128 responses to “Whipped Shea Butter vs. Whipped Mango Butter – which one is best?”
Can you comment on how they each feel on the skin? I love shea butter, but sometimes it has to heavy or greasy of a feeling for me. How does the whipped shea butter feel in comparison?
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Hi Laurel, sorry for the delay in answering, I actually just saw all the comments on this article! The final product with mango instead of shea butter feels a little less “thick” and it melts faster on your skin, but it’s still 100% butters and oils so you always need to use a lot less than traditional lotions.
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I love mango butter
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Mango butter is better in my opinion. It’s less greasy and a more richer and fluffier type of butter. I love it!
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I actually mixed equal parts last batch. Im not a “measurer” so cant tell you exact amounts but it was a little harder than the all Shea. I still love it though and actually like it better on my feet than the all Shea.
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It’s like cooking, once you get the feel for it you’ll come out with the right recipe even without measuring everything 😉
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I’ve been substituting mango butter for coconut oil in my recipes and it works well.
My recipe is equal parts shea butter and mango, jojoba oil or any other similar oil and essential oil.
That’s it! Whips up nice!Reply
That sounds like a simple but great recipe!
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I love your shea butter! It is the first thing that has CURED the eczema that I had for over 20 years!
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If only everyone with eczema knew this is possible with just one simple ingredient!
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WOW! I love the Unrefined Shea Butter. It’s the only thing that soothes my dry skin and keeps me from scratching. I may have to try the Mango just so I can truly smell the essential oil combos that I like because it seems the nutty smell of the shea butter overpowers the essential oils I use.
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I know how you feel! You can always try our smaller size Mango, it’s 1/2 LB and not a huge commitment, although I’m sure you’ll love it.
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Nice tutorial! Thanks for this side by side comparison. I wondered how they would turn out myself!
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You’re welcome!
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Wow, very informative article. I have used both butters separately and together and have found the same results. I love my shea butter!
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Thank you!
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Thanks so much for this tutorial. I am just beginning my natural skin care journey and appreciate learning as much as possible. Keep up the great work and the great products!
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You are welcome! Sorry it took a while to answer, we never received so many comments on a blog and I just saw them 😮
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For the last couple of years I have made my body whip with Shea and Cocoa butters. I decided to switch the Cocoa butter out for the Mango butter and I love the results. It whips up light and airy and my skin just soaks it in and makes it very soft.
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Thanks for commenting, maybe our next tutorial should be something with Cocoa Butter!
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thank you for the tutorial! the no-scent factor with mango butter is very appealing, so i always wondered why shea instead of mango, and now i know some possible reasons. the nutrient factor is a big doozie with shea! thank you for taking the time to point out some differences in these two butters.
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You’re welcome, thank you for commenting 🙂
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I imagine that the Shea Butter mixture accepted more air when it was being beaten. I would guess that the weights of the two mixtures are pretty much the same before and after the beating. The increase number of jars may not be significant in terms of the amount of nutrients applied to the skin.
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Yes Don, you are correct, the air just added more volume but didn’t change the total weight. It’s just very nice to use the whipped shea (or mango) because it spreads more easily on your skin than the un-whipped version. It was just a fun experiment.
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Great post!!! I have dry skin and I have tried the shea butter. It worked very well o keep my skin nourished and hydrated.
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You’re welcome, I love how a little goes a long way and it actually works on dry skin!
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I have been using your Shea for my body butter for 3 years and will never use another! I also compared the Shea vs mango. Love both but prefer the texture of Shea! Thanks for great quality products!
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Thank you so much Karen, I’m glad you are addicted to our shea 🙂
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I have been using your Shea for my body butter for 3 years and will never use another! I also compared the Shea vs mango. Love both but prefer the texture of Shea! Thanks for great quality products!
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Thank you so much Karen, I’m glad you are addicted to our shea 🙂
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Hello!
