Mango Butter Vs Shea Butter For Skin And Hair

Mango butter or shea butter? 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?

What is Mango Butter?

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?

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

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 Baby Skin Essential Oil Blend
• 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

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

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

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

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

Look for pure mango butter that has not been refined.

MANGO BUTTER ON AMAZON

Try Shea Butter

Look for raw and unrefined shea butter.

SHEA BUTTER ON AMAZON

FAQ’S

Does Mango Butter clog pores?
Mango butter is non-comedogenic so you don’t have to worry about it clogging up pores.  It is anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial so it helps speed up healing.

What does mango butter smell like?
Well, not what you think.  Mango butter is not made from the fruit of the mango, it is made from the seeds of the mango.  Mango butter smells slightly sweet and ‘fatty’.

Is mango butter better than shea butter?
Mango butter is the thicker and fattier of the two butters and contains more fatty acids and vitamins so it is a stronger, more intense moisturizer.

How would you use mango butter 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 🙂