LUSH Shine So Bright Split End Hair Treatment

This product is magical! Pure magic! The best part about it is that the majority of the ingredients are ALL NATURAL. From the fresh free range eggs to the coconut oil and shea butter, etc etc these ingredients truly mend and hydrate split ends. Of course, common sense tells you that you can’t really fix split ends unless you snip them BUT this product really does help to contain them until you can get a trim AND to hydrate and seal them in order to prevent wear and tear. I got this product at LUSH (can be purchased on the website) for $9 for .4 oz. A little pricy for such a small tin BUT this product has lasted me three months and I use it often! BUT, if you know how to make your own hair care products, take a look at the ingredients and try your luck at making your own–minus the two synthetic ingredients*

This YouTube video demonstrates how to use this product on your hair!

INGREDIENTS

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera) , Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii) , Candelilla Wax (Euphorbia cerifera) , Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Olea europaea) , Fragrance , Neroli Oil (Citrus Aurantium amara) , Grapefruit Oil (Citrus paradisi) , Rosewood Oil (Aniba rosaeodora) , Fresh Free Range Eggs , Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides) , Hydroxycitronellol , *Geraniol , *Citral , *Farnesol , *Limonene , *Benzyl Alcohol , *Linalool

HOW I USE IT

I use this product all the time whether my hair is curly or straight, wet or dry. When heat styling your hair it’s great to use this on your ends before you blow dry each section, ensuring that your ends stay sealed with moisture and are sleek and shiny. LOVE THIS PRODUCT!

Shea Butter

THE USE OF SHEA BUTTER

Now there isn’t a true product junkie or naturalista in the world who hasn’t heard of the wonder of shea butter! Shea butter is in almost every healthy hair product and the hair line (my favorite hair line) SheaMoisture is based on the wonders of raw shea butter. Shea butter is a natural sealant, heat protectant, shields against UV rays AND naturally softens hair. In this article, on Curly Nikki, she does an amazing job explaining the benefits of shea butter and the many wonders it can do on your hair! So, read up!

USING SHEA BUTTER

Here’s is one of my most favorite shea butter recipes! I love to use shea butter in deep conditioners* and DIY sealants.

3 tablespoons shea butter
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon jojoba oil
1 teaspoon almond oil
5-6 drops of eucalyptus oil**

*as I explain in my DIY Treatment section, when using a DIY deep conditioner it is generally effective if you mix a smidge of your favorite conditioner in as well. This ensures you have great slip and great moisture! Just a smidge–one or 2 tablespoons!

**this is solely for the smell!

Here is a YouTube video of a step by step tutorial on how to mix and create your own shea butter hair recipe!

PURCHASING A NATURAL BUTTER

When purchasing a natural butter, it is important to look for a butter that is extracted using natural methods to ensure maximum nourishment to the skin. Look for the words “unrefined,” “cold-pressed” or “crude.” This means that the product was extracted from the shea nut, cocoa bean or mango using natural methods that don’t overheat the ingredient during the process, thus destroying some of its nutrients.

The shea butter I use (pictured below) I bought from a natural food store in Maryland for about $8. However, there are websites such as Butters-N-Bars where you can purchase shea butter from or maybe even Whole Foods. I say maybe because I have yet to buy it from there Farmers markets are always another alternative, and great place, to purchase shea butter from as well.