It can’t be denied, cosmetic butters, together with natural oils, have become surprisingly popular preparations used for hair and body conditioning purposes. One of such products is cocoa butter. It’s completely natural, smells pleasant and has creamy consistency. What are its properties and how can you apply it?
What Is and How Cocoa Butter Comes into Existence?
Cocoa butter (cocoa oil, cocoa fat, theobroma oil) is a fat obtained from rape cocoa fruit. Cacao trees are grown in West Africa as well as in Central and South America. The seeds of cocoa butter are a rich source of anti-oxidants and magnesium. In order to obtain the butter, it has to undergo a few-day-long fermentation process; the seeds are removed afterwards. The separated seeds are dried out and roasted again. The last step of the process is mashing the seeds to obtain dense and dark pulp. Then, the oil is pressed. The side product is… powdered cocoa.
How Does Cocoa Butter Work?
Cocoa butter is well-tolerated by skin, it features vitamins, microelements and anti-oxidants. It’s suitable for conditioning each type of hair and skin. The truth is, cocoa butter’s action is truly versatile since it:
- stimulates collagen production, smooths out wrinkles, firms up skin, protects against photo-aging, reduces free radicals;
- restores shine to face, relieves irritations, evens skin tone, moisturises, protects against solar radiation;
- lightens up discolorations, reinforces blood vessels walls, soothes sunburns and other skin lesions caused by allergies;
- can be added to day-and-night creams, body balms, hand and feet creams, after-sun lotions as well as hair masks and shampoos.
Cocoa Butter and Its Application in Cosmetics
Indeed, cocoa butter’s application in cosmetics is truly wide. The most important are:
- aromatherapy – chocolate fragrance relaxes;
- hair care – prevents split ends, hair loss and dandruff; smooths and leaves hair shiny;
- body care – softens, moisturises and regenerates skin;
- colour cosmetics – moisturises skin; cocoa butter can be found in lip balms, foundations, powders and blushers;
- sunscreens – accelerates tanning, gifts skin with a pretty colour and protects against the sun;
- winter creams – reinforces skin, protects against low temperatures;
- fragrances – butter absorbs flowery aromas easily.
Cocoa butter has many other applications despite being a conditioning agent. Among others, these are: chocolate and some medication production, fat substitute used for frying and baking.
How to Use Cocoa Butter?
Cocoa butter has to be warmed up either in water bath or in hands. It should be used in its pure form, put directly to skin or add to homemade cosmetics. It works well as an component of oily phase for preparing emulsions. Cocoa butter has to be massaged to hair or to skin (thin layer). It gets absorbed fully pretty fast.
Cocoa Butter DIY Cosmetics
PROTECTING LIP BALM
To prepare your own protective lip balm you will need: a half of tablespoon of cocoa butter, 5 beeswax pastilles, natural oil of your choice, two bowls for water bath, a container where you can store the product. How to create the lip balm? Melt down cocoa butter and wax in the water bath and then add oil. Pour the mixture to the clean container and let it become solid. Once it cools down, put the lip balm into the fridge.
FIRMING BODY BUTTER
In order to prepare firming body butter, you will need: cocoa butter, macadamia oil, two bowls for water bath and a container to store your homemade cosmetic in. How to make your own firming body butter? Use the water bath to melt down the butter and oil, let it cool down afterwards. This homemade body butter can be used to reinforce the lipid barrier of skin. However, its biggest asset is combating stretch marks, firming up body and preventing dehydration.
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