"For Imani-Ligon Chambers, a 21-year-old Black American college student from Manhattan, managing her frizzy, curly hair has always been a challenge - made harder by her nut allergies, which rule out common hair oils like coconut and almond. That's why she relies on products made with shea butter, a longtime staple in Black hair care. "Hair products containing shea butter are the only ray of hope for my frizzy curly hair," Chambers said."
"The shea nut comes from an indigenous African plant grown naturally across the "Shea Belt," a region that stretches from Senegal to Sudan. Countries known for high-quality organic shea butter production include Nigeria, Mali, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Niger, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso and Uganda. Six of them - excluding Niger, Benin and Uganda - have either imposed or proposed shea nut export bans by 2026."
""Shea butter is also expensive. The last time I bought it was almost a year ago, and it came in a small tub that cost around $13 to $20," Chambers said. "There is a place uptown on 125th Street that sells it, and a few other places in New York has it in store. I know a lot of Black women use shea butter hair products to style their hair,"
Imani-Ligon Chambers, a 21-year-old college student from Manhattan, relies on shea butter to manage frizzy, curly hair and avoids common nut oils due to allergies. Shea butter appears across cosmetics from lip balms to candles and remains a staple in Black hair care. Exports of shea nuts have tightened since early 2025, with Nigeria announcing a temporary six-month embargo in August 2025. The shea nut is harvested across the Shea Belt from Senegal to Sudan, and major producers include Nigeria, Mali, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Niger, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso and Uganda. Six producing countries have imposed or proposed export bans by 2026. Consumers with limited alternatives face higher prices and reduced availability.
Read at Brooklyn Paper
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