Written By: Zenani Sizane
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Cupuacu Butter is one of those unique ingredients in food or skincare that are quite hard to come by. This unique fruit is found in the amazonian rainforest in Brazil, and it is a prized possession in its region because it is not found anywhere else in the world. Cupuacu Butter is a special ingredient for the skin as it has unique properties that are beneficial for both the skin and hair. In this article, we will unlock the mysteries behind this special butter and what it can do for the health of your skin and hair.
What is cupuacu butter?
Scientific Name: Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Theobroma grandiflorum seed butter, also known as cupuacu butter from the cupuacu tree, is found in northern Brazil in the Amazonian rainforest. The pulp of the fruit that the tree bears provide cupuacu butter. Cupuacu Butter is a modern plant-based alternative to antiquated Lanolin, which is a major sensitizer and produces outward allergies and side effects for many individuals.
Cupuacu butter is composed of long-chain fatty acids that are actually triglycerides, which hold a perfect balance of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids that give cupuacu butter a low melting point (approximately 86 F). This is why it is quickly absorbed into the skin on contact. Oleic acid is the main fatty acid found in cupuacu butter, at 30-43% followed by lauric acid at about 25%. These properties are what help maintain skin elasticity and hydration.
Technical Information on Cupuacu Butter:
Shelf Life | 12-18 months |
Colour | Tan/ Beige |
Comedogenic Rating | 4 |
Absorption Rate | 1, Fast |
Saponification Value | 180-190 |
Iodine Value | 40-50 |
Extraction Method | Cold Pressed |
Scent | Nutty, chocolatey |
Safety | Safe for most |
Allergies | Tree Nuts |
Skin Feel | Rich and Creamy |
Fatty Acid Composition of Cupuacu Butter
Cupuacu butter has a balanced ratio of saturated and unsaturated oils. This ratio is the reason for its low melting point and its very nice skin feel despite high concentrations of stearic acid (35%). The butter contains ca.2-3 unsaponifiables, mainly phytosterols and tocopherols (mainly gamma-tocopherol). The butter contains ca.11% arachidic acid, a saturated fatty with 20 carbon atoms (C20:0). Cupuacu butter is very rich in fats, which are 91% digestible by humans. The fatty acid profile includes palmitic, stearic, oleic, arachidic and linoleic acids.
Here is a look at the fatty acid profile of Cupuacu Butter:
Palmitic Acid (C16:10) | 8-20% |
Stearic Acid (C18:10) | 30-45% |
Oleic Acid (C18:1) | 30-50 % |
Linoleic Acid (C18:2) | 2-6 % |
Lauric Acid (C22:0) | 20-25% |
Arachidic Acid (C20:0) | 9-13% |
Eicosenoic Acid (C20:1) | 2-8 % |
Behenic Acid (C22:0) | 2% |
Vitamin A | Full of Antioxidants |
Vitamin B | B1,B2,B6 |
Vitamin C | |
Vitamin E | 137 mg/kg |
B- Sitosterol | 52 % |
Campesterol | 22% |
Brassicasterol | 12.3% |
What is cupuacu butter used for?
There are a number of reasons why cupuacu butter is a great ingredient in skin care. This exotic plant butter is a very rich emollient for the skin. It has a low melting point, so it readily absorbs into the skin, where it can help dry, flaky skin. It is high in phenolic compounds such as proanthocyanidins that protect the skin from oxidative damage. Cupuacu butter contains flavonoids, including theograndins.
This healthy fat has been used for centuries by the people of the Amazon to treat skin conditions, heal the skin from the sun’s harmful rays, and restore one’s natural beauty. Cupuacu butter works on the cellular level. In addition to regulating the balance of water, cupuacu butter helps regulate activities of the lipid layer within the skin. It has been widely used in cosmetic products, and now some of the newer skin care products available in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and home health care incorporate this unique ingredient.
Like the fruit, cupuacu butter contains powerful antioxidants and phytosterols which may have an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin. These antioxidants offer potential protection against oxidative stress associated with chronic diseases and premature aging. It is also high in phytosterols, especially beta-sitosterol. These also act as anti-inflammatory agents. People in the Amazon have used it to help sun-damaged skin.
