Updated date:

Nov 12, 2019

How to Use Cocoa Butter for Healthy, Shiny, Beautiful Hair

Author:

I love messing around with my own hair and sharing hair tips and tricks with others.

Cocoa butter has many benefits for skin and hair and it smells delicious!

Cocoa butter is a great helper from nature. It does wonders for your skin and also for your hair. If you are trying to let your hair grow, cocoa butter will help you keep it healthy and soft in the process. Much like coconut oil, cocoa butter has healing and softening properties that will make your hair healthy and shiny. Also, it smells delicious! The hardest part will be trying not to smell or touch your hair after you apply the wonderful cocoa butter.

How Does Cocoa Butter Benefit Hair?

Because cocoa butter is a natural emollient, it has a lot of benefits! Cocoa butter . . .

Moisturizes your hair
Makes it more manageable
Prevents hair loss due to breakage
Strengthens the hair shaft
Adds volume and strength to fine hair
Replenishes oils lost due to chemical processes
Repairs damaged hair strands
Can prevent further damage to hair

Convinced? I know I am. Now let's find out how to use it . . .

How to Use Cocoa Butter for Hair

Cocoa butter solidifies at room temperature. When solid, it becomes a lot harder than coconut oil, so you might need to melt it before applying it to your hair. You can use your fingertips to rub it and let friction melt it. However, it takes longer to melt in this manner than coconut oil. Here are a few ideas on how to use this wonderful gift of nature.

Pre-Wash

Cocoa butter makes a wonderful pre-shower treatment. You will need to melt the butter, massage it into your hair and scalp, and leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes.

Do not leave on for more than 20 minutes. Cocoa butter solidifies at room temperature. This means that if you leave it on for more than 20 minutes, the cocoa butter will harden on your hair, making it very difficult to wash away. Have a timer ready when you apply this treatment.

Use cocoa butter as a conditioner in the shower.
SCA Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget, CC-BY 2.0, via Flickr

In the Shower as a Conditioner

Cocoa butter is super versatile and makes a wonderful conditioner. You can do one of two things: melt it and add it to your conditioner, or use it as a conditioner.

You can use plain ol' melted cocoa butter as a conditioner. Apply it only to the ends of your hair and stay away from the scalp. If you don't, the cocoa butter will weigh your hair down and it will look as if you haven't showered for weeks. Yikes!

Don't apply too much. A little cocoa butter goes a long way. The ideal amount would be a nickel-sized drop. Spread through the ends of your hair and leave on for 3 to 4 minutes.

Create a Better Conditioner: Mix It Up

Personally, I like to mix cocoa butter, coconut oil, and jojoba oil to make the perfect hair conditioner/leave-in treatment body moisturizer. (I'm super excited because this mixture can be used anywhere on your body. You can even eat it, although I don't recommend it. It doesn't taste that great. Don't ask me how I know . . .)

Ingredients

2 tbs. of cocoa butter
1 tbs. of coconut oil
1 tbs. of jojoba oil

Instructions

Melt the cocoa butter and the coconut oil together. You can use a double boiler or a candle melter plate to do this.
After the cocoa butter and the coconut oil have been completely melted, add the jojoba oil. Mix.
Let the mixture cool until it starts solidifying.
Before it becomes completely solid, whip it until it acquires a whipped cream texture. It shouldn't take that long and should be ready after about 4 to 5 minutes of continuous whipping.

And there you have it! Your perfect mixture for every part of your body. Remember, you can also use this mixture as a conditioner and apply it after the shower as a body moisturizer for supple skin.

My hair is wavy, and this mixture has really defined my waves and made my hair super soft and manageable. Now I can't stop touching my hair.

Other Mixtures You Can Try

Cocoa butter and shea butter

1:1 ratio
melt together
Whip before mixture completely solidifies

Cocoa butter, jojoba oil and honey

6 tsps. of cocoa butter
3 tsps. of jojoba oil
3 tsps. of honey

Mix and follow same whipping procedure as above.

Comments

Danica on July 14, 2020:

I wonder dose jamaican coca butter works on my hair ? Because i have jamaican coca butter and i want to know if it affects and damage my her when i put it in.

tricia on April 02, 2019:

I have been using cacao butter and shea butter whipped together with jojoba oil for a year now. this is the best thing I've ever done for myself. it has worked wonders on my hair and body!! I recommend everyone try this.

Sabrina on January 01, 2019:

Thank you for the recipes. I made the conditioner and it whipped up quite nicely. It brings out my curls and feels good on the skin. Only a little bit at a time is required.

Andreea on March 22, 2018:

I leave it for a whole day when i have time and it's NOT hardening on my hair, that's ridiculous ...Tip: it comes out easier with conditioner rather then shampoo.

Natasha on January 26, 2018:

Dear "Proofreader"

She is not writing a book and I understand this recipe perfectly and do not see any reasons why the grammar could be used better.

Dear "Good For Recovery"

Just a nice aired place with a damp cloth would help alcoholism or any drug addiction, cocoa butter place no part except for the scented one could possibly take your mind off drinking or doing drugs for a couple of minutes.

Dear "Mae Chandler"

You can use as a leave in or wash out depending on what recipe you choose to use. Mine is a wash out

Dear " Sofia "

This is why you melt the cocoa butter and not use it directly into your hair unless it's a very hot humid day,.

Be sure to wash any oils out with medium hoy water as bits of the butter may not dissolve and will leave your hair feeling tacky

Good for recovery! on January 26, 2018:

When recovering from alcoholism, cleanse face/neck/chest with warm cloth and towel dry. Liberally apply palmers coco butter and also rub a little through the hair. Once in the morning and once in the evening! Very soothing!

Natasha from Finley, 2713 NSW Australia on November 03, 2017:

I have my own 2 In 1 Treatment + Conditioner Bar Using Butters, Oils & Goats Milk Soap Base.

My recipe ingredients are:

2tblsp Cocoa Butter

1tblsp Shea Butter - optioal

2tblsp Coconut Oil

1tblsp Sweet Almond Oil

2 Caps or 1/2tsp Vit E Oil

140g Stephenson Goats Milk Melt & Pour SLS & SLES Free Soap Base.

5-10 drops of Choice of Fragrance or Essential Oil - i put Vanilla in Mine

Proofreader on October 23, 2016:

While very informative, your article could use some grammatical attention.

Mae Chandler on July 20, 2016:

Would this be more for a leave in conditioner or a cream? Or could you use it for either or both?

Sofia on May 19, 2016:

TRUE CACAO butter products for the hair do wonders!

Using the cocoa butter directly is a bit of a hassle.

Paige on July 20, 2015:

My friend is putting on my hair and it feels weird.

Kristen Howe from Northeast Ohio on May 31, 2015:

I would love to try these methods with cocoa butter sometime in the future. Very useful to know the effects of these products, too. Voted up!

Jave on May 13, 2014:

Coco butter. Is hard to find the one for hair In jersey

stretch-marks-cream.com on July 03, 2013:

I never thought that cocoa butter can also be used on hair. What I only knew about it is that it is good for stretch marks and to dry, flaky skin. Anyway, thanks for the info.