Refined or Unrefined Shea Butter for Hair Soap?

[Olive Oil]

Hi, I know that some people here are not fans of lye based soap for shampoo but for those who have some experience with them I am wondering if there is a difference in using refined or unrefined Shea Butter in a recipe in terms of making hair feel heavy.

My hair soap recipe uses cocoa butter rather than shea butter (I´m palm and animal free) but I have experimented with different oils. Every time I use shea I´m left with a weighed down feeling (I have fine/medium textured curly frizzy non porous hair) . However it recently occurred to me that I always use unrefined shea butter. Could it be the unsaponifiable content of raw shea? I understand refined shea has a far lower level of unsaponifiables. Has anyone had a good experience using refined shea in hair products when raw shea was too heavy?

Thanks!

 

[freesia792]

I didn't realize this was for shampoo bars, so I can't speak to that. I have used both for other products and I like both. The ONLY problem with unrefined is the occasional - not sure what it is - bark or hull? Those can always be strained out. Unrefined has a distinct odor - if you don't mind that. The smell doesn't come through in soap I've made with it. If you try it for shampoo bars, I'd go VERY lightly with it.

 

[Lin19687]

refined or unrefined Shea Butter doesn't matter as Lye will turn it so there is nothing "special" left.

 

[Olive Oil]

refined or unrefined Shea Butter doesn't matter as Lye will turn it so there is nothing "special" left.

Ok, now I´m confused.....surely if an oil or butter contains unsaponifiable matter it won´t be saponified by the lye and will remain in the soap?

I tried washing my hair with a soap made with 15% unrefined shea. It really didn´t work for me, way too heavy. I just wanted to see if anyone had noted a difference between unrefined and refined in terms of heaviness...

 

[Dawni]

I don't know about hair.... But I've tried both refined and unrefined shea in soap and couldn't tell the difference in how either felt on my skin. Scent, yes. Lather and overall "conditioning" I don't really know.

It could be that regardless of what kind of shea, it shouldn't be for hair? I've read several places that specifically say don't use shea for shampoo (these were syndets though) and cocoa or kokum is best for hair.