Cocoa butter and shea butter are essential ingredients in many skin moisturizers on the market today. Shea butter is a popular skin and hair moisturizer, while cocoa butter is widely used as a skin moisturizer.
Shea Butter
Shea butter in its pure form is a beige-colored butter that quickly melts in your hand. It is derived from the seeds of the shea tree. According to the American Shea Butter Institute website, you get the most benefit from shea butter in its pure form. The butter is rich in vitamin A, which is known for alleviating skin blemishes and wrinkles. Shea butter also is good for treating skin allergies, sunburn, frostbite and insect bites. This beauty butter also contains vitamin E, an anti-aging agent and antioxidant.
Considerations
Pure shea butter has a shelf life of 12 to 24 months and should be kept in a sealed container in a dark, cool place or refrigerated. When pure shea butter is chemically refined, it loses much of its most effective properties and what is left is its moisturizing ability. Therefore, most of the shea butter moisturizers on the market today contain a low-grade shea butter. Pure shea butter is more expensive than cocoa butter but still a good beauty investment. You could purchase shea butter from your local health food store and in some beauty supply stores. Just make sure it's 100 percent pure shea butter and not a shea butter product.
Cocoa Butter
Cocoa butter is a cream-colored butter derived from the seeds of cocoa beans. The butter is used to flavor and add smoothness to chocolate and is used in many lotions and creams. Like shea butter, cocoa butter also melts easily. It is widely recommended for treating dermatitis and eczema because it forms a protective barrier while retaining moisture. Pregnant women use it to prevent and fade stretch marks. It is also a popular ingredient in oils used in massage therapy. Cocoa butter is less expensive than pure shea butter, but it matches its skin-moisturizing benefits.
Considerations
Pure cocoa butter can be purchased at your nearest drug store, health food store or beauty supply store. Cocoa butter has a shelf life of two to four years and should be kept in a cool, dark place or refrigerated.
Either Is Better Than None
The best type of moisturizer is one made for your skin type and does what you need it to do for your skin. Both shea and cocoa butter are great for all skin types. It's simply a matter of preference and how much you're willing to invest for beautiful skin.
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