Though it is not recognized as a sun protection factor( SPF) by the FDA monograph, Cupuacu Butter is well known for its ability to absorb damaging UVA/UVB rays for natural sun protection. Many use cupuacu to help treat conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. The fatty acids contained in cupuacu butter protect and moisturize the skin.
Cupuacu Butter is an excellent emollient that restores elasticity to the skin while providing antioxidants and hydration. It is considered a "super-moisturizer” because of its hydro-phillic( water-loving) properties. As it carries water to the skin, it makes it supple, soft, and more elastic. This deep hydration makes the skin smooth and soft to the touch. Nature could not have provided a better solution to dry, sunburned and aging skin.
This butter is used to prevent dry skin, wrinkles and restore flexibility and elasticity to the skin. Importantly, cupuacu butter has a high capacity for holding water. In fact, it can hold up to 4 times its weight in water, making it great to help hydrate skin. Because of this, it makes a great substitute for lanolin. Its moisturizing properties can also help restore the skin barrier function; it also works well in hair products.
Skin Benefits of Cupuacu Butter
Vegan Alternative for Lanolin
Cupuacu butter has excellent moisturizing performance, much higher than lanolin. It is often recommended as a plant-based lanolin substitute for vegan products.
Great Emollient
Due to its fatty acid profile, cupuacu butter has been shown to protect the skin's surface against water loss and helps improve the skin's protective barrier.
Cupuacu butter is much lighter than shea butter. It immediately melts in contact with the skin and absorbs very quickly. It is great to use in products where fast absorption is necessary.
Cupuacu butter needs to be melted before you can incorporate it into your products. Just like cocoa butter it is just too hard to just be whipped cold. However, its benefit is that it is less likely to crystallize than shea butter, which makes it much easier to work with.
Unrefined cupuacu butter has a sweet, chocolatey smell that is difficult to hide with essential oils and fragrance. Embrace the scent, use essential oils/fragrance that complement nutty-chocolatey aroma, such as coffee, chocolate, vanilla, coconut, and roses.
Transdermal Penetration
Another great cupuacu butter skin benefit is that it is easily absorbed by the skin and does not leave skin feeling greasy; instead, it feels silky and satin-like. Cupuacu has a perfect balance of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. That gives the butter a low melting point and allows it to be easily absorbed by skin on contact.
Antioxidant Content
Cupuacu butter contains powerful antioxidants and phytosterols that have an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin. They help stimulate skin healing processes. Cupuacu is often used to improve inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.
Cupuacu butter contains a lot of vitamin E, which is a very strong and natural antioxidant.
There is a wealth of vitamin C and A, the sources of phosphorus and fatty acids. Cupuacu butter is also rich in unsaturated omega-9 fatty acids and omega-6, which are balanced with the amount of saturated fatty acids (such as palmitic and stearic). Therefore, cupuacu is perfectly suitable for low porosity hair. Nevertheless, it will work well for strands with medium porosity.
Suitable for all skin types
From very sensitive skin to dry, damaged, or oily skin, it is suitable for all skin types and has the ability to dissolve excess sebum, which makes it perfect for acne and blemishes. Due to its abundance of micronutrients, cupuacu butter adds luster to dull skin, giving it a youthful, glowing appearance. It also shields the skin from pollution and other harmful environmental factors because of its protective properties.
Haircare Benefits of Cupuacu Butter
Cupuacu absorbs 4 times it’s weight in water
Cupuacu butter absorbs water extremely well into the hair. If you want to keep long lasting moisture in your hair strands for days, then cupuacu butter is definitely the butter for you. Cupuacu butter is able to absorb up to four times its weight in water, making it the perfect solution for dry, parched hair. Because it can absorb a high amount of water content, this means that it can lock and seal moisture from water deep into the water deep into the hair strand for longer periods of time.
