Mango butter and shea butter are excellent ingredients for skincare and cosmetics formulation. They have similar benefits and belong in your arsenal of natural beauty and care products.
While each is suited to a large variety of formulations, there are applications where mango butter can work better than shea butter for your skin’s unique needs. On the other hand, shea butter is already established as the perfect ingredient for skincare.
If you want to find out which natural ingredients are best for your needs, let’s look at everything about mango butter vs. shea butter.
Mango Butter vs Shea Butter: Where Do These Ingredients Come From?
To make mango butter, you need to press the dried seed of the mango fruit and extract the fat. Mango fat has several uses, one of the most common being to make butter. The fruit is native to Africa and Asia, and the product you buy often comes from these countries.
Shea butter is also an African native extracted from the nuts of the shea tree. Locals have used shea to moisturize their skin and hair for centuries.
Mango Butter vs. Shea Butter: Similarities and Differences
Mango butter vs. shea butter are as similar as they are different, ensuring they are the best choices for different formulations.
If you have both on hand, you can swap one for the other because they’re highly hydrating and can treat concerns like dry skin and eczema. Likewise, they can both improve the appearance of stretch marks and are perfect for moisturizing products like lip balm.
However, different skin types react differently to mango butter vs. shea butter. Shea butter is great in sunblock formulations, while mango butter has a higher antioxidant content, which works wonders for mature skin.
Best Skin Types
Because it contains more fatty acids, mango butter works better for very dry skin, while shea butter, which is lighter, is better for oily skin types. Shea butter can prevent a build-up of sebum and oil on the skin, reducing the chances of breakouts and blocked pores.
However, you may find that one of these butters works better for you overall. You should experiment with both to find the one you like.
Texture and Color
Mango butter has a creamy texture and is usually white. Unprocessed shea butter is usually off-white or beige, while processed shea butter is completely white. It also has a creamy texture, although it can be a little crumbly.
If you’ve ever come across yellow shea butter, you should know it’s not naturally yellow. Instead, it uses a powder to obtain its golden hue.
Both products have strong moisturizing properties; still, mango butter contains less fat than shea butter, so it will feel less greasy on your skin on direct application.
Absorption Rate
Since it’s less greasy than shea butter, mango butter will absorb quickly into your skin. Shea butter takes a few minutes to melt into your skin, while mango butter melts right away, especially if you have dry to very dry skin.
To make the products less greasy, you have several options. Don’t use more than 60% of shea or mango butter in your recipes. Alternatively, add arrowroot powder to absorb grease or whip the butters to introduce air and make them fluffier.
Melting Point
These butter both contain roughly the same amount of fatty acids — yet their percentages differ. Mango butter has more oleic acid, so it melts quickly at 86F. On the other hand, shea butter has a melting point of 95F, so it takes longer to melt and be absorbed into the skin.
Both ingredients are solid at room temperature, yet they become soft and easy to spread on the skin when they come into contact with it. Since shea butter is slightly more solid at room temperature, it’s the preferred ingredient for bath bombs, especially in warmer climates.
Scent
One of the best things about these wonderful ingredients is their mild scent. Shea butter has a nutty scent, while mango butter has a subtle fruity scent. Nevertheless, both products’ smells are understated enough to give you full control over the scents you want in your beauty products.
Moreover, when you apply the products that contain these ingredients to your skin, their original scents dissipate.
Price Point and Availability
Overall, shea butter is more readily available than mango butter and is cheaper because the production process of shea butter is less expensive than that of mango butter.
Likewise, processed shea butter is usually cheaper and easier to find than the unprocessed version.
However, both can be used for skincare, soap and candle making, and hair care. Here’s a simple recipe for lip balm with shea butter and peppermint you can try. If you want to take advantage of the awesome benefits of mango butter for hair, try this mango butter conditioner bar. It’s perfect if you’re planning your summer getaway!
Benefits
We’ve already touched on some of the benefits of mango butter vs. shea butter for your skin and hair, but let’s recap. If you have both ingredients on hand, use mango butter if your skin is dry or sensitive and you suffer from skin problems like eczema and psoriasis.
Turn to unprocessed shea butter if you have oily skin but want to take advantage of its amazing moisturizing properties. When it comes to hair, both ingredients can help treat dry scalp and damaged hair, yet mango butter will look less greasy and will be easier to apply because of its lower melting point.
Mango Butter vs. Shea Butter: Which Is Superior?
The answer to this question is: It depends on your needs. Neither of these two ingredients is inherently better than the other. For example, shea butter is better for you if you enjoy sunbathing or are getting ready for summer fun on the beach because it has sunblock properties.
However, mango will be superior if you want to grow your hair or have very dry skin that needs a lot of moisture. Why not try both these amazing ingredients and come to your own verdict? Your skin will thank you for it.
Mango Butter vs. Shea Butter: Can They Be Substituted?
Depending on the application, the answer is “yes.” Mango butter and shea butter can be substituted because they both are rich in fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins, making them perfect for moisturizing dry skin.
However, as we’ve seen above, some recipes benefit from the higher melting points and different textures of these ingredients. So, while the overall answer is “yes, they can be substituted,” do your research and find out what your recipe and skin needs are before using either product.
Mango Butter vs. Shea Butter for Skin
Here are the main properties of mango butter vs. shea butter for smooth, hydrated skin.
| Mango Butter | Shea Butter |
| Natural healing properties; great for rashes, damaged skin, and sunburn | Anti-inflammatory properties; calms itchy skin and irritation |
| Anti-aging; perfect to reduce fine lines and wrinkles | Strong hydration; fatty acids hydrate the skin from within |
| Good moisturizing properties for all skin types in formulations like body lotions and creams | Non-comedogenic; reduces acne scarring and prevents breakouts |
Mango Butter vs. Shea Butter for Hair
If you must choose between mango butter and shea butter for your haircare needs, pick mango butter for your hair conditioner. It will revitalize your hair gently, reduce dandruff, and fit seamlessly into your routine.
Shea butter can also work as a conditioner because it maintains the health of your scalp and hair, giving you beautiful, shiny hair. However, you can also try it in a shampoo formulation to take advantage of its protective properties.
Final Thoughts
All of this boils down to which butter is the best choice for your unique skin. Ultimately, it will depend on your formulation goals. But both are great for nourishing our skin, as well as supporting it’s health.
So no matter your butter, radiant skin awaits you. But whats the best use of your cosmetic ingredient? Personally, I’m in love with making DIY body butters. Indulge in my gorgeous mango body butter recipe that glides across your skin with ease, packed full of nourishing ingredients that your skin loves.
Or better yet, learn how to use your shea butter to make a fantastic whipped shea body butter for a light yet intensely hydrating skincare experience!
