Personally, I love love love cocoa butter. It is one of the butters that I use most often. It is a natural vegetable fat that comes from the cocoa bean. The fatty acids offer protecting, softening and nourishing properties for our skin. The butter is rich in skin loving antioxidants. And, in case you were wondering, cocoa butter is used to make chocolate!
Table of Contents
Cocoa Butter: Basic Information
INCI Name: Theobroma Cacao
Shelf Life: 2-5 years; it contains antioxidants that help prevent it from going rancid as quick as other butters.
Use Rate: Up to 100% depending on what you are making.
Solubility: Oil
Consistency: Hard brittle butter
Absorption Speed: Fast, leaves skin feeling moisturized and soft, not greasy.
Glide: Excellent
Appearance: Solid at room temperature. An off white / tanish color.
Two main types:
- Natural / Unrefined
- Strong Chocolate odor
- The raw/unrefined butter has been filtered to get out most small particles, without compromising any of the fatty acids and vitamins.
- Deodorized
- Does not have a strong fragrance.
Guidelines: Used in the oil phase, with a melting point of 90 – 100° F. The melting point is right about at skin temperature. Be careful it you hold it in your hand, as it will start to melt on you! This is why it is so great in a massage bar.
Benefits of using cocoa butter
Cocoa butter is an emollient, meaning that it creates a protective layer over your skin to hold in moisture and protect it from the elements. Plus, it is packed full of fatty acids that moisturizes our skin.
It is high in antioxidants, which help to fight off the free radicals. Free radicals can cause skin damage, aging, dark patches and dull skin.
How it is made
It is extracted from the cocoa bean that is found in the cocoa /cacao tree pods. The cocoa beans are taken out of the large cacao plant. These cocoa beans are then roasted. They are then stripped and pressed to separate the cocoa butter.