Natural Cocoa Butter
IN ESSENCE...
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Cocoa Butter is a rich natural fat derived from the cacao beans contained inside the pods of the Cocoa/Cacao Tree.
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Cacao is the name given to the raw, unprocessed beans found in their fruit pods, whereas Cocoa is the name given to the beans after they have been harvested and processed.
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Used topically, Cocoa Butter melts at body temperature and works to naturally soothe dry, sensitive skin while reducing and preventing the appearance of scars and unwanted marks. It is believed to have photo-protective properties that protect against harmful UV radiation.
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Used in hair, Cocoa Butter moisturizes strands to make them more manageable. While repairing damage, Cocoa Butter replenishes naturally-occurring oils, adds volume and shine, boosts strength and resilience, increases thickness, and reduces frizz.
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Used medicinally, Cocoa Butter works as an anti-inflammatory moisturizer that offers relief to skin afflicted with swelling, irritation, and redness. It is reputed to enhance the body’s immunity by promoting relaxation, and it is gentle enough to use for on burns and infections without causing further sensitivities.
COCOA BUTTER BENEFITS
The main chemical constituents of Cocoa Butter are: Oleic Acids, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Arachidic Acid, Palmitoleic Acid, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, alpha-Linolenic Acid, and Phytosterols (namely Stigmasterol).
OLEIC ACIDS (OMEGA 9) are known to:
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Maintain the softness, suppleness, and radiance of skin and hair
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Stimulate the growth of thicker, longer, and stronger hair
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Reduce the appearance of aging, such as premature wrinkles and fine lines
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Eliminate dandruff and thereby support hair growth
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Boost immunity
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Exhibit antioxidant properties
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Prevent joint inflammation, stiffness, and pain
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Impact the hardness or softness of the butter
STEARIC ACID is known to:
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Have cleansing properties that purge dirt, sweat, and excess sebum from hair and skin
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Be an ideal emulsifying agent that binds water and oil
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Help products remain potent when stored for long periods of time
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Condition and protect hair from damage without diminishing luster or making it feel heavy
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Have exceptional cleansing properties
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Soften skin
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Provides the butter with a solid consistency
PALMITIC ACID is known to:
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Have emollient properties
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Soften hair without leaving a greasy or sticky residue
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Be the most common saturated fatty acid
LINOLEIC ACID (OMEGA 6/Vitamin F) is known to:
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Moisturize hair and promote its growth
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Facilitate wound healing
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Be an effective emulsifier in the formulation of soaps and quick-drying oils
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Exhibit anti-inflammatory properties
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Soothe acne and reduce chances of future outbreaks
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Promote moisture retention in skin and hair
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Make oils feel thinner in consistency when used in an oil blend, thus being beneficial for use on acne-prone skin
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Soothe and promote the healing of skin conditions like eczema and dermatitis
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Slow the look of premature aging
ARACHIDIC ACID is known to:
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Enhance and promote muscle gain/mass by boosting the body’s inflammatory responses
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Boost immunity
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Ease symptoms of depression
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Soothe pain and discomfort associated with arthritis
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Reduce weight
PALMITOLEIC ACID is known to:
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Delay the appearance of premature aging
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Moisturize and tighten the skin
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Promote the growth of shiny hair
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Enhance the brightness of the complexion
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Boost the growth of healthy-looking nails
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Enhance skin elasticity to prevent symptoms of premature aging, such as wrinkles
VITAMIN E is known to:
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Have antioxidant properties that slow the look of aging and boost circulation
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Repair scarred and blemished skin
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Prevent moisture loss from skin and hair
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Offer soothing relief to skin that has been burned
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Deeply cleanse pores and balance oil production
VITAMIN K is known to:
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Boost the body's ability to clot blood, thereby facilitating the healing of wounds and bruises
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Reduce swelling and bruising
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Helping prevent acne and reduce the appearance of scars caused by acne
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Slow the look of aging by preventing wrinkles
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Regenerate hair strands and promote regrowth
ALPHA-LINOLENIC ACID (OMEGA-3) is known to:
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Lessen inflammation
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Control blood clotting on the skin
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Soothe joint pain and ease stiffness to improve flexibility
PHYTOSTEROLS (STIGMASTEROL) is known to:
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Have skin lightening properties
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Effectively soften dry, brittle hair
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Ease frizzy hair
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Have anti-inflammatory properties
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Exhibit anti-aging effects
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Improve blood circulation
As illustrated, Cocoa Butter is reputed to have many therapeutic properties. The following highlights its many benefits and the kinds of activity it is believed to show:
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COSMETIC: Anti-Oxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, Stimulant, Nutritive, Detoxifying, Revivifying, Moisturizing, Anti-Aging, Rejuvenating.
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MEDICINAL: Anti-Oxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, Stimulant, Nutritive, Detoxifying, Revivifying, Moisturizing, Anti-Septic, Aphrodisiac, Bactericidal, Emmenagogue, Antispasmodic, Nervine, Uplifting.
CULTIVATING AND HARVESTING COCOA BUTTER
The Theobroma cacao botanical, better known as the Cacao Tree, is indigenous to South America’s Amazon basin where it thrives in the hot, damp, still air characteristic of tropical climates. It can be found growing in the rainforest’s understory layer of vegetation among the shrubs, seedlings, young trees, palms, and vines. The Cacao tree is also often found along rivers. When manually planted and cultivated, it is often restricted to regions with steady rainfall year-round or is planted with other crops like Banana trees, Cassava (Tapioca) trees, or other trees with large leaves that will protect it much like it is protected in the forest by the upper layers of growth, such as the canopy layer. Conversely, Cacao trees are grown in full sun in Malaysia and Indonesia, although they are given shade in the process of establishment. Although the trees can live for up to 100 years, those that are cultivated are considered to be economically productive for approximately 60 years.