Cupuacu easily absorbs into your hair
Cupuacu is also very good at absorbing into hair. So, as the cupuacu is absorbing the water in your hair, it’s also absorbing into your hair itself, drawing supreme moisture into your strands and trapping it deep within your hair. Cupuacu butter is also able to retain moisture in both your hair and your skin for a very long time after you apply it. Meaning that your hair will stay hydrated and moisturized for days.
Cupuacu increases hair elasticity
The fatty acids in cupuacu butter also increase the elasticity and durability of the hair strand. Hair elasticity is the ability of your hair to stretch and recoil without breaking. Hair that is brittle and weak cannot stretch without becoming damaged and breaking off. Increased elasticity means that hair is less prone to breakage, and less breakage means length retention and ultimately longer, stronger hair.
Cupuacu butter reduces damage from hair dye
A research study showed that applying hair care formulations containing 1% cupuacu butter after applying dye, reduced protein loss by 35%, indicating that the application of cupuacu was able to decrease the damage caused to the hair by the coloring process.
Cupuacu Butter Vs Other Butters for Hair
Cupuacu butter is a soft, creamy butter that is pressed from the seeds of the cupuacu tree. It is softer and creamier in texture than cocoa butter and is extremely moisturizing and hydrating. Cupuacu butter has a high fatty acid content, being rich in five of the main fatty acids in the fatty acid profile. Fatty acids are important for hair because they help stimulate hair growth at the follicle, combat dandruff and dry scalp, and they increase the amount of shine in the hair.
Cupuacu butter is soft, but it’s stiffer than shea and mango butter, getting its solidity from a blend of palmitic, stearic, and arachidonic acids. Shea butter and cupuacu butter both have similar properties, but shea butter feels slightly heavier than cupuacu butter. Shea butter has a naturally softer texture. Unrefined has a smoky, nutty scent, while cupuacu butter has a distinct chocolatey aroma with a slight.
Cupuacu butter is an excellent substitute for cocoa butter, the difference being the white pulp of the cupuacu is uniquely fragrant and it contains theacrine instead of the xanthines, found in cocoa. Cupuacu, a semi-solid triglyceride, has been shown to increase skin hydration and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Cupuacu Butter Substitutes
Shea Butter - shea butter and cupuacu butter both have similar properties, but shea butter feels slightly heavier than cupuacu butter.
Cocoa Butter - Cupuacu butter is an excellent substitute for cocoa butter, the difference being that the white pulp of cupuacu is uniquely fragrant and contains theacrine instead of xanthines, found in cocoa.
Murumuru Butter - Cupuacu butter is known for its ability to deeply moisturize and nourish the skin, while murumuru butter is rich in fatty acids that can help promote healthy skin cell regeneration.
Mango Butter - Cupuacu butter is a softer butter, but it’s stiffer than shea and mango butter.
Kokum butter - Prevents the drying of skin, seals in moisture, is non-comedogenic, regenerates skin cells, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Sal Butter - Sal butter has similar properties to cocoa butter, and will soften and spread easily on the skin, like cupuacu butter.
Cupuacu butter is edible!
Cupuacu Butter Side Effects
There are no known side effects, and it is still being researched by experts to fully understand what this fruit can do to the body.
Environmental Benefits and Sustainability
Cupuacu Butter is considered one of the most eco-friendly and sustainable fruit and cosmetic products out there. This is because Cupuacu trees are native to the Amazonian rainforest and have limited cultivation areas. The availability of Cupuacu Butter may be affected by factors such as climate conditions, harvest fluctuation and sustainability concerns.
The fruits are gathered by the local people, which contributes to the living standards of the Amazonian families. This is because the production of cupuacu butter represents a sustainable source of income for the local residents and reduces their reliance on other less environmentally friendly income sources.
Conclusion
Cupuacu Butter is an overall hair and skin ingredient you can use for your daily skin and hair regime. The best part is that it is plant-based and sustainable methods are used to obtain this beautiful butter. It is not a readily available butter for environmental reasons, but it definitely a butter to try, especially for people with dry skin.
References:
Healthline
Youtube
Botanical Formulations
We do act
Nature in bottle
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