Think of cocoa and your mind races to conjure up images of chocolate delicacies. While chocolate is a great gift we’re all eternally grateful for, cocoa butter is a magical ingredient that’s heavenly for your skin. Cocoa butter comes from the cacao bean, which is found inside the cocoa pod, which grows on the cacao tree. It’s an amazing moisturizer, as it’s rife with fatty acids and is also rich in antioxidants. This skincare boon is widely available and inexpensive, in tubs and convenient, easy-to-use products. But how well do you know how to include it in your skincare routine?
In conversation with TC46, mCaffeine’s CEO and co-founder Tarun Sharma talks about this luxurious skincare ingredient that’s shaken the beauty world. Here he talks about the umpteen benefits of cocoa butter,
Cocoa Butter: A Celebrated Skincare Ingredient
Cocoa butter is a type of vegetable fat that comes from raw cocoa beans. Manufacturers extract cocoa butter by roasting, stripping, and then pressing cocoa beans to separate the fat. Cocoa butter is no newcomer to the beauty and health care realms, but it is a great ingredient to add as part of one’s skincare regime. Imbued with bioactive components like oleic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid and healthful nutrients like Vitamin E and K, phytosterols and Omega-3 and Omega-6, this butter obtained from cocoa bean is blessed with umpteen health and skin benefits and is extensively used for conjuring a wide range of cosmetic and beauty care products.
A Holy Grail For Dry & Sensitive Skin
Famed for its ability to hydrate and nourish the skin, cocoa butter imbued skincare products form a protective barrier around the skin and help in retaining moisture. Having a melting point lower than the body temperature, cocoa butter infused lotions, moisturisers, creams, and body butters easily glide on to the skin, preventing the appearance of blemishes and marks and it also retains the natural moisture in dry, sensitive skin. Everyday skincare with this diy moisturizer. Do check it out!
The Benefits Of Cocoa Butter
Cocoa butter is rich in essential nutrients and antioxidants. This makes it instantly beneficial for the skin, helping to protect the skin from sun damage and premature signs of ageing. Cocoa butter also has excellent anti-inflammatory properties for soothing dry patches and irritation. A few benefits of cocoa butter are:
1. Antioxidant Powerhouse
Cocoa butter contains high amounts of polyphenols. Studies have shown that polyphenols can help diminish signs of ageing while soothing sensitive or inflamed skin that might be suffering from dermatitis.
2. Essential Vitamins Abound
Numerous nutrients and vitamins can be found in cocoa butter: vitamin E and vitamin K, choline, magnesium, copper, and iron. Iron is usually found in green leafy foods like spinach and broccoli and is a great resource for a glowy complexion. Including a bathing bar in your daily routine could be a great source of vitamins.
3. Excellent Skin Moisturizer
Cocoa butter is high in fatty acids and deeply hydrates the skin, as the fats in cocoa butter form a protective barrier to hold in moisture. It also contains oleic, palmitic, and stearic acids, all of which nourish the skin. This makes cocoa butter a wonderful addition to moisturizers and body lotions.
4. Reduces Stretch Marks & Scars
There are many anecdotal claims by women – and scientific studies – that praise the regular use of cocoa butter for stretch marks. When used during pregnancy and postpartum, it can help to lessen the severity of stretch marks.
Although natural, dimpled flesh and tiger stripes are something that most women are uncomfortable with. And if you want to make them fade away, here are a few ways to do that effectively!
How To Include Cocoa Butter In Your Skincare Routine
The uses and benefits of cocoa butter are seemingly endless – and not just limited to food and skin! There are plenty of ways you can include cocoa butter in your skincare routine.
1. Face Mask
Cocoa butter contains copious amounts of vitamins and antioxidants for skin repair, health, and protection. It is the answer to your dull skin woes that fights skin damage and keeps your skin healthy. Pick a face mask that contains Bentonite and Kaolin Clays which helps in sebum control, reduces pigmentation by gently exfoliating the surface of the skin and while doing so the richness of cocoa butter prevents drying out of the skin.
2. Body-Hand-Feet Care
Thanks to its high fatty acid content, cocoa butter has the ability to penetrate deep into the skin and provide a protective barrier for long-lasting nourishment. If you have pesky dry patches on your body like the elbows, knees or feet, regularly applying cocoa butter should do the trick.
Constant use of sanitiser and excessive hand washing during these Covid times has taken a toll on the skin texture of our hands and have made them more prone to dryness than ever before. Cocoa butter is an excellent emollient for counteracting dryness. Choose a body lotion that’s specifically crafted to provide intense moisturization.
3. Cleanser
Cleansing products often strip the body of its natural oils. The high fatty content in cocoa butter helps to form a protective layer on the skin. A bathing bar that does not dry out the skin and is moisturizing and nourishing would be a great choice.
4. Stretch Marks Ointment
You may have known women who swore by using cocoa butter for stretch marks during pregnancy or to lighten the appearance of scars. There is validity to these cocoa butter benefits. Cocoa butter is a popular treatment for smoothing marks, blemishes and scars.
Possible Side Effects Of Cocoa Butter
As cocoa butter is high in saturated fats and fatty acids, there are certain thumb rules to keep in mind when using cocoa butter. Applying cocoa butter on your face 1-2 times a day is okay if you have extremely dry skin. However, if you have oily or acne-prone skin, high amounts of cocoa butter might clog your pores leading to more breakouts.