Scents that complement unrefined shea butter?

poemaXX

I've been working with shea butter in whipped butter recipes for hair, but I'm not pleased with the scent of the final product. Any suggestions for scents that work well with the smokey scent of unrefined shea butter? Thanks!

poemaXX

Frankincense and Myrrh have come up a couple of times in my search.

"Myrrh and frankincense are closely related species of balsams, Commiphora myrrha (myrrh) and Boswellia carteri (frankincense), which originate in Africa and the Middle East. The resin is harvested from the small, knotted trees and essential oil can be distilled from the resin."
Some sort of geographical connection going on, I believe.

Frankincense "is characterized by a balsamic-spicy, slightly lemon, and typical fragrance of incense, with a slightly conifer-like undertone." [wikipedia]
"Myrrh was burned in ancient Roman funerals to mask the smell emanating from charring corpses." [wikipedia]

So Myrrh seems to be a good alternative for masking smokey and potentially unpleasant smells. This is looking good, ladies!

And if you're a bit put off by the corpse thing, keep in mind that myrrh was the "Royal Perfume of the Parthians." [wikipedia]

Any ideas? What scent is in your unrefined shea butter products? Have you found any combination that works particularly well? I'd love to hear about it! :toothy4:

poemaXX

Someone on a twin thread suggested lavender and peppermint. Mmm...