Would it be just as effective leaving out the coconut oil? I’m trying to make the switch to natural products, and just bought your shea butter to make face lotion. I’ve used coconut oil in the past, but it’s left my face a bit greasy. Thank you!Reply
Hello Rae! Try replacing it with more almond oil. It won’t give you that feeling. With the small amount of coconut oil it shouldn’t be an issue, however everyone’s skin is different 🙂
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Hello!
Would it be just as effective leaving out the coconut oil? I’m trying to make the switch to natural products, and just bought your shea butter to make face lotion. I’ve used coconut oil in the past, but it’s left my face a bit greasy. Thank you!Hello Rae! Try replacing it with more almond oil. It won’t give you that feeling. With the small amount of coconut oil it shouldn’t be an issue, however everyone’s skin is different 🙂
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Once the butter set, is it supposed to become harder in texture? When the butter just finished wiping, it was very soft and creamy, but as it sets over-night, it became alot harder. What should the end result be? Any idea what I may have done wrong?
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Hi Peggy! Butter will always harden – Make sure your recipes are no more than 60% shea, cocoa, or mango butters. Also, whip while it is melted, refrigerate overnight, then put out in room temperature for a few hours, and whip one final time. I hope this helps! Feel free to send us an email if you have any other questions 🙂
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Once the butter set, is it supposed to become harder in texture? When the butter just finished wiping, it was very soft and creamy, but as it sets over-night, it became alot harder. What should the end result be? Any idea what I may have done wrong?
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How to whip any butter without electric mixer?
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You can use a whisk, it just takes about 5x the amount of time and effort. It’s a great wrist work out though 🙂 I’ve done it that way many a times!
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Will try doing it that way 🙂
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It hardened overnight 🙁 I whipped it before placing in refrigerator. And then after removing from refrigerator. But inspite of that it hardened in the mining. Is there any way to keep it creamy and whipped cream like so can apply easily?
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Thank you so much for the awesome comparisons! I just started making organics for my husband and I. We love the Shea Butter. Although I bought the Mango Butter, I have not tried it as of yet. I already tried the lip balm, eczema, and whipped receipts. I just love it! I look forward to making more products for my family and friends. Organic/natural is the only way to go these days. Thank you again!
~Pastor D. Fuller~Reply
Hello,
Do you do full training from beginners to advance level in body butters, lotions, lip balms, hair creams and shampoos? If yes, can I know the details like cost and duration plus anything I didnt ask. ThanksReply
Thank you for asking this question! We are in the process of opening an on-line school to teach people how to make their own skin care, if you subscribe to our newsletter and/or follow us on at least one social media channel (facebook or instagram) you will get the announcement when the school is open. Meanwhile you can browse through our Videos and Blog articles, there are many true and proven recipes you can start experimenting with.
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How much of each oil did you start out with? Did you measure by weight or cup measurement?
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Hi Gloria,
For this recipe I have used a scale and exact weight because I wanted it to be like a little science experiment where the only variable was the butter. I have many recipes where I use volume measurement (cups, TSP, TBS, etc. instead of using a scale), and I compare that to home cooking where you have enough experience to eyeball your ingredients and know what will come out. If you are just starting out making your own beauty products, I suggest you pick whatever recipe you find and follow it exactly.Reply
I noticed you’re using unrefined shea vs (what I’m assuming) refined mango butter. I’ve noticed it’s difficult to find unrefined mango butter. I wonder if you would have a different experience/comparison with using both butters unrefined.
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Hi there, Jessica! Mango butter is always very lightly refined when used for cosmetics. When it’s not, it has a gross orange color and it doesn’t smell very nice. Ours is refined the least amount possible. I hope this helps – feel free to reach out any time to [emailprotected]
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Hi Jessica,
We have looked for unrefined mango butter but it does not exist. Our source of Mango Butter is India, where they produce tons and tons of mango butter and have 30+ years experience in this field. It’s not possible to honestly claim that mango is unrefined because they have to run it through a mechanical refining method to remove an unpleasant smell and uneven color. No hexane or harsh chemicals are used in the processing of this butter, so I am confident it’s a good solution for your skin as an alternative or addition to other butters.