For optimal growth, Cacao trees require a minimum temperature of 18-21°C (64-70°F) and a maximum of 30-32°C (86-90°F). Cacao trees cultivated for commercial production are restricted to regions where the coldest months have an average minimum temperature of 13°C (55°F), as temperatures lower than this, especially on numerous consecutive nights, can potentially lead to reduced yields. It can also cause defoliation, which is the loss of leaves, or dieback, which is when a plant begins to die from the tips of its leaves going inward, due to the unfavorable environmental conditions. Cacao trees are able to grow on a wide range of soil types but prefer moist soils that are well-drained or that have free-draining mixes and that have a pH close to 6.5.
The Cacao tree can reach a height of up to 20 m. A mature tree grown from a seed has a root system that is comprised of surface lateral roots in the top 20 cm of the soil. As they spread outward horizontally, the roots can form a dense surface feeding “mat” as wide as 5-6 m. Below this layer, the tree has taproots that grow vertically downward to a length of 2 m. This deciduous tree loses its smooth, glossy, oblong, bright green leaves but experiences spurts of new leaf growth 2-4 times per year. When the leaves are still young, they hang vertically and are a flashy shade of red, which makes them less likely to be negatively impacted by damage caused by the intensity of the tropical sun. At the bases of the leaves, there are nodes that change their stiffness according to the temperatures. This allows Cacao leaves to rotate their leaves horizontally as required, in order to get better access to sunlight and to protect other young leaves.
When grown from seed, Cacao saplings form a single vertical main stem called a “Chupon,” which grows to 1.5 m before spreading into layers forming 3-5 branches that collectively comprise a “Jorquette.” These groups of branches grow outward on an angle, forming a fan shape. Upright Chupons or “Suckers” begin to develop below the Jorquettes, growing upward through the fan branches and forming more coiling arrangements of branches. As the tree develops several layers of Jorquettes, each one sequentially weakens and fades out.
When the tree is at least 2-3 years of age, thousands of white flowers develop from the “cushions” – small swellings in the wood – found on the main stem and the fan branches. The flowers are pollinated by insects, mainly midges, and occasionally by bats. The Cacao tree has unusual growth in that it has flowers and fruits at the same time. On Cacao plantations, out of 1000 flowers, only 3 are pollinated and fertilized to grow into fruit. Flowers that are not pollinated will die within 24 hours.
The flowers that are successfully pollinated will form Cacao pods. Due to the high volume of fruit pods produced by the tree – a number so high that it prevents all of the fruits from being carried until maturity – the fruit’s natural thinning mechanism allows young fruits, the “Cherelles,” to stop growing. They begin to blacken and shrivel, a process called Cherelle Wilt; however, they do not fall off the tree. This often makes the tree appear to be diseased, although that may not necessarily be the case. The remaining pods ripen 6 months after pollination but do not fall off the tree either. During the ripening process, most pods change in color from green or deep red to yellow or orange. Some species’ mature pods retain their green color. Often spherical or oblong in shape and with 5-10 longitudinal ridges, the appearance of Cacao pods can be likened to an American football. Cacao beans are further propagated when small mammals such as monkeys break the Cacao pods to eat the fruit pulp, leaving the beans scattered on the ground.
Cacao pods are harvested manually, sometimes over the course of several months, with some growing regions potentially having pods available for harvest year-round. Pulling the Cacao pods off the trees can potentially result in damage to the flower cushion or the bark, thus the pods are typically cut from the trees with the aid of machetes or knives.

Inside a ripe Cacao pod, there are between 20 and 40 beans that are encased in a sweet, edible, slippery pulp. They are all joined together by a placenta. The beans are manually scooped out either immediately or after a few days. Next, heaps of the wet beans are placed in baskets, in specially designed wooden fermentation boxes, or on a flat and dry surface, where they are allowed to ferment for up to 10 days. Fermentation naturally breaks down the pulp, eliminates the bean/seed coat and the germ, and develops the bean flavor. The beans are turned or stirred to allow for better air circulation throughout the mass for optimal fermentation.
Next, the moisture content of fermented beans is reduced by drying them, either artificially or in sunlight. Dried beans are sorted manually or mechanically to remove debris as well as beans that are flat, germinated, moldy, or broken.
HOW IS COCOA BUTTER EXTRACTED?
There are 2 stages at which Cocoa Butter can begin to be processed from the seeds/beans: Before Germination and After Germination. Cacao seeds that are processed before they have begun to germinate will produce ordinary Cocoa Butter, ranging in color from off-white or light beige to pale-yellow. It may retain the tempting scent of chocolate. On the other hand, Cacao beans that are processed after they are allowed to germinate will produce Black Cocoa Butter, which has the brown color of chocolate and the aroma of roasted cacao.
After the Cacao beans have been harvested, fermented, cleaned, dried, and shelled, they are roasted. Next, they are ground into small bits called “nibs” or into a fine powder, which is added to boiling water and stirred to ensure thorough blending. During the boiling process, the vegetable fat of the Cacao beans rises to the water’s surface and is collected into containers. As this oil cools, it solidifies.
Alternatively, the beans can be pressed or cold-pressed. This involves the ground mass of Cacao beans being placed inside a hydraulic press machine that extracts the liquid known as Cacao Oil, from which Cocoa Butter is produced. The solids that remain inside the press machine are referred to as the Cocoa Cake, which is processed to make Cocoa powder. Cocoa Butter that undergoes Degumming, Bleaching, and Deodorizing is known as Refined Cocoa Butter.