• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

TBOSC

Love Your Skin

  • Start Here
  • About
  • Routines
    • Dry Skin
    • Combination Skin
    • Sensitive Skin
    • Anti-Aging
    • Oily Skin
    • Acne
    • Men’s Skin
  • Articles
    • Essential Oils
    • Natural Ingredients
    • Makeup Tips
    • Recipes
    • How To
  • Product Guides
    • Our Favorite Skincare
    • The Best Organic Makeup
    • Product Reviews
    • Anti-Aging Guide
    • The Best Brands
  • Shop
    • Our Ebooks
    • The Best Online Shops

Mango Butter Vs Shea Butter For Skin And Hair

December 9, 2016 by Andrea 19 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link.

mango butter vs shea butter for skin and hair

Mango butter or shea? In this article, you will learn about mango butter vs shea butter, their differences, similarities, and how they affect the skin and hair.

The use of Shea Butter dates back to the time of Cleopatra. She used jars of shea butter as a cosmetic treatment to shield her from the damages caused by the heat of the sun. Mango fruits, on the other hand, were used in medicine and healing long before but its extract was discovered to be very beneficial to the skin.

Both kinds of body butters have excellent skin and hair benefits. They are usually blended with various kinds of oils and other ingredients for moisturizers and creams, body massages, and skin and hair treatments. But which is better – Mango butter or Shea butter? 


table of contents
What is Mango Butter?
What is Shea Butter?
Mango Butter Skin Benefits
Mango Butter Recipe
Shea Butter Skin Benefits
Shea Butter Recipe
Mango Butter Hair Benefits
Shea Butter Hair Benefits

Mango Butter Vs Shea Butter for Hair Care
Mango Butter Vs Shea Butter for Eczema
Mango Butter Vs Shea Butter for Acne
Differences Between Mango Butter and Shea Butter
Fatty Acid Content
Conclusion

What is Mango Butter?

mango butter vs shea butter for skin and hair

Mangoes not only provide internal nourishment, but also keep the skin smooth and healthy. Mango butter is a soft solid collected and refined from the seed kernels of the mango tree. It is loaded with excellent properties that are great for skin and hair nourishment.

Mango butter is rich in oleic and stearic acid. These fatty acids soften and soothe the skin and hair. This butter is high in antioxidants and Vitamins A, C and E. It resembles shea butter in that it is solid at room temperature and melts on contact with the skin.

It has a thick, creamy white color and a slight sweet fragrance.

What is Shea Butter?

mango butter vs shea butter for skin and hair

Shea Butter is an off-white or ivory-colored fatty substance that is extracted from the nut of Shea Trees found in West and Central Africa. It is commonly used in the cosmetics industry as an ingredient in skin and hair products. Shea Butter is also edible and it is used as a cooking oil in African countries. They also use it for candle-making, hairdressing, and as a constituent in medicinal ointments.

High in Vitamins A, E and F. Vitamin A and E are strong antioxidants that repair the skin. Vitamin F is a rich source of fatty acids, it softens and rejuvenates the skin.

Shea butter has a natural beige color unless it has been refined. It has a mild nutty-smoky scent, that some people find a bit off-putting, though it quickly goes away after application.

Mango Butter Skin Benefits

Here are some good reasons to use Mango Butter for your everyday skin care.

  • Mango butter is effective in moisturizing and soothing dry and chafed skin.
  • It helps protect your skin from UV radiation.
  • It can provide skin protection and healing from frostbite and sunburn damages.
  • It treats skin rash, dermatitis, and eczema.
  • It relieves itchiness from insect bites.
  • Mango Butter can be used to detoxify skin from impurities due to dirt and pollution.
  • It can help prevent stretch marks due to pregnancy.
  • You can use Mango Butter to smooth acne scars and wrinkles.
  • Mango Butter can serve as a shaving cream for a smooth shave.

Mango Butter Recipe

mango butter cream recipe

Because it is so hard at room temperature, mango butter is easiest to use when mixed with a liquid oil as well as essential oils for massage and nourishment.

A good essential oil to use with Mango Butter is Rocky Mountain Oils’ Baby Skin Essential Oil Blend. The final product is called Baby Skin Essential Oil Massage Cream, and it helps in reduction of skin blemishes and stimulates the skin’s natural healing. It works best for oily and mature skin.

For this blend, you will need:

  • 30 drops Baby Skin Essential Oil Blend
  • 5 drops Sandalwood Essential Oil
  • 1 cup Mango Butter
  • 1 teaspoon Fractionated Coconut Oil (FCO)

Directions: Soften Mango Butter and add FCO. Mix in the essential oils. Put in a container and set aside to cool. Close lid and then label. Apply onto the affected area twice or thrice daily.

