Shea butter pictured with shea nuts. Image by atlascompany on Freepik
Africa boasts a rich history of using natural ingredients to achieve a healthy and nourished glow. Cocoa butter and shea butter have helped many achieve this.
When you think of cocoa butter, what comes to mind? Desserts like chocolate bars and chocolate chip ice cream, right? Do you know that this tasty ingredient can give you glowing skin? Cocoa butter is a type of vegetable fat that comes from cocoa beans. The creamy cocoa butter is extracted from the beans by drying, roasting, fermenting, and then pressings. The remaining portion is turned into cocoa powder. Cocoa butter is a staple in skin creams and other health and beauty products.
Shea butter, on the other hand, is a natural vegetable fat that comes from processing nuts of a shea tree, commonly found across sub-Saharan Africa.
Both are nourishing skincare ingredients that are known to help your skin feel healthy and smooth. While they share many similarities, they also have notable differences that set them apart, from smell and color to texture and composition.
African beauties have been rocking glowing skin for centuries with a secret weapon – shea and cocoa butter. Shea butter’s use in Africa reportedly dates as far back as 3,500 BC. It has been used over the years as a beauty product. Some believe Egyptians, known for their elaborate beauty routines, may have even incorporated it.
Both cocoa butter and shea butter are natural, affordable, and effective. Not only do they nourish the skin, they also nurture a tradition, creating a strong cultural connection to this natural wonder. Cultures across Africa have long celebrated these gifts of nature for their amazing properties.
Cocoa beans in pod. Image by Keith Weller, USDA ARS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Benefits of Cocoa Butter & Shea Butter for Your Skin
The popularity of cocoa and shea butter has grown globally over the years, featuring in a wide range of skincare and haircare products due to the numerous benefits. Some of these benefits include:
Moisturizing goodness for glowing skin: Both products are rich in fatty acids and have moisturizing properties that have shown features that help the skin look and feel much better. The fat forms a protective barrier over the skin to hold in moisture. Cocoa and shea butter act as great emollients, deeply moisturizing and locking in hydration, which is mostly beneficial for those battling dryness or harsh weather. These natural gifts to man are often used in commercial skin products for their moisturizing properties.
Barrier boosters: Both create a protective layer on your skin, protecting against damage from the sun’s harmful Ultra Violet (UV) rays and other environmental aggressors. Cocoa and shea butter have sun protection factor (SPF), though in small quantities, which cannot prevent sun damage or sunburn on its own. This is why manufacturers combine it with other ingredients to reach levels of SPF 15 or higher. If you’re looking to prevent damage to your skin from sun exposure or environmental irritants, consider these natural butters.
Skin repair and other anti-inflammatory benefits: Studies, such as one published in the Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences, have shown that shea butter has anti-inflammatory properties, which means it may help soothe reactions to skin irritants. Its rich fatty-acid levels help to soften scar tissue and may speed up the scar-healing process.
Cocoa butter, on the other hand, is a primary part of many topical treatments for conditions like eczema and dermatitis. Thanks to its rich moisture and natural oil barrier, cocoa butter calms itching and aids skin recovery after a flare-up. Africans use cocoa butter to smooth scars, wrinkles, and other marks on the skin. Some women believe cocoa butter creams and lotions can be used during and after pregnancy to prevent and minimize the appearance of stretch marks.
Packed with vitamins to keep your skin looking healthy: Both have strong antioxidant properties, which can help prevent premature aging and keep your skin looking youthful. They contain vitamins essential for healthy skin, such as vitamins A and E.
Photo by cottonbro studio
Tips on How to Incorporate Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter into Your Skincare Routine
Do you want to enjoy the benefits these African beauty secrets have to offer? Consider incorporating them into your daily skincare routine. If you’re finding it hard to get the raw unprocessed ones, there are other options. You’ll often see cocoa butter or shea butter as ingredients in body lotions, creams, soaps, and other products.
Here’s a simple guide to seamlessly integrate these butters into your daily skincare regimen:
For daily cleansing, replace your regular soap with a shea butter soap which can help maintain the skin’s natural moisture barrier.
After a nice shower, apply pure cocoa or shea butter directly on your skin to lock in moisture and maintain the health of your skin. They can serve as a daily moisturizer. Focus on dry areas like elbows, knees, and heels for some extra TLC. You can also mix any of these with your favorite essential oils or body lotion for enhanced moisturizing benefits. However, before applying it to your face, do a patch test on your inner arm to check for any allergic reactions.
Show some love to your lips with a lip balm containing cocoa or shea butter. They work wonders in nourishing and repairing chapped lips, keeping them hydrated, smooth, and protected.
Your hair also deserves some moisturizing goodness. Massage shea butter into your scalp to moisturize and reduce dandruff. Use cocoa butter as a leave-in conditioner to add shine and manageability to your hair.
Embrace the natural goodness of cocoa and shea butter, and your skin will thank you. By understanding how to use these natural butters effectively, you can achieve healthier, more radiant skin. Whether used alone or combined with other products, they deserve a spot in your daily skincare routine.
