Hair butters are a staple in natural hair care, especially for curly, coily, or dry hair that needs extra nourishment.
When used properly, butter like shea, mango, and cocoa help seal in moisture and prevent breakage, soften strands, add shine, and enhance the longevity of protective styles.
Butters can be a fantastic styling aid for hair, but there can be too much of a good thing. Using too much hair butter or misapplying it can lead to:-
- Heavy, greasy hair that looks weighed down.
- Product buildup that makes hair feel dry and lifeless.
- Blocked hair follicles, leading to slow hair growth.
If you’re struggling to get the right balance when using hair butters, this article will show you how to use them properly without causing buildup!
And if you want to create your own custom hair butters, Natural Butters for Hair: A Guide for Creating Recipes for Healthy Hair can teach you how to craft nourishing, lightweight butters for your needs.
1. Apply Hair Butter on Damp, Moisturized Hair
One of the biggest mistakes people make with hair butters is applying them on dry hair.
Since butters seal moisture rather than add it, applying them to dry strands can actually lock in dryness!
Always apply hair butter after a leave-in conditioner, water-based moisturizer, or oil.
2. Use a Small Amount of Butter
Hair butters are rich, meaning you only need a small amount to do the job. Applying too much can lead to greasy hair that feels sticky or coated.
- For fine hair, use a pea-sized amount per section.
- For thicker hair, use a dime-sized amount per section.
- For protective styles, lightly coat each section before twisting or braiding.
DIY Tip: If your butter feels too thick or heavy for your strands, try whipping it with a lightweight oil for a smoother texture.
Grapeseed, sweet almond, and peach kernel oil are great lightweight oil choices.
Use Hair Care Lab: A DIY Tracker for Custom Hair Care Recipes for your custom formulations.
3. Focus on the Ends, Not the Scalp
Hair butter works best on the length and ends of your hair, which tends to be drier and more prone to breakage. Avoid excess application to the scalp to prevent clogged follicles.
Excess application also attracts dust and leads to buildup. And depending on the formula, it might cause scalp irritation.
You can still apply natural butter to your scalp, depending on which type and the recipe mix.
4. Choose the Right Butter for Your Hair Type
Not all butters are the same! The proper butter for your hair depends on your hair texture, density, and porosity.
Lightweight butters like mango butter and cupuacu butter are best for fine hair, while thicker hair would love shea butter and cocoa butter.
Natural Butters for Hair explores over 20 types of butter and the best recipe mixes for dry hair, low porosity hair, and high porosity hair.
You can customize your butter with the best ingredients for your hair type and save money by making fresh, all-natural hair butters at home!
5. Cleanse Regularly and Clarify As Required
Since butters are thick and occlusive, they don’t rinse out easily. Over time, they can build up on the hair shaft, making your hair feel dry and limp.
If your hair care regimen heavily involves butters, cleanse with a sulfate-free shampoo at least every two weeks to remove excess product.
And clarify once a month with a gentle clarifying shampoo. You can also clarify with a bentonite clay mask. Co-washing is not suitable for a butter-rich hair care regimen.
Keep Track of Your Hair Butter Formulations with the Hair Care Lab Tracker!
If you’re serious about finding the perfect butter for your hair, use the Hair Care Lab notebook to brainstorm, create, and track your formulations!
Article Summary: Enjoy Hair Butters Without Buildup
- Apply butters on damp, moisturized hair.
- Use recommended amounts to avoid greasiness and heavy buildup.
- Focus on the ends and not the scalp.
- Cleanse biweekly and clarify monthly if your routine is butter-heavy.
- Create your own hair butters for the perfect customized blend.
- Document and track your custom formulations with Hair Care Lab: A DIY Tracker for Custom Hair Care Recipes.
What’s your favorite hair butter? Share in the comments below.
Abi is a curly hair care expert and an avid researcher. She is the founder of Ade Ori Hair Care, Natural Oils for Hair & Beauty, and Healthy Natural Hair Products, premier destinations for the best information, support and resources for your natural hair care and healthy hair journey! Learn more here.