Shea Butter Skin Benefits

Just like mango butter, there are advantages to using Shea butter on your skin:

  • Shea Butter is an excellent skin moisturizer for dry skin due to its concentration of natural vitamins and fatty acids.
  • It can serve as an anti-inflammatory due to the cinnamic acid.
  • Shea Butter is also a great treatment for some people with acne scars.
  • It eases skin irritations like eczema and psoriasis.
  • It helps produce the natural collagen in the skin which reduces the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and stretch marks.
  • Shea butter comprises of antioxidants such as catechins, and vitamins A and E, which protect the cells from environmental damages and free radicals.
  • The cinnamic acid in the Shea Butter helps protect skin from UV radiation damages.

Shea Butter Recipe

shea butter cream recipe

If you want a much better treatment for your skin, here is a good recipe that incorporates Shea Butter with essential oils that can help relieve pain and prevent the formation of minor scars and bruises.

The recipe is dubbed as Mother's Touch Essential Oil Flexibility Cream, and is best made with Mother’s Touch Essential Oil from Rocky Mountain Oils.

Here are the things that you will need:

  • 30 drops Mother's Touch Essential Oil Blend
  • 15 drops Relieve Me Essential Oil Blend
  • 2 ounces Shea Butter
  • 1 ounce Beeswax
  • ½ teaspoon Green Clay

Direction: Heat and soften the shea butter and beeswax and together. Remove from heat and mix in the clay. Add the essential oils and transfer into another container. Set aside to cool completely. Apply daily as necessary.

Mango Butter Hair Benefits

You can also use Mango Butter for hair nourishment. The following are the benefits you can get from using Mango Butter as a hair treatment.

  • When applied to the scalp, Mango Butter restores and maintains the skin moisture, and stimulates cell regeneration. A healthy scalp builds up a healthy hair growth.
  • Mango Butter holds various antioxidants and vitamins A, C, and E which have great influences to the growth of healthy hair.
  • As Mango Butter protects skin from UV rays, it also serves as a sunscreen for hair and scalp for any possible sun damage.

Shea Butter Hair Benefits

Shea Butter is also great for hair nourishment and here are the benefits you can get:

  • Shea butter is great for hair revitalization from damage and stiff hair. It helps in spreading and maintaining the excess oil in the scalp because of its non-greasy nature.
  • It helps soothe a dry and irritated scalp. It also repairs split ends and breakage and soothes hair dryness with its Vitamin A and E components.
  • It has a sufficient amount of SPF to protect the hair from damages due to sun exposure and UV rays.
  • Shea Butter can also be an excellent hair moisturizer and natural conditioner due to the presence of Vitamins A and E.
  • Shea butter protects hair from the pollutants and harmful free radicals found in the air and rain.
  • It can be applied to the hair before swimming to protect it from salt and chlorine.

Mango Butter Vs Shea Butter for Hair Care

 Hair Care

Mango butter

Adding mango butter to your haircare regimen can help fortify your strands, replenish moisture, and soften hair. Because it contains palmitic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid, and oleic acids, mango butter effectively strengthens hair follicles and promotes healthy hair growth. Overall, it’s a great natural remedy for conditioning hair, eliminating frizz, and protecting your strands from the harmful effects of environmental pollutants and sun exposure.

Shea butter

Shea butter and mango butter are quite similar in terms of what they can do for your hair. Because they both contain essential fatty acids like oleic, palmitic, linoleic, arachidic, and stearic acids, they have strong emollient properties which effectively provides moisture to the scalp and hair. Overall, shea butter is great for moisturizing dry scalp, hydrating hair, and shielding your hair strands from environmental stressors and sun damage.

Is mango butter or shea butter better for your hair?

Because both butters are so similar, which one works best for haircare? Well, it all depends on personal preference. Either option is a fantastic choice for achieving gorgeous, luscious hair. However, there are specific circumstances where you might prefer to use mango butter instead of shea butter.

Firstly, shea butter has a slightly nutty aroma that might be overwhelming for some people. If you aren’t a fan of the smell or you want to achieve a particular scent in your DIY recipe with essential oils, it’s a good idea to go with mango butter. Compared to shea butter, mango butter has a mildly sweet scent that is virtually undetectable when blended with essential oils.

Second of all, mango butter has a lower melting point than shea butter, so it’s easier to melt. If you’re using it during the colder months or you live in an area with a cooler climate, mango butter is more convenient to use because it would be easier to work with and distribute evenly.

