(And why every service I offer starts with a clarifying treatment)
When I research hair care products, I’m not looking for buzzwords.
I’m looking for patterns. And sometimes, I find… gems. Not the good kind.
The kind that explain why so many people with curly hair feel stuck in a cycle of dryness, breakage, buildup, and frustration, no matter how “clean,” “natural,” or “curl-friendly” their routine is.
Let’s talk about one of the biggest culprits hiding in plain sight.
Shea Butter Isn’t a Curl Ingredient
The United States Agency for International Development and other organizations have proposed a classification system for shea butter that separates it into five grades:
- A – raw or unrefined, extracted using water
- B – refined
- C – highly refined and extracted with solvents like hexane
- D – lowest uncontaminated grade
- E – contains contaminants
Which means the ideal for cosmetics isn’t A or E, but those are the cheapest options a lot of brands go for.
Shea butter is not inherently “bad”, but context matters. Outside of cosmetics, Shea butter is traditionally used for:
- Cooking oil
- Waterproofing
- Candle making
- Leather conditioning
- Preserving wooden instruments and calabash gourds
- Waxing and sealing materials against moisture
That should give you pause.
Because those uses have something in common: coating, sealing, and protection, not cleansing or hydration.
Even Soap Makers Use It Sparingly
Soap and massage oil manufacturers typically use shea butter in very small amounts because of its high percentage of unsaponifiables.
That’s a chemistry term to describe components that do not turn into soap and do not cleanse.
In higher concentrations, shea butter creates a softer product with less cleaning ability.
Read that again.
Even soap makers know it reduces cleansing power when overused.
And yet…
It often appears as the first or second ingredient in shampoos and conditioners marketed specifically to curly hair.
This Is Where the Cycle Begins
Here’s what that looks like in real life.
- A shampoo that lathers, but doesn’t truly cleanse
- A conditioner that coats the hair with waxy buildup
- Hair that feels dry, brittle underneath a “crayon-like” finish
- Breakage and thinning caused by clogged follicles
- Buildup barricading the real helpful ingredients from getting in.
- Increasing hair loss and scalp issues
- The belief that you need more moisture, more oil, or another product
So you add more.
Now the buildup is worse.
Then you try a clarifying shampoo and it suddenly feels “too harsh,” because it’s the first time your hair has actually been clean in months.
The clarifier didn’t strip your hair. It revealed what was already happening underneath the wax.
Why This Hits Curly Hair the Hardest
Products marketed to curly hair are often designed around one unspoken assumption:
Straight hair is the default.
Curly hair is the problem to be fixed.
Historically, many of these formulations were developed to make textured hair easier to straighten, smoother under heat, and more compliant, even when they were created by companies serving marginalized communities.
The goal wasn’t curl health.
It was control.
And that mindset still shows up in modern “curl care” through heavy waxes, butters, and coatings that suppress natural movement instead of supporting it.
Why My Services Start With Clarifying
This is one of the reasons every service I offer begins with a clarifying treatment, and often recommend a Detox Package Upgrade add-on to assist with those who have a lot of buildup.
Not because your hair is dirty, or you did anything wrong. Just because healthy hair cannot exist under buildup.
Once the coating is removed, we can actually see:
- Your real curl pattern
- Your true moisture, protein, and pH balance needs
- How your hair responds without interference
Only then does conditioning, cutting, and styling make sense.
The Bottom Line
“Natural,” “sulfate-free,” and “curl-friendly” are marketing terms, not guarantees.
Ingredients don’t work in isolation.
Formulas matter.
And your hair deserves products that respect its structure, not fight it.
If your curls feel dry, brittle, limp, waxy, or impossible to please despite doing “everything right,” the issue may not be your hair at all.
It may be what’s sitting on top of it.
- Why “Curl Products” Are Quietly Damaging Your Hair
- Our Take On Online Advice: What Stylists Want You to Know
- Cruelty-Free Shouldn’t Just Be a Sticker
- The “Wicked” Reason We Chose Our Color Line
- How to Find Your Perfect Hair Stylist: A Guide to Making the Right Choice
