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Lighter skin has gained significant interest as it is often considered the epitome of beauty. Skin lightening helps to lighten dark areas of skin or achieve paler skin. The method is more gradual and provides a less obvious effect. There are numerous ways to achieve a lighter and more even complexion. A lot of products promise miraculous results and cocoa butter has sparked curiosity regarding its potential to lighten skin tone.
Since ancient times, cocoa has been grown primarily in South American countries. Extracted from cocoa beans, cocoa butter is a natural fat known for its distinct aroma and smooth texture. It is often used in the home for skincare and in the cosmetic industry to moisturize and nourish the skin. Cocoa butter has been associated with anti-inflammatory, non-damaging, healing, and skin-lightening benefits including the claim of lightening the skin. Many people are confused regarding its claim of skin lightening. So, Does Cocoa Butter Lighten Skin? A lot of factors play a significant role in achieving desired skincare results. Let’s find out every aspect related to skin lightening with cocoa butter.
Cocoa Butter Ingredients Explained
Cocoa has flavonoids which are substances with antioxidant properties. Because of this, cocoa is known to have beneficial effects on improving skin. It also contains substances known as phytochemicals that may support healthy skin. The beans are removed from the bigger cacao plant to produce cocoa butter. After roasting, stripping, and pressing those, the fat cocoa butter is extracted while the remainings are utilized to make cocoa powder.
Cocoa butter is primarily composed of three types of fatty acids which can be saturated or unsaturated. Those are stearic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid. Stearic acid, the saturated fatty acid comprises about 33% of its total fat content. Oleic Acid, the monounsaturated fatty acid makes up about 35% of cocoa butter’s fat content. Palmitic acid is a saturated fatty acid that constitutes around 20-30% of cocoa butter’s fat content. It also contains smaller amounts of other fatty acids, including arachidic acid, and linoleic acid. Cocoa butter has small amounts of vitamin E, which is a group of fat-soluble antioxidants. Vitamin E helps protect the body’s cells from damage caused by free radicals.
Does Cocoa Butter Lighten Skin?
To understand whether cocoa butter possesses skin-lightening properties, it’s essential to have an idea about skin pigmentation. The color of our skin is determined primarily by a pigment called melanin, produced by specialized cells known as melanocytes. Melanin comes in different forms and concentrations, resulting in various skin tones. Factors such as genetics, sun exposure, hormonal changes, and environmental factors can influence the production and distribution of melanin in the skin, leading to variations in pigmentation. Cocoa butter cannot influence melanin production which is necessary for skin lightening.
Some evidence suggests that cocoa butter can help lighten the skin, while scientific studies on this specific claim are limited. For people with hyperpigmentation problems like melasma or sun spot, cocoa butter doesn’t lighten these areas. There is little scientific evidence to suggest that cocoa butter cream can lighten skin. But it has other amazing benefits.
Cocoa butter does contain certain compounds that potentially contribute to skin health and radiance. Rich in antioxidants, such as polyphenols and flavonoids, cocoa butter may offer protective effects against free radicals, which can cause skin damage and aging. Its moisturizing properties can help improve the overall appearance and texture of the skin, making it appear more vibrant.
Skin Lightening with DIY Cocoa Butter: Making and Applying
There is a DIY process to make cocoa butter products for skin lightening. You will need the following ingredients for it.
- Unrefined Cocoa butter (3/4 cup)
- Jojoba oil (1/4 cup)
- Coconut oil (1/4 cup)
- Essential oils like carrot seed oil, lemon essential oil, geranium oil, lavender essential oil, and chamomile essential oil (20-30 drops)
Now, let’s proceed with the steps of preparing the cocoa butter.
- Step 1: Melt the Cocoa Butter, Jojoba Oil, And Coconut Oil: Take a pan to melt the 3/4 cup unrefined cocoa butter, 1/4 cup jojoba oil, and 1/4 cup coconut oil. Slowly heat the pan. Following the double boiler method, melt all the 3 ingredients. Do not stir the mixture frequently as it may burn.
- Step 2: Refrigerate the Cocoa Butter Mixture: After you complete the melting, refrigerate the mixture for 20 minutes to make it semi-solid.
