Cocoa Butter is expressed from the dried and roasted seeds of the Theobroma cacao tree.
It’s not a carrier oil, per se, but
rather a solid fat, and has a plethora of skin nourishing properties. For this reason, cocoa butter is a popular base for aromatherapy products like lip balms, body butter, massage blends, creams, and other natural skin care products.
Aroma: The aroma is unmistakable. Unrefined cocoa butter smells like chocolate.
My grandson loves when I massage his feet with it and always says, “Mmmm…Nana, now I want fudge!” However, keep in mind that this same aroma can overpower the fragrance of essential oils in a blend. The chocolatey aroma is less noticeable in refined or deodorized cocoa butter, but refined cocoa butter also offers fewer benefits to the skin.
Skin Lovin’ Properties: Cocoa Butter has everything you want for your skin.
• Helps retain moisture and improve elasticity.
• Contains about 5 IU of vitamin E per ounce
• Softens and lubricates the skin
• Reduces dryness
• Improves elasticity
• Has Antioxidant properties
• Especially indicated for face creams designed to reduce eye and lip wrinkles
• A good choice for a suppository base
• Brings a smoother, thicker consistency to blends
Texture: Be warned, this is one rock solid butter. It softens at body temperature but can be difficult to work with at room temperature, especially if you buy a big block of it. You’ll almost need an ice pick to break it up. For this reason, I love working with cocoa butter wafers. The wafers are round and about the size of a quarter making them so much easier to work with, plus they melt faster.
Remember to choose organic, unrefined cocoa butter, free of chemicals that are used in bleaching and refining. Refining removes its wonderful skin healing properties.
Shelf Life: About one year, but if stored in an airtight container and in a cool location you should be able to keep it for about five years.
Whipped Chocolate-Orange Luxurious Body Butter
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup organic, unrefined Shea Butter
1/2 cup organic, unrefined Cocoa Butter
1/2 cup organic, unrefined Coconut Oil
1/2 cup organic, organic, hexane-free Jojoba Oil (also known as Jojoba wax)
20 drops of organic Sweet Orange Essential Oil
Instructions
- In a double boiler, combine all the ingredients except the Orange Essential Oils
- Bring the water to a soft boil and continue to stir until the ingredients are melted.
- Remove from heat, set the pyrex cup on a trivet and add the Orange Essential Oil.
- Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour until it just begins to harden.
- Use an immersion blend and whip for 10 minutes until it has the consistency of icing.
- Return the blend to the refrigerator and 15 minutes to set.
Store in a glass jar with a lid and use liberally over arms, legs, entire body. This blend can even be used to nourish the skin on your face because Sweet Orange essential oils do not contain the furocoumarins that make other citrus oils phototoxic. Learn about essential oil phototoxicity in the Aromatic Wisdom Podcast Episode 036 – Phototoxicity: Keep Yourself Safe
Enjoy!!
Do you use Cocoa Butter? How?
Leave a comment below and share. I’d love to hear from you!
This is great, Liz! What a great time of year to enjoy Cocoa Butter. It’s a classic. Thank you for this beautiful post.