UrbanUpdate

If you’ve ever shopped for a skin lotion or beard oil—and examined closely the list of ingredients—you’ve probably seen the words “shea butter” on a bunch of labels. Shea comes from the seeds of the Vitellaria paradoxatree in West Africa, and after a laborious pounding, drying, and cleaning process, the fatty seeds morph into a silky-smooth paste known for its versatile moisturizing superpowers. It's especially effective at protecting skin and hair from the drying effects of the Sub-Saharan climate. (People also use shea for nutritional and medicinal purposes—it's literally a cure-all.) So, it’s no surprise it’s a common ingredient in most of the products you see in the grooming aisle.

Shea is most often found in three different forms—butter, oil, and cream. But they aren't all interchangeable, according to fourth-generation master barber Arthur Rubinoff at Reamir barbershop.

“I once had a guy come in who put shea butter on his long hair,” Rubinoff told me. “His hair was so hard and damaged, we had to cut it all off.”

Reamir is the go-to barber for celebs like Matt Dillon, Bruce Willis, and Tony Danza. He also used to moonlight as a jeweler and designed rings for Tupac and Chris Rock in the 1990s. Now he makes grooming products and is preparing to open a barber museum in NYC.

I spoke to the master barber all about shea—its benefits, its various forms, and how to use them responsibly.

Oil, Butter, or Cream?

“These variations are not created equally, you understand?” (Yes, he says “you understand?” because he’s old school like that.) According to Reamir’s (pronounced ree-ah-meer) house rules, shea butter is for your skin, shea oil is to moisturize your hair, and shea cream is for styling your hair and beard. “Shea butter is great for your skin. It helps prevent stretch marks when lifting heavy and bulking up. Shea oil can be bad for your skin because it can clog your pores if you use too much, but it’s great for your scalp and roots. Shea cream is whipped up so it makes for a great styling product.”

Protect Your Skin in Summer

“Shea butter is great for your skin especially in the summer,” says Rubinoff. “It has vitamins A and E which are great for healing the skin if you’re in the sun too long and get burned.” He also says shea butter can defend your skin against the harmful effects of swimming pool chlorine. “The sun, chlorine, and salt from the ocean can damage the skin and cause it to age prematurely,” he says. “The vitamins found in shea butter help protect your skin from damaging effects. I highly recommend using it after a day at the beach or the pool.” Raw Shea Butter made by Shea Moisture is great. Also, Nubian Heritage infuses their coconut and papaya body wash with shea butter, making it one of those body washes that's extremely gentle on the skin.

Keep Your Hair in Check

After a day of soaking up the sun or cannonballing at the pool, shea oil can help combat the hair drying effects of salt and chlorine. Shea oil softens and strengthens your hair and helps prevent breakage. And unlike shea butter, it absorbs quickly and doesn’t dry your hair out or weigh it down. “Shea oil is great for the scalp and the root of your hair,” says Reamir. Before washing, dampen your hair and massage the oil onto your scalp. Wrap your head in a hot towel for 20-30 minutes and then follow your normal washing routine. There's a shea oil made by Shea Moisture (not pictured above) that works well for me.

Tame the Frizz

Shea cream is whipped, so it’s lightweight and won’t weigh your hair down. “Only apply a little bit to your beard and on your hair to style,” he says. “It’s great for controlling frizzy hair.” The barber also recommends applying the cream to your face as an after shave to heal cuts and burns. Personally, I like Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioning Cream.

The most effective shea butter, oil, and cream products, though, are raw. These have the maximum nutrient benefits. The downside of the unrefined stuff is that it doesn’t smell quite as good. That’s why you mostly find scented products on the shelf. Those smell better, but you lose some of the nutrient value. It's your call.

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