Mango Butter Vs Shea Butter for Eczema

Mango Butter Vs Shea Butter for Eczema

Eczema is a common skin condition that’s characterized by symptoms like itching, inflammation, and dry or scaly skin. If you suffer from extreme dry skin or eczema, it’s best to avoid commercial products that contain a number of chemicals and artificial fragrances which can aggravate your skin and make matters worse. Both mango butter and shea butter are great natural remedies for treating eczema, dry skin, or dermatitis.

Mango butter

Mango butter is known for its ability to nourish and heal skin. What’s great about mango butter is that it’s deeply hydrating but doesn’t feel greasy on skin. It contains linoleic acid and vitamins A, C, and E – all of which, work together to replenish moisture in skin and encourage cell regeneration. Because it also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, it helps soothe inflammation, reduce redness, and minimize the appearance of scars.

Shea butter

Similar to mango butter, shea butter also has strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging properties. Shea butter absorbs quickly into skin, creating a barrier over the surface of skin to help retain its moisture and prevent further water loss. That said, it’s an effective natural remedy for treating dry skin and providing relief from eczema symptoms. 

Mango Butter Vs Shea Butter for Acne

mango butter vs shea butter for acne

Mango butter

Mango butter is non-comedogenic so it won’t clog your pores or contribute to an existing breakout. Because it contains linoleic acid, oleic acids, vitamin A, and vitamin E, mango butter effectively promotes healing in skin, soothes inflammation, and improves the appearance of scars. Because of its strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, you’d definitely benefit from adding mango butter into your skincare routine if you have acne-prone skin.

Shea butter

Shea butter is also non-comedogenic so it can effectively moisturize your skin without making your acne worse. The best part is that shea butter absorbs quickly into skin and deeply moisturizes your skin without that greasy feeling. Because it has natural anti-inflammatory properties, shea butter can help reduce breakouts, improve redness, and soothe inflammation. It also contains many skin-supporting ingredients that promote healing in skin and encourage cell regeneration to fade dark spots and scars.

Differences Between Mango Butter and Shea Butter

Both of these butters have similar properties, with a couple of minor differences:

  • Mango butter is a bit of a lighter feel than shea butter.If you find shea butter too heavy, give mango butter a try.
  • Mango butter is harder than shea butter at room temperature, making it more difficult to use on its own.

Fatty Acid Content

Mango Butter

  • 40-46% oleic acid
  • 40 - 45% stearic acid
  • 3-4% linoleic aacid
  • 5.5 % palmitic acid
  • 2-2.5% arachidic acid

Shea Butter

  • 40-60% oleic acid
  • 20-50% stearic acid
  • 3 - 11% linoleic acid
  • 2-9% palmitic acid
  • >1% linolenic acid
  • >1% arachidic acid

Conclusion

Mango Butter may be a bit more expensive than Shea Butter, but they have very similar properties and benefits. These butters work well mixed with aromatic essential oils.

Find a good recipe and give both of them a try so you can find out for yourself what best works for your skin and your hair.

Try Mango Butter

mango butter skin and hair benefits - recommended mango butter

Look for pure mango butter that has not been refined.

MANGO BUTTER ON AMAZON
CANADIANS GO HERE

Try Shea Butter

the best organic shea butter

Look for raw and unrefined shea butter.

SHEA BUTTER ON AMAZON
CANADIANS GO HERE

How would you use mango or shea butter? Leave any questions in the comments below and we will do our best to help you out. If you liked this article, please share it with your friends 🙂

Yours In Beauty,
Andrea

 

Filed Under: Articles, Bath & Body, Comparisons, Dry Winter Skin, Eczema, Stretch Marks Tagged With: mango butter, recipe, shea butter, thrive

About Andrea

Andrea has been blogging about organic and natural skincare for over 5 years and has been practicing her own natural lifestyle for over 20 years. She is a mother of three with a passion for helping people make the switch to non-toxic skincare. If you are looking for organic beauty products - Check out our favorite shops

You May Also Like…

cocoa butter vs shea butter
Cocoa Butter vs Shea Butter : A Solution for Your Skin?
suti purity organic restorative balm review
Suti Purity Organic Restorative Balm Review
our guide to organic soap for sensitive skin
A Guide to Organic Soap for Sensitive Skin

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kenny says

    December 10, 2016 at 1:12 pm

    Great Info! Good fact about Cleopatra, That is a fun fact I might be able to use somewhere down the line. My mom has been complaining about her hair being dry lately, I wonder if this would help her? Its good to know that there are still organic products out there that have been used for a very long time. How Long have you known about Mango Butter?

