Shea Butter for Hair: Experts Explain Benefits and the Best Way to Use It

It's time to do some inventory, besties. Take a quick look at your fave haircare products. More likely than not, a few of the must-haves you just can't go without are probably laced with shea butter. You're about to find out why it's one of the beloved haircare ingredients and why it's going viral RN.

Like castor oil and argan oil, shea butter can hydrate and reduce inflammation on your skin and scalp, and it's found in many products, including shampoos, conditioning masks, and curl creams. If you notice your strands have been feeling drier than usual, try adding shea butter to your lineup. The nourishing ingredient locks in moisture, quenches dry, parched strands, and softens the hair cuticle to prevent knots and tangles.

Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Azadeh Shirazi and licensed hair stylist and master educator Janell Sands explain the benefits of using shea butter for your hair along with their favorite products with the ingredient.

What is shea butter?

"Shea butter is fat extracted from African shea tree nuts," board-certified dermatologist Dr. Azadeh Shirazi explains to Seventeen. Shea delivers so many benefits because it's filled with fatty acids (linoleic, oleic, and palmitic acid), as well as antioxidants and vitamins D and E to help your skin and hair thrive. "Unrefined shea butter has the highest concentration of antioxidants and bioactive agents to help protect against environmental damage and nourish the hair," Dr. Shirazi says.

If you want to find the best-unrefined shea butter for hair, the derm recommends products with "the A-grade on the label for the highest quality." Unrefined shea butter is typically pale yellow, and it's in a thick, solid form. When you rub it together in your hands, it melts into a hydrating oil. "The oils in shea butter absorb rapidly and act as a refatting agent to restore the moisture barrier to reduce water loss and relieve dryness," she adds. You can reap the benefits of unrefined shea butter in products like shampoos, conditioners, and curl cream, to name a few.

Is shea butter good for hair?

Yes, yes, and yes again. Shea butter is extremely beneficial for your hair and scalp health. You can pull shea butter hair products out at least once a week when your hair is feeling parched and brittle because "it's the MVP when it comes to dry hair types," Dr. Shirazi says. According to the AziMD founder, shea butter's "nourishing properties help plump and soften the hair." Shea butter also has soothing benefits that come in the clutch if you experience dry, flaky scalp because it "reduces irritation and inflammation." Shea butter is just as helpful when applied to the skin. Not only does shea butter moisturize the skin, but it also helps "heal the skin and fade scars."

Which hair types should use shea butter?

Shea butter provides something for everyone and every hair texture. Since it works as a sealant to lock in moisture, shea butter is perfect for besties with textured, curly, damaged, or dry hair types. "Shea butter helps nourish and strengthen the hair cuticle by restoring the moisture barrier as well as adding shine and reducing frizz," Dr. Shirazi says.

Other hair types can reap the rewards of shea butter, but that all depends on its formulation, and the best way to figure that out is by checking out the ingredient list. "If shea butter is higher up on the ingredient list," Janell Sands explains, "then there is a lot of shea butter in the formula." These types of shea butter enriched products work better for thicker curls and coils since it bit on the heavier side."The stylist and master educator adds that when shea butter is featured on the lower end of the ingredient list, then it's "suitable for looser curl types."

Does shea butter help with hair growth?

While shea butter softens and soothes scalp inflammation, it does not promote hair growth. "There’s little research to support shea butter in stimulating hair growth," Dr. Shirazi says. However, shea butter does "help strengthen the hair shaft and reduce hair breakage, which in turn helps with healthier hair that may grow better and longer."

Are you ready to hydrate your tresses? Read ahead for the best shea butter products for hair.