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Awesome. Love this side by side comparison. Would love to learn more about cocoa butter too.
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Hello Lisa! I need to do another comparison article using Cocoa, but briefly, it is very hard compared to shea and mango, so it’s better when used to make more solid products like lip or body balms or lotion bars. Standby for a blog soon 🙂
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Ifollowed the same recipe to make a shea butter diy lotion. I melted the butter and then cooled it at room temperature and tried whipping with a stand mixer. I didnt get the fluffy , velvety consistency instead it was a little thick cream. I am not sure why that happened.
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Hi Ann, it seems like you may have missed a step or two. It’s supposed to be: 1. melt, 2. let it cool at room temp, 3. whip while it’s still liquid but not hot, 4. put in the fridge until solid, 5. take out of the fridge and leave it there for about 1 hour, 6. whip it good! This last step will give you the whipped consistency, it’s a lot of steps but it won’t stay whipped unless you do this.
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Hi, I m Meg and i make my own face cream and body cream, but i still not sure what i have to use for m face cream with shea butter? well i use shea butter with jojoba oil. I have some little redness on my chick and nose and fine lines under my eyes . Im just a beginner in this home made creams butt i love it! I am full complete Organic , Green” I like to learn more about home made staff ,its wonderful i can eat this goood staff !!!!
Please let me know what i can change or ad more or ?Reply
It sounds like you are using two great ingredients, I would give it at least 30 days of daily use to see any changes.
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Yes! I actually use Rosehip seed oil , is the best with Shea butter!? Howe about lavender or lemon , can I combined this essentially oils?
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Hello and thank you for this comparison. It was very informative. My question is, in which step do you add the essential oils? I’m sorry if I missed it. Also would it be ok to use homemade infused oils instead of the essential oils?
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Hi Shelly, you can add essential oils or another fragrance after the melted butters have cooled off. If you have a thermometer, make sure the temperature is lower than 80F or the heat will dissipate the essential oils scent. And yes, you can use homemade infused oil, I actually prefer them because they are more subtle than essential oils.
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My mango butter doesn’t stay creamy. It goes back to a solid state, am I doing something wrong? I used about 1lb of mango butter.
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These whipped body butters always get a little solid after they settle, but it should be distinctly softer and easier to scoop up as opposed to pure mango butter. They will never feel and look like a lotion that we are used to, every lotion we are familiar with contain about 70% water or aloe vera, which makes them runny and semi liquid. Did you do all the whipping and cooling steps in the recipe?
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I bought mango butter (and accidentally grabbed some Shea) on a whim because my skin breaks out in a massive rash from cocoa butter. I have severe dry skin that cracks and bleeds. I actually found mango butter to be the best thing I have EVER tried. Shea is okay in my opinion, but it feels like mango butter absorbs much better. Even hypoallergenic lotions sting when I apply them, but mango butter doesn’t. My feet were dry and cracking open, so I rubbed some into my feet, then half an hour later I covered my feet in a thick layer of it, then put on socks. A few hours later it was insane how soft my feet were. I’ve even been using it for dry/split ends with great results. My brother in-law has similar issues with dry skin, and he had the same results with mango butter.
So people asking which to use, it’s definitely a personal preference, but if you haven’t tried mango butter I highly recommend it. I am going to whip the rest of my shea butter to see if I like it that way as it is just sitting around now.
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Thank you so much for your testimonial, mango butter is truly a God send!
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Hi, new here, loved reading it. I tried shea butter once and got a severe reaction, so my alternative for every recipe with it is always mango butter
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You’re not alone! While shea butter works well for a lot of people, some get an unwanted reaction and mango butter is a great alternative.
