Butter up your skin this winter

Plant butters such as cocoa butter and shea butter are desired for their revitalizing properties and can often be found in natural formulas for face and body care. For the skin to benefit from the use of these ingredients, the formula should contain at least 1 to 3% of some type of butter along with other nourishing and synergistic ingredients.

Here the different butters and their remarkable healing benefits are explained:

Shea Butter: A fatty, rich oil extracted from the nut of the African Shea trees coming primarily from West and Central Africa. The use of shea butter by aboriginal people of these African regions to revitalize dry skin and heal wounds or skin conditions dates back hundreds of years. Its primary benefit in cosmetic formulas is to target signs of age and promote skin revitalization. Raw, unrefined shea butter is the purest source as it retains the most nutrients and vitamins.

Cocoa Butter: The most widely used butter in the cosmetic industry, cocoa butter is created from the cacao bean and has a mild chocolate scent. Its powerful anti-oxidant properties have shown to help soothe and heal dry/irritated skin and improve the look of stretch marks

Mango Butter: Originating from India, this butter is extracted from the seeds of the mango. It was traditionally used as a natural emollient, for wound healing and skin regeneration for mature skin types. It also has shown to promote healing of sun burns, and soothes muscle fatigue. Rich in anti-oxidants it can help to repair skin exposed to harsh environmental factors.

Olive Butter: Created from the Mediterranean and cold pressed from the fruit of the olive, this butter is rich in fatty acids. It helps to deeply moisturize, heal and nourish the skin while reducing the effects from the environment.

Capuacu Butter: Harvested from the Amazon Rainforest, this butter is renowned for its high water absorption factor and acting as a humectant. It aids in skin recovery, improvement in skin’s moisture levels and improvement in the skin’s elasticity. It is rich in phytosterols which help to regulate the lipid barrier of the skin.