Cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate, is obtained from the beans of the cocoa tree. It is a solid fat, similar to butter, and its aroma is appetizing. It finds its place in the food industry as well as in beauty routines. It was also a favorite ingredient of the Aztecs and Mayans. In fact, it is known that these civilizations considered cocoa butter so valuable that they used it as currency.
Even today, cocoa butter is referred to as a "superfood".
Benefits of Cocoa Butter
Cocoa butter has been used for skincare in Africa for centuries. Components in cocoa butter called phytochemicals help keep skin healthy.
Because cocoa butter is rich in antioxidants, it helps the skin fight free radicals. Rich in polyphenols and fatty acids, this oil is an excellent moisturizer, nourisher, and immune-boosting ingredient for the skin.
Cocoa butter, by its nature, also has anti-aging effects. It helps to increase skin elasticity.
It is also good for peeling and breakage on the hands and nails. In this case, you can benefit from the restorative power of cocoa butter in your cuticle care and in strengthening your nails.
It can also be used as a preventative treatment for stretch marks in body care. Of course, it doesn't completely eliminate the appearance of stretch marks, but it helps prevent their formation.
It can also be used as a nourishing treatment for dry and damaged hair; it can repair the hair. Furthermore, it is said that when applied to the scalp, it can help solve dandruff problems.
On the other hand, cocoa butter is known to be a fantastic tanning agent.
Tanning with Cocoa Butter
First of all, cocoa butter does not protect against the sun. It does not contain UVB or UVA filters. It quickly absorbs sunlight into your skin. It should be used very carefully. Therefore, when using cocoa butter, you must combine it with a sunscreen product. However, do not mix them. Apply sunscreen first. Once your skin has absorbed it well, apply the cocoa butter.
How to Use Cocoa Butter?
Before using cocoa butter, perform a patch test. Apply a small amount to a small section of your skin and leave it on for 24 hours. If you do not experience an allergic reaction, you can apply the following masks or treatments.
Moisturizing Cocoa Butter Mask
- 1 tablespoon cocoa butter
- 1 teaspoon of honey
- 1 teaspoon of milk
- Half a teacup of oat flour
Cleanse your skin. Mix the ingredients and leave it on your skin for half an hour.
You can also find other recipes made with cocoa in our article "3 Homemade Masks to Tighten Pores" .
Cocoa Cuticle Care
- 2 teaspoons of cocoa butter
- 2 tablespoons of calendula oil
- 2 teaspoons of calendula leaves
Melt the cocoa butter in a double boiler. Add the chamomile oil and dried leaves and continue mixing. You can apply the mixture to your skin as a moisturizer by massaging it in.
Important Note: Remember that skin and hair treatments using natural oils are not based on proven medical data.