Belle Butters

Review: Belle Butters Certified Organic Nilotica Butter

April 26, 2012

A few weeks ago I bought a few items from one of my favorite online shops, Belle Butters. They sell several types of shea butter, perfumes and body scrubs that are hand-made and all natural. So while on the site I saw a type of shea butter that I’ve never heard of before, Nilotica Butter. A quick Google search informed me know that Nilotica Butter is from Northern Uganda and Southern Sudan which produces a different kind of nut that is rich with unique fatty acids that can moisturize and retain the elasticity of skin, making it a natural anti-aging treatment. Nilotica Shea Butter is an all-purpose moisturizer and skin protector, it can be used to treat:

Dermatitis
Dry hair and scalp
Rosecea
Eczema
Chapped skin
Sunburn
Surgical incision scars
Dark Spots and Skin blemishes
Reactivate collagen synthesis
Fine lines on the face

Nilotica Shea butter is a different consistency that regular shea butter, it liquefies quickly, spreads easily on the skin and absorbs fast; these were some of the first things that I noticed when using it for the first time. Nilotica shea butter also has a softer texture and a lighter aroma than regular shea butter. But what really got my attention and made me buy this type of shea butter was that it contains a greater volume of olein that has significant healing and protective properties.

I’ve only used this product a handful of times because I’m trying to finish some of the other jars of moisturizer that I have. But when I learned that this type of shea butter is great for diminishing fine lines and softening scars I began applying it to every dark mark, scar and fine line that I could find. I read that results can often be noticed after six-weeks of use and I’ve only been using it for a few days. So I have a long way to go. But I love how soft my fast quickly it absorbs without being greasy and leaves my skin super soft!

Have you tried Nilotica Shea Butter?

Lipstick and Luxury loves Belle Butters Neutralizing Butter for Oily Skin

April 4, 2012

Years ago if someone had told me to use butter or oil on my oily skin they would seriously get the “side eye” from me. But over the years I’ve learned that you can actually use “butters” and oils for your face, you just have to make sure that it’s the right butter or oil.

I recently tried Belle Butters Neutralizing Butter for Oily Skin and I was in heaven. I’ve tried products from Belle Butters before and I was very pleased with the quality and results. This neutralizing cleanser is massaged on the face and then removed with a hot wet towel. It feels really good and it’s like a mini facial right in the privacy of your own home.

I loved that I can easily identify all of the ingredients in the cleanser. Belle Butters uses all natural ingredients and if you’re not familiar with the brand each concoction is hand churned – hows that for luxury? The first five ingredients in this cleanser are super good for your skin: Avocado butter replaces moisture lost; Blueberry butter is an antioxidant; Aloe Vera gel provides moisture; Castor oil helps to reduce oiliness and Charcoal powder helps to draw out impurities. See, all good stuff!

(Full list of) Ingredients: refined avocado butter, blueberry butter, activated charcoal powder, grape seed oil, aloe vera gel, lavender oil, castor oil, jojoba oil, vitamin E

There are several facial oils on the market but as I mentioned earlier you have to be careful and pick the right one. And by picking the right one I mean stay far away from any facial oils that contain mineral oil. Even “cult favorite” Eve Lom Cleanser contains mineral oil (it’s the primary ingredient in the cleanser)! That’s really too bad because mineral oil can clog your pores. You see mineral oil is not absorbed by your skin it merely sits on top of the skin which does not allowing your skin to do its job of absorbing moisture or eliminating toxins. It also makes your skin feel like it’s soft and moiturized but in reality it’s not.

Why would cosmetic companies use mineral oil if its bad for our skin?

Ah the million dollar question…because it’s cheap. You see mineral oil is the byproduct of gasoline from crude oil, yes the same gas that you use in your car. Mineral oil just happens to be an inexpensive by-product that the cosmetic industry purchases as a filler. It can be found in everything from baby oil to lipstick to lotion. It may make the skin feel soft but in reality it really slows down skin cell development which results in premature aging. And since we’re all going to get old and wrinkly at some point in our lives lets just leave that up to mother nature and not our beauty products!

Overall I loved this product, it really helped to balance my oily skin. Many time when I use a product for oily skin it either strips away all of the natural oils leaving my skin dehydrated or it simply doesn’t work. This was not the case with Belle Butters; I didn’t even need to use moisturizer afterwards. And the best part was that I didn’t need to use my blotting paper much throughout the day. So if you want to try out some delicious homemade, all natural hair and body products you will not be disappointed!

Belle Butters Neutralizing Butter for Oily Skin, $14

Review: Belle Butters Unyevu Butter for skin and hair

October 6, 2011

Belle Butters Unyevu Butter

It’s been about eight or nine months since I’ve stopped chemically relaxing my hair so I’ve been trying lot of different hair products to see what works best for my new natural do! My hair care needs have changed considerably so I’m now on the lookout for products targeted at natural hair. I’ve read a few hair blogs and of course Ms. Afrobella’s blog where I came across a post about cocoa butter and other types of “butters” created by Belle Butters. I was intrigued. Belle Butters creates beauty products with 100% pure unrefined shea butter and the butters are hand whipped! Seriously if that’s not luxury then I don’t know what is.

I vent ventured over to the site but was immediately overwhelmed by the product selection, they had everything from body oils to bath products to butters. I had to stay focused so I took a look at just the butters, but again I was overwhelmed, Shea-Mango Fluffy Butter, Premium Whipped Shea Butter, Certified Organic Nilotica Shea Butter? Huh? I was confused. I had to make a logical choice, Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Done. Unyevu Butter it was! And since Unyevu Butter is for hair and skin, it seemed like a great choice to me.

Belle Butter Unyevu Butter Ingredients — Ingredients: unrefined shea butter, raw pressed mango butter, refined avocado butter, apricot kernel oil, neem oil, sunflower oil, fragrance (white ginger and amber).

Shea Butter in itself is a great vitamin filled natural moisturizer for dry skin and even Eczema and Psoriasis. I’ve used shea butter on my skin before but never in my hair. A number of natural hair blogs mention shea butter for dry hair so I had faith in my fellow beauty bloggers that this product would solve my dry hair woes.

The product arrived about a week later after I ordered it online. So when it arrived I tore the package open like a kid on Christmas, I love getting packages in the mail! Inside was a small labeled jar of my Unyevu Butter, I just had to try it right then and there. I opened the jar and the first thing that I noticed was the scent. It smelled like faint mixture shea butter, vanilla and amber mixed together, it’s a naturally soft and subtle scent; not overly fragrant. I loved it.

Immediately I rubbed some butter on my legs, the texture was very light and creamy, not greasy. When applied you can really tell that it’s hand whipped! I eventually went on to try it right after taking a bath and on my freshly washed hair and this butter did not disappoint. We already know that shea butter is a magic moisturizer for the skin but with the added mango and avocado butter it really makes this a luxurious treat. When I used the butter in my hair it was SUPER soft and less frizzy, not 100% less but noticeably less. My only regret was not getting more than one jar, 4 ounces doesn’t go very far especially since my boys are now using my Belle Butters! Have you tried Belle Butters?

Belle Butters Unyevu Butter (4 oz), $12