We’re letting you in on a fun hair care secret: The key to gorgeous, fuss-free hair involves more than just showing your strands TLC from root to tip. It means taking care of your scalp, too—and our new favorite ingredient for scalp care comes in the form of antioxidant-packed mangoes (yum!). Consider this delicious treat a superfood for your scalp and strands that promises lush, sleek results.
Need a visual? Think of your scalp as a garden that needs nutrient-rich soil to grow healthy plants with solid roots. While there are a multitude of masks, serums, and treatments on the market that promise to help nourish your way to smooth, shiny hair nirvana, there’s nothing like an ingredient that is tried, true, and tested. While we may just be catching onto the trend, mango butter can and has been used on the hair and skin in an array of ways. Here’s the lowdown on this fruity hair fixer.
So, what really is mango butter?
Mango butter is extracted from the kernels of mango fruit, the same juicy, sweet ingredient that we love in our smoothies (or margs!) on a hot summer day. The mango seeds are placed inside a hydraulic machine that uses high pressure to release the oils. The result: a lightweight, hydrating formula loaded with a high concentration of good fatty acids. “Mango butter is rich in fatty acids (such acids as oleic acid, stearic acid, and palmitic acid) and vitamins C and E, which reinforce and fortify our skin’s lipid barrier, helping our skin retain moisture,” says Juwon Ajayi, a licensed esthetician based in NYC and Lagos.
Meet the Expert
Juwon Ajayi is a licensed aesthetician based in NYC and Lagos, Nigeria. She is the owner of The Glow By Juju.
Studies have shown that mango butter, when applied onto skin, acts as an excellent emollient, forming a protective skin barrier, actively replenishing lost moisture, and leaving skin repaired and hydrated. Because it’s extracted from the seeds of mangoes, mango butter doesn’t leave behind a heavily fruity scent either, making it ideal for incorporating it into your hair routine and blending it with other products.
How does mango butter benefit hair?
It Amps Up Hydration
“Whether you’ve got low porosity hair or super tight curls, mango butter can add much-needed hydration to your hair,” says Ajayi. Low porosity hair has fewer spaces to allow moisture to soak in, while tight coils may prevent moisture from seamlessly traveling from root to tip, resulting in dryer hair overall. Fatty acids in mango butter do an excellent job of filling in these gaps, coating hair and saturating it in long-lasting moisture.
“Just be mindful that a little bit goes a long way, so if you’ve got low porosity hair, use the butter as a sealant instead of a styler,” Ajayi recommends. Even better, mango butter can help solve dry skin issues. “If you suffer from eczema and psoriasis, nutrient-rich mango butter can provide soothing relief without the heavy feel that other butters can leave behind,” says Ajayi.
It Protects Skin
Mango kernels (where the good-for-skin butter comes from) also tout a polyphenol called mangiferin. This powerful ingredient is packed with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and even anticancer (yup!) abilities, according to studies. “Mango butter promotes cell regeneration thanks to high amounts of vitamin C and strengthens your skin’s lipid barrier. We know our hair and scalp can be prone to sun damage, especially in the summer, so applying mango butter to exposed parts of your scalp and hair before styling can give you added protection,” says Ajayi.
It Smoothes Superbly
Fun fact: Mango butter has a low melting point, making it super easy to smooth on (just like buttah—literally). “Mango butter quickly melts down against the heat of your skin, so it’s less likely to harden and leave behind residue,” says Ajayi. Smooth it from scalp to tips to seal in your style year-round. Pro tip: Apply it to your scalp immediately after you shower (the shower steam opens up your pores) so your scalp skin and your strands soak it in.
Make Mango Butter Work For You
While everyone’s hair routine can benefit from a dose of mango butter, the actual way it should be used isn’t so universal. “It’s important to tailor the type of mango butter formula you choose to your personal needs,” suggests Ajayi. If you’ve got thinner hair that tends to be easily weighed down by product, opt for a mango butter-infused conditioner as opposed to a leave-in. Got natural waves, twists, or curls? Consider a mango butter-rich style cream your BFF. And for the frizz-prone, a mango butter leave-in will help keep unruly hair in check. We’ve got some hair and scalp-saving products infused with the fruity favorite coming up.
How do I use mango butter on my hair?
Looking for the best way to use the butter? Luckily, brands have taken notice of the nourishing ingredient, making it simpler to find in formulations from treatments to rinses, to styling creams, and more. “Because it’s so customizable, mango butter can be paired up with various oils and hydrosols,” says Ajayi, who also recommends scoping out YouTube for inspiration. But if you’re a fan of DIY, she’s got a quick and easy pre-shampoo recipe that’ll nourish your scalp and pretty up your ’do.
Juwon’s Whipped Mango Butter Pre-Poo
Place ½ cup of mango butter in a small bowl and place that bowl into a larger one filled halfway with boiling hot water.
Once the butter is melted—which should take about 5 minutes—add a few drops of your favorite oil (jojoba, argan, coconut are all great go-tos). Let it cool.
Add ¼ cup of aloe vera juice into a bowl and add cooled mango butter mix. Whip until frothy.
Work the mixture into your scalp, coating your strands from root to tip. Rinse and shampoo.
Three Mango Butter Packed Products We Know You’ll Love
KLORANE Nourishing Leave-In Cream With Mango
If you’ve got naturally dry, dehydrated hair or split ends in need of some repair, this mango butter-infused leave-in is like an MD on-call. Smooth two to three pea-sized drops into towel-dried or dry strands, then style to repair damaged hair while you go about your day.
PROSE Pre-Shampoo Hair Mask
Smooth this buttery baby on before you wash to help hair soak up its nourishing goodness. “Mango butter is more easily absorbed by your hair if it's applied before you cleanse,” says Ajayi. This sweet treatment is highly concentrated, so it packs a super strong hit of hydration from root to tip.
NOT YOUR MOTHER’S Tahitian Gardenia Flower & Mango Butter Curl Defining Shampoo
Curls missing their bounce? Give them a lift with this moisturizing mango-butter shampoo. It injects heavy hydration with a lightweight formulation to keep curls springy, shiny, and soft. Plus, it’s made with 98% naturally-derived ingredients. No sulfates, no silicones, no damage—we dig it.
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