- Step 3: Blend the Cocoa Butter Mixture: Put the cocoa butter, jojoba oil, and coconut oil mixture into a blender to get a silky, lightweight, and consistent mixture of white color.
- Step 4: Put the Mixture into A Container: Next, you have to put the mixture of cocoa butter and coconut oil into a container.
- Step 5: Combine Cocoa Butter Mixture with Essential Oils: Combine the mixture of cocoa butter and coconut oil with essential oils in an appropriate amount with the help of a clean spoon to lighten your skin. 20-30 drops of carrot seed oil, lemon essential oil, geranium oil, lavender essential oil, and chamomile essential oil should be used.
After preparation of the cocoa butter, you need to apply it in the following steps.
- Step 1: Cleanse the Skin: First, cleanse your skin with a mild cleanser.
- Step 2: Exfoliate the Skin: Exfoliate your skin at least once within a week to get rid of dead skin cells. As a result, cocoa butter will smoothly penetrate the skin.
- Step 3: Pat Dry the Skin: You have to pat your skin dry after cleansing and exfoliating.
- Step 4: Apply the Prepared Cocoa Butter: The application of cocoa butter becomes easier and smoother for preparing it into a mixture. Take a small amount of the prepared cocoa butter. Melt it a little placing it between the fingers. Simply apply on your entire skin or only on the highly dark-pigmented areas of your face or body.
- Step 5: Ensure A Gentle Massage: Massage the cocoa butter gently on the skin using circular motions until it gets fully absorbed. A gentle massage increases blood circulation and helps to ensure that the product is properly absorbed. Repeat this application 2 times a day to get rid of pigmentation.
Some Cocoa Butter Products
You can work on skin lightening very easily with the help of some products too that contain cocoa butter. It is a base ingredient for body butter, lotions, creams, etc. The application process of skincare products containing cocoa butter is the same as that of DIY cocoa butter. Rather than going for a mild cleanser formula that contains cocoa butter, prefer products that will stay on the face or other parts of the body’s skin for a longer time. For example, cocoa butter creams. Some skincare products only contain pure cocoa butter which can be used. While applying it won’t help you to lighten your skin. Some essential oils and other ingredients with lightening properties are used with cocoa butter to make the product more effective. For example, vitamin E, aloe vera, lemon juice, etc. So, you will need these other ingredients along with cocoa butter to get the best results for achieving lighter skin. Let’s have a look at some of the popular products containing cocoa butter.
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Body Lotion
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Body Lotion is one of the best lotions with cocoa butter. It is dermatologically proven to be safe. Cocoa butter doesn’t lighten the skin, while it can darken the skin complexion. The fatty acids found in cocoa butter help to keep the skin moisturized and well-nourished. The presence of Vitamin E in it treats dry skin conditions like eczema. It is regarded as one of the best cocoa butter for scars and can assist with stretch marks and skin tone as well.
NIVEA Cocoa Butter Body Cream
NIVEA Cocoa Butter Body Cream enhances the appearance rather than changing the color of the skin. The lotion is suitable for all skin shades, such as dark, brown, ebony, caramel, or chocolate. It doesn’t help to lighten your skin since it is neither intended nor formulated to lighten your skin. Instead, it does one task of moisturizing your skin. There are several claims that it has removed their scars and stretch marks within a short period.
Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant Lotion
The lotion from Vaseline’s Intensive Care collection offers enough hydration for the skin. It is marketed as a moisturizing product rather than a skin-lightening product. It lasts for a long time and can play an active role in the healing of extremely rough and dehydrated skin. The product has been clinically tested and is suitable for everyday use. Pure cocoa butter, ultra-hydrating lipids, and other moisturizing ingredients are used in its formulation to support the skin’s natural moisture barrier and promote the appearance of healthier skin.
Gold Bond Radiance Renewal Hydrating Lotion
Gold Bond Radiance Renewal Hydrating Lotion is popularly used as a moisturizing lotion that helps improve the appearance and texture of the skin. It is not designed or formulated to lighten the skin. Skin lightening needs specific ingredients that target melanin production in the skin, which can result in the lightening effect. These ingredients are not typically found in Gold Bond Radiance Renewal Hydrating Lotion. So, it doesn’t lighten the skin but it may provide hydration and improve skin radiance.
