Unlike lotion, body butter does not wash off easily, but that's not even its best quality.
The illipe tree grows wild in Africa, Asia, and South America, and is sometimes called Borneo Tallow. Once the tree is 15 - 20 years old you can collect the fruit and harvest the seeds from which the oil is expressed. The seed is about 40 - 50 percent oil.
There are at least 30 varieties of the illipe tree, but less than half of these are suitable to be used in skin care applications. This is due to fatty acid content.
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Since illipe butter is a vegetable fat, it soothes skin by strengthening the lipid barrier and keeps the skin moisturized. Traditionally, it was also used to heal mouth sores and ulcers.
Illipe is chemically similar to cocoa butter, but it has a slightly higher melting point than Shea butter or cocoa butter. Soap makers love it for this reason because products made with it hold their shape. Its emollient qualities make good for lipsticks, balms, and of course body butter recipes.
Although a 'harder' butter, it melts when it comes into contact with the skin and is fine to use as is, but most people can't resist mixing it with other butters, essential oils, and even herbs.
Mango Butter Benefits
In India, there is a myth that the mango tree comes from the ashes of the Daughter of the Sun God. The flowers of the tree are known to be very beautiful, and of course the fruit is known worldwide to be delicious.
Mango seed butter comes from the kernels of the fruit of the mango. It's rich in cholesterol and fatty acids which make it great for dry skin and hair. It also has a long history of being used in soap making.
Like cocoa butter, it has a high content of stearic acid which helps cosmetic products like soap and lipsticks hold their shape. Using mango butter will moisturize, lubricate, and restore flexibility to your skin.
This butter also offers some natural SPF and aids in healing psoriasis and eczema. Use it as is or mix it with other butters and botanicals for a custom blend.
Health Benefits of Coffee Bean Butter
Coffee aromas are known to be a great stimulant. That's probably why the flavor is found in candy, ice cream, and many other foods. Coffee bean butter is no different - it smells heavenly!
Beyond the smell, this butter has many properties that make it popular. You may have noticed that there are many coffee-based cosmetics on the market. This is because of the caffeine content in coffee beans. Coffee extract is popular in slimming products, and the extract is a natural antioxidant. The oil provides natural sun protection (SPF) as well.
In addition, this butter penetrates the skin quickly and helps with moisture retention. Models report they use coffee butter because the caffeine reduces the appearance of cellulite. You can see why it's popular in anti-aging products. This butter is a soft latte color with a creamy consistency.
Studies show caffeine stimulates hair growth so some people are having luck using coffee bean butter as a hair dressing. Since its emollient qualities help with hair moisture, coffee bean butter should work well as a hair moisturizer or hair conditioner.
Benefits of Cupuacu
Cupuacu is a superfruit from the rainforests of Brazil. I say superfruit because it's rich in essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and many other nutrients. On the outside it looks similar to a coconut, and the inside has juicy flesh with large black seeds similar to those of a papaya. Brazilian supermarkets carry the frozen pulp, and it is also used in juices and candies.
The beauty industry is interested in cupuacu butter because it offers protection from UV-A and UV-B rays, is naturally high in vitamin C, and has been helpful in treating psoriasis and eczema. It's softer than cocoa butter, has no caffeine, little smell, and has wonderful emollient properties for the skin.
In addition to making a great body butter, cupuacu is good for the hair too. Your hair will respond to its creamy consistency, fatty acid content, and emollient qualities just as quickly as your skin. It's also great for making up your own DIY recipes for lotions, lip balms, and salves, and the temperature of your skin will cause this butter to melt.
With its deep hydration, antioxidants, and healing properties, use of this body butter is pretty much a no-brainer. You can expect to see it on the ingredient list of more and more skin care products, but unlike most people you'll know how beneficial it is.
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Ucuuba Butter Benefits
Ucuuba butter is a new and unique butter to the market. Unlike other butters, its color is comparatively dark as is the seed it comes from. The Ucuuba tree is an Amazonian native and its name roughly means grease tree. With a name like that you can correctly guess that the seeds are high in fatty acids.
Historically this butter has been used to make candles and for home remedies in treating hemorrhoids, rheumatism, arthritis, ulcers, and colic. As a skin butter it is a
hard butter and has a relatively high melting point. This makes it perfect as a replacement for animal tallow, paraffin, and petroleum in soaps and other cosmetics.
This decadent butter has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Although skin butters are not always suitable for facial skin care, this one restores elasticity, combats dry skin, and can even be used on acne-prone skin. It's ideal to use in recipes for hair butter, body butter, skin creams, and lotions.
As a hair butter, it is reported to hydrate and shape curls without weighing them down. A Google Trends search shows it trending in products for curly hair. Also, if you have sensitive skin, you should have no problems with this butter as it's reported to be very gentle. All in all, another winner that should keep your skin well hydrated and healthy.
Now that I've buttered you up, tell me your favorite body butter?
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