Cocoa butter is a butter-like vegetable fat, derived from the seeds of the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao). This ingredient can be used in skin care products to help replenish and protect skin.

Theobroma cacao is a small evergreen species native to tropical South-Central America cultivated for its seed, which is the source of chocolate. Trees grow to around 8 meters tall, with small clusters of flowers growing directly on the tree trunk, which when pollinated, eventually form orange seed pods. Each pod contains many cocoa beans, which can be harvested and processed through fermentation, roasting, grinding and pressing to extract the fat content known as cocoa butter.

Cocoa butter is rich in essential fatty acids and phytosterols, and research indicates cocoa can play a role in maintaining healthy skin and treating conditions like dermatitis and eczema. Cocoa butter also has high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and may help to provide protection from UV-A and UV-B damage.

Botanical name: Theobroma cacao

Other names: Theobroma Oil, Cocoa Seed Butter

Chemical class: Fats and Oils

Main constituents: (Fatty acids) Stearic Acid, Oleic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Linoleic Acid

REFERENCES

Singh, Manisha & Agarwal, Shriya & Agarwal, Mugdha & R, Rachana. (2020). Benefits of Theobroma cacao and Its Phytocompounds as Cosmeceuticals. 10.1007/978-981-15-1761-7_21.

Naik, Bindu & Kumar, Dr. Vijay. (2014). Cocoa butter and its alternatives: A review. J. Biores. Eng. Technol.. 1. 7-17.

Scapagnini, G., Davinelli, S., Di Renzo, L., De Lorenzo, A., Olarte, H. H., Micali, G., Cicero, A. F., & Gonzalez, S. (2014). Cocoa bioactive compounds: significance and potential for the maintenance of skin health. Nutrients, 6(8), 3202–3213. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu6083202

Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2021-10-14. tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Theobroma+cacao