Horsetail Shea Butter

You can use this infused shea butter in your hair care or skin care, add it in formulas such as: Lotion Bars (Christmas Edition), Silky Smooth Emulsified Body Butter, Naturally Colored Emulsified Body Butter and Emulsified Body Sugar Scrub.

Let's go through the benefits of incorporating shea butter in our cosmetics.

Shea butter, derived from the nut of the African shea tree, has long been known for its exceptional moisturizing and nourishing properties.

Shea butter is rich in vitamins, fatty acids, and antioxidants. Its creamy texture and ability to penetrate deeply into the skin make it an essential cosmetic ingredient.

Shea butter infused with horsetail combines the rich, nourishing properties of shea butter with the numerous skin and hair benefits horsetail herb offers.

Horsetail, often referred to as "nature's silica," is a perennial herbaceous plant found in various regions across the globe. It boasts a high silica content, a mineral essential for collagen synthesis. Incorporating horsetail into your skincare regimen can work wonders by promoting collagen production.

Horsetail is also a source of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, making it an excellent choice for soothing irritated or inflamed skin. This makes it particularly beneficial for individuals with sensitive or acne-prone skin.

Furthermore, the silica content in horsetail can contribute to the gradual fading of scars and blemishes over time, achieving a more even and radiant skin tone.

In hair care, horsetail stands out with its astringent properties, which can effectively regulate excess oil production. It's a valuable addition to hair care products because it can fortify hair strands, reduce breakage, and enhance overall hair health. Regular use of horsetail-infused hair products can unlock your hair's natural shine and luster, resulting in a vibrant and healthy appearance.

One of the horsetail's most remarkable attributes lies in its ability to boost blood circulation in the scalp. This enhancement in blood flow can stimulate hair growth, making it a sought-after ingredient for those looking to achieve longer and thicker locks.

I'm adding a small amount of avocado oil since this addition to the shea butter, while infusing it with herbs, can enhance the infusion. Avocado oil can help create a smoother, more consistent infusion. It aids in blending the shea butter and herbal components, ensuring that the nutrients and herbal properties are evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Avocado oil can enhance the absorption of herbal extracts and active compounds from the infused herbs into the skin and hair.

When shea butter is infused with horsetail, it creates a harmonious blend that can significantly strengthen hair strands, reducing the risk of breakage and split ends. Simultaneously, the infusion utilizes shea butter's richness in fatty acids and vitamins to enhance skin elasticity. This dual action, combined with horsetail's silica content, can improve skin's firmness, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

The infusion's anti-inflammatory properties also extend their soothing benefits to irritated or inflamed skin, making it a valuable asset for individuals with sensitive or acne-prone skin.

While the infusion is heating in the double boiler, I check the temperature every 30 minutes, more or less. I have to make sure the temperature is not high and does not exceed 50°C.

Using high temperatures can harm the important nutrients in shea butter. To avoid losing these nutrients, it's best to keep the temperature not above 50°C. Shea butter can also go bad if exposed to heat and air, making it smell bad and not last as long. So, it's important to ensure the temperature stays low to keep the shea butter from rapid oxidation and losing its properties.

I use a thermometer to check that the temperature is not too high, and I leave the infusion in the lowest setting.

If you don't have a thermometer, use the lowest setting in your stove and the double boiler method. Don't place the beaker directly on a heat source.

Once you remove the infused shea butter from the heat, place it in the fridge to cool down.

Cooling down heated shea butter in the fridge is the best way to avoid a grainy texture. Shea butter has different kinds of fatty acids, and when it melts and cools slowly, these fats can arrange themselves unevenly, leading to a rough, gritty feel. Chilling it quickly in the fridge encourages these fats to solidify more orderly, resulting in a smoother and less grainy texture.

You can infuse the butter with other herbs, such as dried nettle leaves, dried green tea leaves, dried calendula petals, dried camomile petals, or dried dandelion.

Infusing butters and oil can add more benefits to the raw material and enhance the properties of our products. Check this post for instructions on infusing oils with the cold method. You can double the amounts I have in this recipe to make a bigger batch of infused butter.

I've used unrefined shea butter; I prefer the unrefined version since some natural vitamins and properties may be reduced or eliminated during the refining process.

Method:

1. In a heat resistance beaker, add the shea butter.

2. Add the dried horsetail.

3. Place the beaker into a double boiler on low heat to melt the butter.

4. After 5-10 minutes, add the avocado oil and stir.

5. Keep stirring every 10-20 minutes. Make sure you keep the lowest temperature while heating in the double boiler. Check the temperature every 20-30 minutes. Leave the infusion on a low heat for 4-6 hours.

6. After 4-6 hours, remove the beaker from the heat and strain the liquid butter. You can use a small sieve or a cheesecloth to strain it. You can add 3-4 drops of vitamin E, mix the vitamin E to incorporate, while the infused butter is liquid.

7. Place the infused butter in the fridge for 2 hours. After 2 hours, remove it from the fridge and store it in a cool, dark place.

8. Use the infused shea butter the same way you would use regular shea butter in skin and hair care products.

Related articles:

• Infusing Oils (no heating)

• Waxes in Cosmetics

• How to Make a Basic Lotion / Cream

• Ingredients and Tools to Start Making Your Cosmetics

• Soy Wax Candles