Shea Butter

****This was a post I was asked to write on Our Natural Kids. It is an awesome website where families get together and discuss hair tips for their children. One of the members of the site asked that I post something about shea butter as it seems she and some others were confused. Here is the post I wrote. I'm posting it here and on my business blog as well.

Hi everyone! I'm a new member here to Our Natural Kids and I was asked by member TheSistahChick to write a post about shea butter. She asked if I could simply state the difference between yellow and off-white.

Off-white shea butter is the natural color of shea butter. It becomes yellow when it is dyed with red palm oil. Red palm oil has a similar texture to coconut oil (at room temp). Red palm oil is generally used in cooking, especially for those who have a vitamin A deficiency. Red palm oil is also very high in antioxidants. Red palm oil makes the shea butter a bit softer and creamier and easier to work with. Off-white shea butter that has not been whipped is a little bit firmer than the yellow, and so some people prefer the one they can emulsify the easiest.

I own a business, Belle Butters, LLC where I sell whipped shea butter. I have sold both yellow and off-white shea butter. At the end of the day, it pretty much comes down to the preference of the person as to which type they like to use. I have a lot of customers who use the yellow as opposed to the off-white.

Recently, a set of videos have been published to youtube by a young lady who states that yellow shea butter isn't shea butter and that it is African Butter and from a different region and a different tree. She also went on to say that some suppliers dye shea butter with a toxic dye that can be bad for you to make this butter yellow. However, she did not mention that off-white shea butter can be dyed with red palm oil which is safe for the skin and that is what makes it yellow. I understand that she wanted us to be informed that businesses can be malicious, however it is the responsibility of the business and the customer to make sure the shea butter they receive is authentic and good quality. If at any given time you feel a little leery about the yellow shea butter you are purchasing, ask questions. If the seller refuses to give you any information or if you are not satisfied with the information you are given, look for another seller to purchase from.

I was asked by a potential customer a few days ago, "If the lady in the video said that the yellow shea butter is bad for you, why would you sell it?" Not all yellow shea butter is bad for you. If it was bad, I would not sell it, period. I offered to give her my suppliers information, along with my suppliers website to better inform my potential customer. The customer eventually decided that she wanted off-white shea butter and not the yellow and I told her that was absolutely fine. It is really up to you and your families discretion, which type of shea butter you choose to use.

I understand that staying informed is the best way to go when it comes to what we put into our bodies and on our bodies. However, what a person chooses to put on their bodies and on their hair or eat, is their decision and their free-will to do so. It is already tough for us to make the transition to being natural. We seek out peers who have faced the same trials and errors so that we know that we have some sort of support. Lately, I've noticed that we have found yet another thing to debate over and it kills all of that unity and growth that we have built up. As it is still ongoing, there is the debate that altering your natural hair with heat, means that you are not natural. We have a tendency to be so micro-minded about the details. Sometimes it's easier for us to just let some things go and let what another person does, be their choice. You cannot knock a person for wanting to do something different. If we all did things the same, this world would be a boring place. I just wanted to mention this because it is a simple disagreement like this that can cause disruption and hurt feelings and I'm sure none of us are here to do that. So, if I decided to use yellow shea butter, then so be it. I won't tell one person that they are wrong for using off-white and I feel like they shouldn't tell me I'm wrong for using yellow. If it is your money, you choose to spend it however you want to and no other person can tell you what to do with the money earn.

I remember when I first went natural and I was initially using off-white and I was interrogated basically as to whether or not I checked to make sure my shea butter wasn't bleached by hexane. Feeling completely intimidated I switched to using yellow shea butter. Now, I'm being questioned about the yellow shea butter, and I feel it is only because of the videos that have recently been put onto youtube. People have been using either color for years and as far as I know, no one has reported any adverse reactions from using the yellow shea butter. Defending myself about which one I choose to use took a lot out of me and basically made me feel like an idiot. The same natural hair community that I looked to for guidance is now contradicting itself. Initially I felt bad. Now that these questions are coming in regards to my business, I can't really let it get me down. I have to keep on moving and pushing. There are so many businesses out there that sell shea butter and so I have to remind myself constantly, that I can't satisfy everyone and if I do not have what someone is looking for, I can suggest an alternative, try to make it work or I'd have to tell that customer to try a different business.

I hope this clears up any confusion anyone was having in regards to the yellow and off-white shea butter. Let's keep our unity alive and well and remember that we are here to help each other in a supportive and constructive way.