Probably the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “cocoa” is chocolate. Like chocolate bars, fudge cake, and chocolate chip ice cream, cocoa butter is a delicious component. But the cocoa butter in your skin care regimen won’t make you gain weight, unlike the cocoa butter in your dessert.
A type of fat called cocoa butter is made from roasted cacao beans. The beans are removed from a larger cocoa pod in order to extract it. The fat is then removed after they have been stripped and roasted. The leftovers are used to make cocoa powder. Natural saturated fats and antioxidants found in cocoa butter assist to soften and repair the skin. It can be used on its own or in mixture with other ingredients to make body butters, face creams, lip balms, and more.
How is Cocoa Butter Compared to Other Moisturizers?
Due to its high fat content, cocoa butter feels thicker and richer than other moisturizers. It is likened to the composition and advantages of shea butter, which is made from the seeds of West and Central African shea trees. Shea butter is rich in fatty acids, just like cocoa butter is. Although cocoa butter has a sweeter aroma, shea butter contains vitamins that can help heal skin damage and rebuild it.
Benefits of Cocoa Butter for the Skin
Antioxidants found in cocoa butter can help fight off the free radicals that oxidize skin cells and harm your skin. Additionally, it delays the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines as we age. Because cocoa butter is also high in polyphenols, it helps increase collagen formation and enhance skin suppleness.
Cocoa butter is an excellent moisturizer due to its high amount of saturated fat. Due to its emollient characteristics, which guarantee that moisture is locked into the skin all day long, it contains fatty acids like oleic acid, stearic acid, and palmitic acid that can hydrate and deeply nourish the skin. It keeps skin from getting dry and flaky as a result. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it is also secure for treating skin irritations including eczema and dermatitis.
Another potent source of antioxidants is cocoa butter. It develops a layer of defense against free radicals and pollutants on the skin. Maintaining healthy, youthful-looking skin requires protecting it from free-radical damage. Additionally, it has a lot of phytochemicals, which are organic plant substances that increase the flow of blood to the skin. By shielding the skin from the sun’s damaging UV rays, it also helps delay the aging process of the skin. Many ladies asserted that consistent application of cocoa butter both during and after pregnancy prevented stretch marks. Despite the anecdotal nature of the claim, cocoa butter is commonly used in anti-stretch mark products.
Benefits of Cocoa Butter for Hair
Not only is cocoa butter good for the skin, but it also helps the hair. Its moisturizing and emollient qualities aid in leaving the hair deeply nourished and conditioned. As a result, the hair is left feeling silky, soft, less frizzy, and simpler to manage. Use this treatment on your hair before washing it. Following a hair wash, it can also be used as a conditioner. Conditioning hair makes it less prone to breakage and split ends. By promoting healthy, natural oil production, lowering dandruff, and producing healthy follicles, cocoa butter can help enhance the condition of the scalp. Hair becomes stronger and thicker as a result.
How to Use a Cocoa Butter
Moisturizers, lotions, creams, sunscreen, and hair products all contain cocoa butter as an ingredient. Some lip balms also contain it as it is edible. Only a little amount of cocoa butter and other components are present in a large number of goods available today. It can be purchased as a stick if you like it in its purest form. If you want to incorporate raw cocoa butter into a skincare routine at home, you may also purchase it. It has a creamy yellow color and a chocolatey aroma. To prevent it from influencing the aroma of other ingredients, the smell of refined cocoa butter is removed.
Although thick, cocoa butter is soft and moisturizing. When kept at a lower temperature, it may harden. On the other hand, the moment it touches the body, it starts to dissolve. It can be used on your skin one to two times each day. It will retain moisture better if applied to damp skin. Additionally, you may combine it with products from your pantry to create DIY balms and creams.
Risks and Warnings
In general, cocoa butter is harmless, even for expectant mothers. However, if you are prone to acne, you should proceed with caution. It has a high comedogenic rating, which implies that if you have oily skin and are prone to acne outbreaks, it could clog pores and result in breakouts. Moisturizers containing cocoa butter may give sensitive people a rash or allergic reactions.
The effects of the chemicals added to products containing cocoa butter have drawn some criticism. One cocoa butter product demonstrated anti-estrogenic properties, according to a 2015 study published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology. This indicates that the effects of the female hormone estrogen on the body were diminished or prevented. The development of a teen during puberty may be impacted by exposure to products with anti-estrogenic properties. It hasn’t been demonstrated that cocoa butter affects children’s development, but this evidence is still preliminary.
Conclusion
The sole fat that is produced from cocoa beans is known as cocoa butter. According to a study entitled “Cocoa Bioactive Compounds: Significance and Potential for the Maintenance of Skin Health” published in the Nutrients Journal in 2014, cocoa butter has a wide range of possible nutritional advantages for skin. Many people apply cocoa butter to their skin because they enjoy the way it feels or because they think it makes their skin look better. The cream to choose if you want a spa-like experience is this one. After a bath or shower, it’s ideal for treating yourself. It is also simple to apply to skin thanks to its handy hand-sized tub. Unless you are allergic to cocoa butter, there is no harm in giving one of these items a try.