A rich butter made by pressing the roasted seeds of the cacao tree, cocoa butter has been around for a very long time--centuries, in fact. Africans have used cocoa butter for hundreds of years to moisturize, heal and protect their skin against damage caused by sun and wind. But it wasn't until the early 1800s, when a Dutch chocolatier, Conrad Van Houten, patented a press that separated the butter from the seeds, that cocoa butter became available commercially and thus gained wider use and greater appreciation for its ability to soothe and soften skin.
Anti-aging Efffects
Cocoa butter is a rich source of antioxidants, especially vitamin E. Vitamin E soothes and moisturizes the skin. It also provides the skin with collagen, which helps to diminish wrinkles and other signs of aging.
Hyperpigmentation Treatment
People of color who have hyperpigmentation, or patches of darker skin, can use cocoa butter as a massage agent. While no scientific evidence exists saying that cocoa butter will remove hyperpigmentation, men and women with this condition can benefit from cocoa butter's antioxidant and moisturizing properties. Massaging the affected areas with cocoa butter will increase circulation and help break down scar tissue.
Elasticity
Pregnant women have used cocoa butter for years to keep their skin soft and ease the tightness of their stretched skin. Cocoa butter applied to loose skin moisturizes it and helps tighten those areas.
A Myth Dispelled
For years, women were told by their mothers and grandmothers that if they rubbed cocoa butter on their pregnant, swollen bellies, they wouldn't end up with stretch marks after the baby was born. Not true, say researchers from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University Hospital of the West Indies. A study they reported in the International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in 2010 demonstrated that cocoa butter does not prevent stretch marks in pregnant women.
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