Side Effects of Using Cocoa Butter
The main purpose of cocoa butter is to moisturize the skin rather than lighten skin. Skin lightening with cocoa butter might go wrong causing some side effects. The side effects depend on your skin type and conditions, and the type of cocoa butter used.
- Darken Skin: Unrefined cocoa butter contains impurities or additives like artificial colors or scents. As a result, it can cause your skin to darken instead of lightening.
- Cause Allergic Reactions: It can cause allergic reactions like irritation, rashes, and inflammation.
- Clog Pores: Excessive use of cocoa butter can make the skin oily and greasy and result in clogged pores which causes acne.
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Tips to Use Cocoa Butter
Follow these tips to use cocoa butter on your skin.
- Keep cocoa butter in cool places so that it doesn’t melt.
- Patch test before using any product with cocoa butter.
- Use cocoa butter with other beneficial ingredients.
FAQs
1. Which butter is best for skin lightening?
Shea Butter is suggested for skin lightening because of its capacity to treat skin imperfections. Because of the healing and restoring ingredients in it, your skin won’t seem dark as a result of blemishes and black patches.
2. What is better cocoa butter or shea butter?
Due to a little more thickness than shea butter, cocoa butter may clog your pores. Shea butter feels light on your skin despite being thick and luxurious. If your skin is really dry, consider using deep-conditioning shea butter to hydrate it and treat dry areas like your knees and elbows.
3. Is it good to sleep with cocoa butter on your face?
Because of the amazing components of cocoa butter, which also include stearic, palmitic, and oleic acids, it nourishes the skin and gives it a healthy glow. Before going to bed, apply cocoa butter on your face for lovely skin. In addition, cocoa butter speeds up the repair of dry, cracked skin.
4. Is cocoa butter good for oily face?
The finest butter for dry skin is cocoa butter. Products with a lot of cocoa butter should be avoided by people with oily skin because it might clog pores and result in outbreaks for them. As a result, cocoa butter should not be used by those with oily and acne-prone skin.
5. What happens if you use cocoa butter everyday?
There is very less evidence of cocoa butter’s skin-brightening properties even though it is well-recognized to improve skin texture. Since it provides hydration, cocoa butter has become a popular ingredient in moisturization. You may easily get rid of dullness and restore the health of your skin by using a little amount daily.
Final Thoughts
Renowned for its moisturizing properties and rich texture, cocoa butter has been associated with various skincare benefits, including the claim of lightening the skin. A few people based on their personal experience suggest that cocoa butter can lighten skin, but scientific evidence for this claim is limited. It doesn’t lighten hyperpigmentation problems like melasma or sun spot and without influencing these, it cannot play any role in skin lightening. So, the use of the product containing cocoa butter gives you many benefits other than skin lightening.
There are 2 different ways in which people generally use cocoa butter to lighten skin. One is using cocoa butter by DIY process and the other is by using skincare products of coca butter. Both can give some side effects and the side effects depend on skin type and conditions, and the type of cocoa butter used.
Key Points
- Cocoa butter is primarily composed of three types of fatty acids, such as stearic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid. It also contains smaller amounts of other fatty acids, including arachidic acid, and linoleic acid. Cocoa butter has small amounts of vitamin E, which is a group of fat-soluble antioxidants.
- There is little scientific evidence to suggest that cocoa butter cream can lighten skin. But it has other amazing benefits.
- To make cocoa butter products for skin lightening in a DIY process, you will need unrefined cocoa butter, jojoba oil, coconut oil, essential oils like carrot seed oil, lemon essential oil, geranium oil, lavender essential oil, and chamomile essential oil.
- Some skincare products contain pure cocoa butter, but it doesn’t lighten skin. To achieve better results for lightening skin, essential oils and lightening ingredients like vitamin E, aloe vera, and lemon juice are used along with cocoa butter.
- Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Body Lotion is one of the best lotions with cocoa butter which doesn’t lighten the skin, while it can darken the skin complexion.
- The side effects of using cocoa butter are darkening skin, causing allergic reactions like irritation, rashes, and inflammation, and also result in clogged pores which causes acne. All these depend on skin type and conditions, and the type of cocoa butter used.
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