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Why is the body butter hard. It’s creamy at first but as it cools and settles it get rock hard
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These whipped body butters all get a bit harder after about 24 hours from whipping. If yours is really hard, you can try to add more oil to the formula, then follow all the other steps of whipping and you’ll be ok.
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I’ve mixed both together and found the combination interesting. I’ve whipped shea alone but not mango. Will try mango, love it as a moisturizer!
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Can you use equal amounts Shea Butter and Mango Butter for Whipped Body Butter recipes?
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Yes you can!
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I noticed the Shea butter you use is an ivory color is this because it is unrefined? I ask because I buy Shea butter in a tub, from a market, and the color is a deep gold color.
I’m interested in making my own skin care as pure as possible.
Thank you for sharing.Reply
What you buy at the market is what we call “yellow shea butter” because of it’s golden color. This shea butter usually has the addition of a yellow powder derived from a root that gives it the very bright yellow/gold color. Our other shea butter is ivory in color, it’s unrefined and doesn’t have the yellow root in it. Both are great, it’s just a matter of preference.
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If I mix 1/4 cup of Shea butter with 1 cup of mango butter, will it diminish the nutty smell, and will it mix well?
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Yes, the nutty smell will be a lot less, and yes, it will whip well as long as you also include the oil in this recipe.
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Hi, many thanks for this article, I got some dying questions answered, thanks.?
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When I whip the oils place in jar will it solidify ? Do I need to refrigerate?
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Yes, they will solidify. No need to refrigerate after you have whipped them.
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I love both together and apart.
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Hello, if I whip the shea butter and then add essential oils, will it keep the scent and whipped consistency? *I don’t have the additional oils recommended to add to the shea butter. Thank you
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It will harden up but if you whip it, it will increase in volume and be a little easier to apply. If you have a light olive oil you can use that as well.
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Hi. I’d like to make a whipped shea hair butter for my daughter but she has a tree nut allergy. What oils can I use instead of coconut oil? Thanks
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Jojoba or Apricot oil are great for most people.
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Have you used the two butters in a recipe? in equal portion?
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Yes, this recipe uses both in the same amount.
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I think they meant together in one recipe! Im also curious of this!
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I use them together when I make my body butter its the best…
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Is the sheabutter weighed on a scale and the oil measured in a measuring cup, or are they both weighed?
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Both are weighed on a scale.
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Great tutorial! It was a HUGE help!
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I get a stain on my clothes from the shea butter. What do you suggest I do to avoid this?
Thank you.
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Try to get into the habit of using very little, melt it between your palms then massage it into your skin until it is absorbed. This is a pure butter as opposed to the typical lotions on the market – those are about 80% water and only have a minor amount of butter so they feel quite different than pure shea.
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Are the textures of whipped shea and whipped mango butter similar after whipping? or is the whipped mango butter actually a little more dense and rich since it it makes 3 jars to shea butter’s 5 jars in the above recipe?
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Both whipped body butters have similar consistency.
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Lovely recipe! If I wanted to add Vitamin E oil and Glycerin how much add to this recipe?
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You can add a couple of drops of Vitamin E, but don’t add glycerin as this product is water soluble and won’t work in this formula unless you add emulsifiers and a preservative system.
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I find using coconut oil in my body butter recipes adds way too much oil (that doesn’t absorb quickly on my skin either). Can another oil be substituted? Or one skip coconut oil?
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Personally I prefer Jojoba over Coconut Oil, try that. You can also add 1 teaspoon of arrowroot powder for each 4oz of formula, that will help cut down the oily feel.
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Hello, please, could you let me know the difference between whipped and non-whipped shea butter, is there a technical difference explanation when applied to the skin?
Thanks a lot!
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Whipped shea butter has more volume and it’s easier to spread on the skin because it has tiny air bubbles in it created by the whipping motion. Non-whipped butter is simply more dense but will still melt on skin contact.
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Have you ever mixed Shea and mango butters, and if so, with what result?
