Cocoa butter is a creamy fat that is extracted from the seeds of the cacao tree, botanical name Theobroma cacao -- theobroma meaning "foods of the gods." According to Drugs.com, the seeds are encased in a sticky pulp inside a fruit, which is the size of a football and grows on the trunk of the tree. The fruits are picked when ripe and then cleaned, roasted and ground into a paste, which releases the creamy cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is used making chocolate, skin lotions and in pharmaceutical products.
Moisturizes Skin
Cocoa butter has been used to keep the skin soft and moisturized for centuries. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, it is a stable form of fat that is solid at room temperature but melts easily on the skin at body temperature, allowing it to be absorbed. It creates a barrier on the skin, protecting it from the environment. Cocoa butter is a natural moisturizer and emollient, able to provide its moisturizing benefits without the addition of chemicals. It also contains antioxidants, which retard spoiling and give cocoa butter a long shelf life. It also is used in many skin lotions, lipsticks and soaps.
Soothes Stretch Marks and Scars
In recent times, cocoa butter has been used to soothe the pain of stretch marks and scars. Its emollient and moisturizing properties make it a popular product to rub on stretch mark and scars. Stretch marks occur in the skin at times of rapid growth, such as the latter months of pregnancy, growth spurts during puberty and with rapid weight gain. Some believe that cocoa butter can help prevent or reduce stretch marks, but according to the New York Times, clinical studies have not proven it to be effective in reducing stretch marks.
Heart Disease Prevention
Cocoa butter has traditionally been used in the making of chocolate. According to Drugs.com, the cocoa butter in chocolate also contains generous amounts of the antioxidant flavonol, which may help prevent the development of cardiovascular disease. According to the Cleveland Clinic, antioxidants such as flavonols are thought to protect cells in the body from damage by free radicals. When there is not enough protection from free radicals, the levels of LDL cholesterol, known as the bad cholesterol, can increase. Only non-processed, dark chocolate contains enough flavonols to be of benefit. Milk chocolate, Dutch chocolate and highly processed dark chocolates have many flavonols removed during processing.
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