Directions:
- Take one cup of shea butter and drop it into a regular plastic bowl or the electric mixer bowl. If it still in a huge, semi-solid hunk, break it down a little with a fork so it’ll be easy to mix after you add in the oils.
- Then, take 4 leveled tablespoons of coconut oil and put it in the same bowl as the shea butter. Coconut oil is needed because it’ll help the consistency of the mix remain creamy after everything is whipped. This is also a good way for those of you who don’t like coconut oil to reap all of the benefits of it without actually having to put it directly on your hair.
- After that, take a teaspoon of sweet almond oil* and JBCO and drizzle it over all of the contents in the bowl. Because JBCO is so dark, it’ll definitely change up the color a bit. Because my hair is light orange at the moment, I’m not very fond of the mix being that dark in color so I only use a little JBCO. However, you can absolutely add another teaspoon if you don’t mind the color.
- Finally, take a tube of aloe vera gel and squeeze about a tablespoon in the mixture. It’s definitely okay if you eyeball a tablespoon instead of squeezing out the exact measurement. Because aloe vera gel* is thicker, it won’t thin out the consistency like oils would.
- Take both the maca liquid extract* and lemon essential oil and put in 3-4 drops each.
- After all of the ingredients are in the bowl, whip all of them together with an electric mixer until it is whipped. Depending on the type of mixer you have, this can take anywhere from 10 to 35 minutes, so always use the highest speed to make it in the fastest possible time.
- Finally, spoon the mixture into a plastic jar–one similar to a peanut butter or jelly container. I prefer plastic containers because they usually have a tighter seal than glass; which means they can be stored anywhere and is less likely to oxidize.
- After it is packed into the jar, you can either store it away in a cool, shady place or rub a generous amount through damp or wet hair.
Key Ingredient Benefits:
African Shea Butter – Shea butter is rich in fatty acids and hair-preserving vitamins like vitamin A, E, and F. Not only does it moisturize and soften hair, but it also offers UV protection, soothes the scalp, and works as a sealant.
Maca Liquid Extract* – Maca, or Peruvian ginseng, is a plant commonly found in Peru and has been used by indigenous peoples for years. It has many great benefits like soothing menstrual cramps and improving stamina in athletes.
In this case, Maca is used to prevent hair loss, promote hair growth, strengthen and fortify hair, and thicken thin or fine hair.
Lemon Essential Oil* – Lemon essential oil* not only gives the mixture a fresh, zesty scent, but it also promotes hair growth, cleanses the scalp, prevents dandruff, and strengthens your hair shaft.
Aloe Vera Gel* – Aloe vera gel is all of the benefits of the aloe plant turned into a thick, tacky gel. It detoxifies, repairs dead skin cells on the scalp, gives hair a healthy shine, soothes itching and burning scalp, helps with detangling, has moisturizing properties, and much more benefits; it is basically all of the products you ever need in one.
Coconut oil – Coconut oil has been in a majority of naturals hair regimens for years now because of it’s benefits. It is great for many things like sealing in moisture, protecting against lice and dandruff, and even has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties
All of those benefits are great, but coconut oil was only put into the shea butter whip recipe for reason: to keep it creamy. The gritty, thick texture of semi-solid coconut oil helps to keep the shea butter cream and whipped long after it has been sealed and stored away.
Jesslyn Hendrix says
I make my own shea butter based whip with whatever oils I have lying around, but am curious why everyone always uses aloe vera GEL? I use both pure aloe vera juice and oil, but is there more benefit to the gel over either of these?
Anika Hughes says
Just a note. If you use real lemon essential oil (I am a distributor for an essential oils company) it is best to use a glass container because lemon essential oil can eat away at the plastic over time.
Dania Coleras says
i needa mixer