Cocoa Butter
Cocoa butter is the pale-yellow, pure edible vegetable fat of the
cacao bean. It is extracted from the cacao beans and can be used
to make chocolate, pharmaceuticals, ointments, and toiletries.
Cocoa butter has a mild chocolate flavor and aroma.
Cocoa trees generally grow in Central and South America and produce
a brown fruit with about three dozen long seeds (cocoa beans).
Only after roasting and rolling the cocoa beans does the taste of
the cocoa appear. Because of the caffeine naturally found in cocoa,
the seeds have a diuretic and stimulant effect.
Cocoa Butter has been called the ultimate moisturizer, and has been
used to keep skin soft and supple for centuries. It is one of the
most stable, highly concentrated natural fats known, and melts at body
temperature so that it is readily absorbed into the skin.
Benefits of Natural Cocoa Butter
Cocoa Butter softens and protects dry, chapped skin. As an emollient, it treats
skin irritations, helps erase wrinkles on neck, around eyes and mouth.
Cocoa butter is often recommended for treatment of skin conditions such as
eczema and dermatitis. When applied topically, it creates a barrier between
skin and the environment and also helps retain moisture.
Pregnant women have long used to cocoa butter formulations to prevent and treat
stretch marks, but this pleasant-smelling substance is added to countless other
topical preparations as well. Lotions and oils containing cocoa butter are often
used in aromatherapy massages to promote feelings of relaxation and well-being.
Recent research indicates that massaging the skin with cocoa butter may help
relieve stress, boost the immune system, and even may also help prevent heart disease
and ease arthritic symptoms.
Cocoa Butter Lotion
Cocoa Butter Soap
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