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      December 12, 2016 at 11:49 am

      I have used Shea butter in my hair when it is very dry. You have to be careful not to use too much, otherwise your hair will get greasy. I find using a comb to spread it through my hair works well. I have known about mango butter for about a year now, I have yet to try it though 🙂

      Reply
  2. Santiago says

    December 10, 2016 at 3:11 pm

    Hello Andrea !

    Thank you so much for this information.
    I find this post very helpfull to me since im trying to switch to a non-toxic llifestyle and now, I know a few alternatives to some of the regular products.
    I will definitely let my girlfriend know the recipe. ,She will surely use it !

    I wish you the Best

    Santiago/James

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      December 11, 2016 at 7:20 am

      Thanks James 🙂 Let us know if she likes it!

      Reply
  3. Ursi says

    December 10, 2016 at 11:53 pm

    I love the idea of mixing my own skin and hair care products! So far I’ve used a ready made shea butter product for my skin, but although it’s made from organic ingredients, it also contains other ingredients that I don’t quite trust. Now I have a chance to eliminate many of those by making my own. I might give the mango butter a try. Thanks for the recipes!

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      December 11, 2016 at 7:19 am

      You are welcome Ursi. I love to make whipped body butters with Shea and Mango butter.

      Reply
  4. Russell says

    April 3, 2017 at 9:57 pm

    Andrea , Thanks for sharing such a Nice product Information . I love Shea Butter Products .

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      April 4, 2017 at 6:56 am

      You are welcome Russell 🙂

      Reply
  5. PinkDazzle says

    April 25, 2017 at 4:32 am

    I plan to use mango butter to make my own body butter. This piece was quite informative. Let me know if you have nay recipe for that.. I have just lavender essential oil right now..

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      April 26, 2017 at 6:40 am

      Unfortunetly, we do not have a recipe on our site for a body butter that could use mango butter. I am sure you could google a body butter recipe and find one. You can use the mango butter in place of shea or cocoa butter.

      Reply
  6. Debra Bradford says

    July 21, 2017 at 11:36 am

    Very informative, I am wondering if Shea Butter & Mango Butter could be combined, along with Sweet Almond Oil? I appreciate your time, thanks so much for this article!

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      July 21, 2017 at 12:27 pm

      Yes Debra, that would make a lovely blend!

      Reply
  7. Lina says

    December 4, 2017 at 7:19 am

    I started using shea butter for a month now together with black soap and there is a big difference in my skin. The guy I bought my shea butter from got mango butter in he ask me to try it. I did not know anything about mango butter so I goggle and found out a lot about mango butter
    For me i prefer the shea butter at night and the mango in the day time. It is lighter and shea butter is heavier. But I love both of them.

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      December 4, 2017 at 11:07 am

      Awesome to hear Lina! Thanks for stopping in and taking the time to comment 🙂 We love to hear it.

      Reply
  8. Angela says

    February 18, 2018 at 2:46 pm

    Love your post, have both mango and shea butter, will use both. Thank you

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      February 20, 2018 at 10:39 am

      Thanks Angela!

      Reply
  9. Holland says

    March 19, 2019 at 8:36 am

    “Holland & Milan Organics??” is a 100% All Natural, Organic, Plant-based, Handmade Hair and Skincare Line that will repair, rebuild and restore the hair and skin. WEBSITE:HOLLANDMILANORGANICS.COM, I.G + F. B @hollandmilanorganics Based: Ardmore Pa. 19003??

    Reply
  10. Allison Marshall says

    January 6, 2020 at 2:09 pm

    I have found mango butter to be excellent for body butters or products you want to custom scent. Shea butter has a much stronger odor which some pretty dislike. organic cocoa butter (Can be unscented) combined mango butter, and almond oil, can be a great base so that your choice of essential oils can shine or you can create an unscented body butter for more sensitive skin.

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      January 7, 2020 at 10:26 am

      Thanks for the tips, Allison!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

About TBOSC

Follow us

Footer

Skin Type Guides

  • Dry Skin
  • Oily Skin
  • Combination Skin
  • Sensitive Skin
  • Acne
  • Aging

Browse

  • The Best Products
  • Product REVIEWS
  • Recipes
  • Makeup Tips
  • Essential Oils

Subscribe!

For a Weekly Email of Skin Care Tips and a FREE Ebook Get the Newsletter

Disclosure

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.   Learn More

Search

Follow Us

  • About
  • Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • Data Access Request

© 2021 The Best Organic Skincare