Cocoa Butter – Skin Care Good Enough To Eat

Aside from being the core ingredient of the worlds favorite delicacy, Cocoa Butter (INCI: Theobroma Cacao Butter) is ideal for topical use, offering skin care properties such as protection, softening and nourishment.

By nature, cocoa butter is so rich in antioxidants it outrates even blueberries.

Melts in Your Mouth and ...

There is a reason cocoa butter carries the description 'melt-in-your-mouth' – it's melting point is identical to normal human body temperature. 

This is one of the reasons cocoa butter is also popular in the medical industry – as a desirable and safe ingredient for suppositories. 

It is also extremely well tolerated.

What it Can Do

Cocoa Butter is a natural emollient, making it ideal for chapped skin and lips, but also to prevent dry skin. Used regularly, cocoa butter both moisturizes and promotes elasticity, making it ideal for the prevention of stretch marks in pregnant women.

The antioxidants in cocoa butter will effectively destroy a wide range of free radicals in the middle layer of the skin (dermis) as soon as they are produced (read: before they can do any damage). 

Cocoa butter will even help prevent the degradation of the skin due to exposure to ultra violet rays (but don't be fooled into thinking it's an all natural sunscreen!).

What it Can't Do

Cocoa butter has so many positive qualities that it has been embellished with additional 'properties' by some overenthusiastic folks (or companies?). Some claim cocoa butter has the ability to reduce the appearance of scars and stretch marks (for example after pregnancy). Sounds great, but this is unfortunately unproven.

For scars, I've seen more noticable results with rosehips oil than cocoa butter. 

For stretch marks, I haven't seen (or heard of) any topically-applied product that works (sorry, ladies. I'd tell you if I had).

Another popular misconception is that cocoa butter will make you tan faster. 

Wrong. 

It will make a tan that is already there look great, but this is simply due to its (fabulous) moisturizing abilities. Hydrated and moisturized skin will always have a healthy glow – regardless of tan or color.

Can You Blame Them?

I can understand why many would want to expand on cocoa butters capabilities for skin care – but even if you 'just' stick to the facts, cocoa butter is undeniably beneficial for the skin.

Couple that with a smell that is good enough to eat, and it's no wonder cocoa butter is a worldwide favorite.

LisaLise Products With Cocoa Butter

The cocoa butter I have been using in my products lately is 100% organic, sourced from Peruvian cocoa beans, and has a saturated fat content of 62%.

It has made its way into my Herbal Gentle Cleansing Milk, Lavender & White Clay Gentle Buff Cleanser, Citrus Buff Cleanser, Cocoa Butter Cream Cleanser, Super Soft Body Butter, Luxury Lotion bars and Feed My Lips Moisture Stick (to name a few).

PS: It Really is Good Enough to Eat

Try replacing dairy butter in cake and bread recipes with 1/3 part Cocoa Butter and 2/3 part Coconut oil. This mix is also a great vegan spread on bread.