What Is Cocoa Butter Good For? 15 Things I Wish I Knew!

If you think cocoa butter is only good for cooking, think again. It offers a wide umbrella of perks to make it a must-have product for all households.

RAW Refined Cocoa Butter Fresh Organic

 

  • Refined Cocoa Butter is one of the greatest natural moisturizers
  • Keep the skin moist and wrinkle free.
  • 100% pure organic high quality product
  • SHIPS IN A FOOD GRADE PLASTIC BOTTLE
  • Usage Rate: 1-100%

  1. Protect Skin Against Sun Damage
  2. Cooking 
  3. Moisturize skin 
  4. Preventing Stretch Marks
  5. Prevents Ageing
  6. Haircare
  7. Relieves Sensitive Skin
  8. Cocoa Butter For Scars
  9. Relief For Skin Conditions
  10. Dental/ Mouth Health
  11. Heals Chapped Lips
  12. Fights Off Inflammation  
  13. Supports Brain Health 
  14. Great Shaving Cream 
  15. Help Improve Heart Health

1. Protect Skin Against Sun Damage

Exposure to the skin can be the root cause of most of the skin and hair damage that you get. Think of premature ageing, sun is the biggest culprit; skin cancer, UV rays it is, or let’s not forget the hyperpigmentation that harmful golden rays can do to your face. 

Luckily, a thick layer of cocoa butter contains phytochemicals to act as a strong barrier against the skin and lower the skin of developing skin diseases. You can either directly slather it on your face or add it to your sunscreen for added benefits. 

2. Cooking 

Let’s admit it, regardless of how much you try, there is no way you can enjoy food without oil. So while you are cooking with it, why not use a healthier option that eliminates all the post-(good) meal guilt? 

Higher cholesterol levels can be risky for patients with heart disease. However, cocoa butter can help. By simply cooking your regular meals with cocoa butter you can manage your health and reduce the chances of encountering health issues due to higher cholesterol. 

This is because cocoa butter is riched with stearic aid that can play a big role in making a monosaturated fat called Oleic acid to reduce diseases like liver syndrome. 

That’s not it, oleic acid is also responsible for curbing the growth of harmful cholesterol to maintain a healthy balance of most of the leading problems associated with cooking with your regular oil. 

By adding cocoa butter to your regular diet, you can rest assured to satisfy your taste buds without compromising your health whatsoever. 

3. Moisturize skin 

As a general rule of thumb, cocoa butter is high in fatty acids which can help hydrate and nourish your skin to increase its elasticity over time. The best part? Lack of elasticity can be the culprit behind most of the skin issues you face. 

Think about it, it’s not the pigmentation or skin dullness that is your problem. These are simply the symptoms of a bigger problem that lays underneath the skin.

Here, cocoa butter helps to estimate exactly that. 

Many women for over 3000 years have been using cocoa butter to hold the skin moisture in place and smooth the overall texture of their bodies. However, what many people fail to understand is that cocoa butter is not a one-time treatment for your body. 

To reap its benefits, you need to add it as a part of your life. Like how meditation feeds the soul and food feeds your body. Cocoa butter slowly works its magic by inserting all of its essential vitamins and nutritious properties to boost up blood flow and enhance skin health. 

4. Preventing stretch marks

Many people believe that cocoa butter can prevent stretch marks from occurring especially during pregnancy and weight loss journeys. 

How?

Simply. It improves skin elasticity. 

This way, when your body stretches and goes back to its original state, your skin will be better equipped to deal with the permanent marks that may drain your self-confidence after pregnancy. 

However, there is no proof that cocoa butter does any good better than placebo creams that can help improve elasticity the same way. 

5. Prevents ageing

One thing cocoa butter never fails to deliver is its unmatched ability to fight premature ageing. 

In general, our skin starts to sag due to a lack of collagen and free radicals in our bodies. Cocoa butter is rich in antioxidants which is the only way to fight off free radicals and restore the lost youthfulness from your face. 

Not to mention, fatty acids like oleic, palmitic, and stearic acid can neutralise the collagen and solve its way to fade wrinkles. What’s more, as we all know that stress plays a big role in speeding up the ageing process for you. 

Here, the antioxidants present and ensure to kill oxidative stress and stabilise your system.

However, prevention is always better than cure and the same rule applies to cocoa butter. If you want to gain the best results, you should always try to begin the process in your 20s so your body is better armed to face the hectic life of your 30s and 40s. 

6. Haircare

Sure, cocoa butter is excellent for skin but ever heard of the wide range of benefits that it can offer to your hair? 

If you are struggling with dull hair, this means your hair is lacking the right moisture to fuel each strand of your hair with nutritious properties. The antioxidants can help root keep your hair follicles happy by pumping out healthier hair and making them less pliable. 

Not just that, applying cocoa butter to the hair before and/or after your pool or beach days can protect your hair from the harmful side effects of chlorine and decrease the stress load from sun and salt exposures. 

Another problem that stems from dry hair is dandruff. For those who can never seem to get rid of the white fakes from your hair regardless of the washes, cocoa butter can help nourish the scalp from within and do wonders in bringing back the lost shine you once had in your hair.

However, bear in mind to use it before the shower as it is difficult to take off. And you don’t want to come out of the shower with greasy hair, right? 

7. Relieves Sensitive Skin

It can be difficult to live with sensitive skin. I know this because I have sensitive skin myself! 

If you are suffering from sensitive skin cocoa butter is armed with just the right properties to not only suit your fragile skin but also helps prepare it for the externalities of the world filled with pollution and harmful chemicals. 

