towel dry or air-dry it so that your 4c hair is damp but not soaking wet.
Next, gently detangle your natural hair before applying your favorite leave-in conditioner. The water and conditioner give it the hydration needed to make it to the next wash day.
While the next steps are totally optional, I have had a good experience with the LOC method.
Once the moisturizer had some time to soak into your hair you can add olive oil to your hair roots. Alternatively, you can also use coconut oil, however, not too often because you don’t want to overdo it with the protein.
Lastly, take a small amount of shea butter on the palm of your hands and rub it between your hands until it’s warm. Then apply the butter to your hair strands from the roots to the ends.
Now you can style your 4c hair as desired.
Remember that everyone is different and may react to hair butter differently. Therefore, patch-test the hair butter on your skin before applying it to your entire head.
Many people have skin conditions that prevent them from using certain natural products. Like me who is allergic to castor oil.
Is shea butter good for 4c low porosity hair?
Yes, shea butter is good for 4c low porosity hair. Low porosity hair refers to a hair structure that doesn’t absorb moisture easily into the hair shaft. Here the hair cuticle is tightly closed, which makes it difficult for water to saturate it.
That’s why shea butter is a great option for low-porosity 4c hair. Because it is heavy and emollient, which helps create a protective layer on the hair that locks in moisture.
However, not all shea kinds of butter are the same. Some are more moisturizing than others depending on the processing method used. I personally only use organic shea butter, because it’s untreated and processed with no chemicals.