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I have and the results are great, you can try any of our popular body butter recipes and replace the dose for the butter described with 1/2 shea and 1/2 mango.
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Did you use this on your face? I was wondering if the mix of Mango and Shea butter will clogg your pores. I intend to use it for my face?….I avoided using oils on my face because I breakout easily.
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I use everything I make for both my face and body :). I used to be acne prone but I’m not anymore, not sure if it’s because I’ve been using all natural ingredients. I’d say try it on your face at night, then wash in the morning, I don’t think you will break out at all.
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Just recently found out about whippex butter and i have been trying it and giving to my friends 2 person suggested it needs more moisture i would use shea butter, mango butter and oils its ok to me but what can i do to add more moisture
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They need to apply it on their skin after a bath or shower, so their skin is moist and more receptive to the butters softening their skin.
How to know that unrefined and pure shea butter. And best store in India.
I really appreciate your article.
Thank you.Reply
Read the ingredients label, it should only say shea butter. To know that it’s unrefined you need to smell it: if it smells nutty and smokey, it’s unrefined. If it’s completely unscented it means it was refined and lost of of its nutrients.
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Hello, when you whip the butter mixture and yields couple of jars, how do you store it? in the fridge? does it loose the whipped consistency once it was stored in the fridge? I used to make sheabutter mixture, but never used an electric mixer to whip it. The mixture turned really solid in the fridge and was hard to scrape out of the jar. I was wondering if the whipping would solve this problem? if I did not keep it in the fridge the mixture turned black on the bottom of the jar, looked like mould. thank you
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I do not store them in the fridge but keep them at room temperature. You should try whipping with an electric mixer once, you will see how nice and fluffy the final product is. Butters will always harden back, even when you whip them, but they will be easier to apply on your skin.
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Where do I buy shea and mango butter, as well as the other oils mentioned in the recipes? Good information.
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From our store 🙂
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So far, this has been the most concise and useful information I’ve found regarding whipped Shea butter!
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I tested out a shea butter sugar scrub today for a new product for my small business. Turns out I don’t love the smell ? I love the way it whipped up though. With doing half Shea half mango will the scent be as strong? Maybe even 3/4 mango butter, 1/4 Shea?
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Hello! Is there a way reduce the nutty smoky smell of shea butter? With the right ingredients can the smell be reduced down a little more in which the fragrance can really come through?
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Ia shea butter or mango butter “greasier”?
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What are some essential oils that would help pair nicely with the nutty smell of unrefined shea butter? Or mark it?
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What if l mix both the Shea butter & mango butter together, would that be even more smooth for the skin/hair??
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I hear mango is non greasy whereas I KNOW shea is VERY greasy.
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I only use shea – the smell doesn’t bother me. Yes, it can appear greasy at first, but it soaks in very quickly, so just give it a few minutes. I always feel as if my skin is going awh – thirst has been quenched…
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Tried unrefined shea butter 3 years ago .I dont remember the awful smell . So I ordered another one still that smell. The only way not to smell it is with heavy tiger balm type scents. So I am trying mango butter.
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Unrefined Shea Butter does have a natural nutty scent, and adding essential oils and coconut oil to it helps to reduce it. Also, once you apply shea butter on your skin, any scent will evaporate because it’s not your typical fragrance smell that can stick around forever. But Mango butter is a great alternative to shea since it’s completely scent-free. I hope it works out for you.
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Very true but you can add arrow root powder to your shea butter to make it less greasy
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I noticed that some triple whip the butters, why is that?
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Maybe to make them more fluffy? I’m not sure, I should try it.
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Super cool experiment! It’s so hard to remember why there are so many different butters and oils.
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Right!?
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Coconut butter is comedogenic so what would be another oil to dilute the shes smell that is also non comedogenic?
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I like jojoba oil as a substitute for coconut oil, that is non-comedogenic and works great in this formula.
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