Therefore, if you are switching to a new regime, start with cocoa butter first to act as a barrier for the rest of the products that you are going to apply to your skin.

This butter has the potential to go deep inside the thick layers of skin and work its way to improve it from within, you can rest assured that it will get the job done effectively. 

However, bear in mind that cocoa butter is not for acne-prone skin.

This is because as cocoa butter has thick, closed particles it can make it difficult for your skin to drive out bacteria and build up gunk from your skin.

Therefore, it can inevitably lead to breakouts in less than one day!

So, make sure to patch tests in a single part of your body before incorporating them into your daily skincare routine. 

8. Cocoa Butter for Scars

No one likes scars. 

They remind us of the time we went through injuries or acne and let’s not ignore the fact of how much they drain your self-esteem. 

Luckily, with cocoa butter, you don’t have to worry about roaming with a scarred face for the rest of your life.

Where usual scar treatments can cost over ​​$2,400, by simply counting on cocoa butter you get to cut down these whopping costs and get naturally beautiful skin with no pain whatsoever. 

Unlike the other scar remedies, cocoa butter can be directly applied to the scar and let it sink deep into the skin to retain its moisture and rejuvenate the skin effectively.

However, before you dive in mindlessly to try cocoa butter for scars, keep realistic expectations as scars are meant to be permanent but most will fade with time. 

Here, cocoa butter can speed up the process and improve its appearance with time

9. Relief for Skin Conditions

If you are suffering from eczema, psoriasis or dermatitis, you must know how sensitive and dry your skin could get. Studies show that the anti-inflammatory properties present in cocoa butter can help alleviate the thing, and ease skin rashes and irritation to help you go through these severe skin conditions. 

But if you aren’t, this butter can certainly reduce the chances of getting them in the future as well!

10. Dental/ Mouth Health

A lesser-known perk of cocoa butter is its dental health benefits. We all have experienced bad breath in our lives. 

And this, cocoa butter can kill. 

As a general rule of thumb, oil pulling, which is a process of using natural oils to extract all the toxins from your mouth and prevent bad breath. Here, instead of counting on the conventional coconut oil, you can use cocoa butter in your mouth for 1-5 minutes every morning to keep your dental health in check. 

Not just that, one of the major reasons behind painful sores is dryness in and around your mouth. By oil-pulling your mouth with antibacterial cocoa butter every day you can prevent recurring blisters, canker sores and irritating spots in an instant. 

11. Heals Chapped Lips

Similar to cocoa for face and dental health, you can also use it to heal chapped lips and help them look luscious and plumped at all times. The ideal way to use it is to:

  • Make a homemade lip scrub with sugar and cocoa butter
  • Add it directly to your chapped lips 
  • Use it with lemon, grapefruit, peppermint or vanilla essential oil to help bring vitamin C with the wide properties of cocoa butter.

The intense hydrating minerals present can make sure you don’t have to live another day with dry and chapped lips. The best part? It’s all edible!

12. Fights off Inflammation  

Cocoa bran is filled with anti-inflammatory properties to improve your immune system, DNA damage, cardiovascular disease, cellular mutation and hormone production in check.

However, when cocoa butter gets separated from cocoa powder during the manufacturing process, some of the anti-inflammatory properties remain with cocoa butter to help you gain the same benefits from chocolate. 

With this, you also lower the risk of cancer and autoimmune disease to make it your go-to favourite butter to eat when you are in the mood to get some fats in your system. 

13. Supports Brain Health 

As mentioned earlier, cocoa butter is packed with healthy fats. This is especially important for brain health and boosting a positive mood. 

Ever wondered why we crave chocolate in times of stress? 

Yup, the properties present in chocolate also offers the same benefits as cocoa butter. 

Fats also serve as a great way to boost sex hormones like progesterone, estrogen, testosterone and much more! Find out more about how fats like improve sex hormones from here and here. This means it’s never a bad idea to add a little bit of cocoa butter into your regular diet to help improve regular body processes. 

14. Great Shaving Cream 

Use a tablespoon of cocoa butter before shaving to get you smooth, soft and luscious feelings right after you come out of the shower. Simply have it inside your bathroom to ensure you don’t forget wearing it on your body and prevent chances of getting painful razor burns during shaving. 

That’s not it, as cocoa butter can easily melt, it can easily flow down your drain without clogging it whatsoever. 

15. Help Improve Heart Health

I wouldn’t lie to you, there are certain scenarios where saturated fats are frowned upon. However, recent students prove that plant-derived saturated fats can actually help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. 

In fact, the polyphenolic components in coco abutter help lower inflammation in atherosclerosis that can inevitably lead to other major problems.

Luckily, cocoa butter can help boost go against lipid (fat) metabolism and ensure you say in the best condition at all times. 

Conclusion

Now, as we come to the end of the guide, you can see that cocoa butter is simply not just your ordinary butter used for cooking. 

This butter can never go wrong with offering you excellent beauty and health solutions to make it a must-have ingredient with you at all times. However, unless we dig down research for the past 10 years, there is no evidence proving these benefits. 

However, the uses mentioned above are some of the things that have been used by many beauty gurus, stories passed down by our ancestors, and of course, our grandmas who credit cocoa butter for their natural beauty. 

Therefore, it’s never a bad idea to add cocoa butter as a part of your life and seek consultancy from a dermatologist before using it for severe cases. 

Till then, adios!

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AUTHOR
Hi, Nelson here... is the lead reviewer here at Cocoaness. A cocoa enthusiast and an ‘honest’ reviewer. I know cocoa more like you know your favorite fruit. I’m a farmer by birth because of my family’s vast cocoa farm in Ghana. In fact, I will be a chocolatier in the near future.