Cocoa Butter the Beautifying Benefits

Cocoa Butter

Is it just me or is anyone a bit tired of hearing about shea?

There is nothing wrong with it, of course, it has some really great benefits.

It’s just that Shea gets all the attention, but cocoa is more low key, great at everything, and a little less showy about it.

Now, before you go off and mummify your extremities in glad wrap and slather it all over your body, let us tell you all about this versatile and mineral-rich butter.

What is cocoa butter?

Cocoa butter helps your skin withstand the passage of time. It is a potent anti-inflammatory due to its cocoa mass polyphenol compounds, which inhibit the immunoglobulin IgE production, an inflammatory response in the body, which can create symptoms like dermatitis.

An amazing moisturizer is rife with fatty acids. Just check out these beauties; 30% palmitic acid, 35% stearic acid, 36% oleic acid – oleic acid is easily absorbed our skin, offering great moisturising and cell regenerating benefits. The stearic acid offers improved moisture retention, increased skin flexibility, and skin repair, helping to keep skin soft and supple.

It is an antioxidant powerhouse; this is since it’s packed full of tocopherol and tocotrienols, giving the butter a really high Vitamin E content. These antioxidants work to combat free radicals that are responsible for ageing, tissue damage, and disease. It also doubles up on its antioxidant-rich properties, because it contains flavonoids and polyphenols, powerful plant chemicals that have the ability to neutralise free radicals.

Both hydrating and protective the butter has occlusive properties, so it will significantly reduce the amount of water lost from the skin; this acts as a barrier creating a protective, waterproof layer.

Skin softening properties

It has super skin softening powers. Like Shea butter, yes, we dared to mention it, we know a cardinal sin in this article when cocoa is in the spotlight. It is a natural emollient; it helps to smooth and lubricate dry skin.

Regular use of cocoa butter kept stretch marks at bay both during and after pregnancy. Now, those claims are obviously anecdotal, but you will find a ton of anti-stretch mark cocoa butter products to choose from

Vulnerary, what’s that then? The cocoa seeds contain around 2% of a compound known as alkaloid theobromine, which is used to lower blood pressure and dilate the blood vessels.

Conclusion

Creamy yellow, unrefined cocoa butter is cocoa butter in its rawest form, and it smells of chocolaty loveliness, which is pretty darn good in our book.

Many manufacturers refine cocoa butter which trips away from the scent and colour. Still, because we are purists, it’s the only kind we use in our formulas like ceramide barrier repair balm, where it works to heal and nourish on a deeper level, to repair sensitive and damaged skin.