"The Ultimate Guide to Body Butter: Types and Benefits"

We all know butters are a staple in skincare products but why? What makes these butters so great and what is the differences in them?

Well let’s talk about the two most well-known butters first. Cocoa and Shea.

Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter, also called Theobroma oil, is a light-yellow vegetable fat that comes from cocoa beans. The beans are fermented, dried, roasted, stripped, and pressed to draw out cocoa butter. It comes from a plant, making it a great vegan product. Is it as great as they make it sound. It does contain Vitamin E and is a fat so provides moisturizing benefits.

Cocoa contains several antioxidants called polyphenols, which are a group of plant-derived chemicals with a range of potential health benefits. These polyphenols may have benefits for good skin health, such as reducing inflammation and protecting the skin from sun damage. These polyphenols are primarily in cocoa powder, not necessarily in cocoa butter. Despite being an active ingredient in many skin care products, there is little direct evidence that cocoa butter effectively improves skin health. One cell study suggests that cocoa polyphenols improved skin elasticity and skin aging and suggested that cocoa butter may enhance these effects. However, this was a small-scale study, and scientists need to carry out more research before they know the exact effects of cocoa butter on the skin.

While Cocoa butter is a great moisturizer and let's face it smells amazing there is little proof it will do much more than that and does have a high comedogenic rating. At X-Plizit Creations we do utilize this butter in our Whipped Chocolate Fantasy Butter for its amazing smell and moisturizing properties but also and cocoa powder to get the full benefit of those polyphenols .

Comedogenic Rating 4

Shea Butter

Shea butter is a seed fat that comes from the shea tree. The shea tree is found in East and West tropical Africa. The shea butter comes from two oily kernels within the shea tree seed. After the kernel is removed from the seed, it is ground into a powder and boiled in water. The butter then rises to the top of the water and becomes solid.

Shea butter is emollient. As an emollient, shea butter helps trap moisture in the skin. It also contains linoleic acid which can anti-inflammatory effects on the skin and hydration boosting properties. While we love shea butter and it is an amazing ingredient, we do limit our use of it at X-Plizit Creations because it can trigger nut and latex allergies.

Comedogenic Rating 2

Now let's talk about a lesser known Butter

Mango Butter

Mango butter is a type of fat that comes from the seeds of the mango. The fat is usually extracted from the seed by cold pressing it into a creamy butter. It can be refined or unrefined (unrefined usually undergoes one pressing cycle and avoids heat or added chemicals).

As a topical cream, it can pass along benefits, like softer skin, and may offer UV protection. it’ is high in oleic, stearic, and linoleic acid. A high percentage of tocopherols (vitamin E) could help fight environmental stressors like UV rays, pollution, and even visible light. Vitamin A can help decrease sun-related skin damage, and phytosterols—which are natural skin-loving compounds similar to cholesterol—help support a healthy skin barrier. The nutrient-rich butter contains a large amount of vitamin C, which may help improve the production of collagen—the primary structural protein in skin and connective tissues. 

These properties make it the ideal butter for our Finish Dewy Moisturizer as well as our lip balms.

Comedogenic Rating 2

Coconut Oil

While not a butter due to its natural solid state at room temperature we thought we would talk about coconut oil here. Coconut oil is edible oil made from pressing the meat inside coconuts. It's solid at room temperature and liquid when heated. There are two types: virgin and refined. Virgin coconut oil uses fresh meat, while refined oil uses dried coconut meat, also called copra. Coconut is one of the most largely processed ingredients in commercial skincare products to be touted as natural. It is worth mentioning the process to make these many ingredients is anything but natural though. At X-Plizit Creations we only use coconut oil in its natural virgin state.

It is antibacterial, which can help cleanse skin and reduce microorganisms on the skin. Its high levels of linoleic acid and omega-6 fatty acids can help keep skin soft and smooth. Coconut Oil can reduce inflammation to help minimize skin irritation and redness. It can help lock in moisture to help keep skin from chaffing and becoming irritated as well.

Coconut oil does have a high comedogenic rating though meaning it can clog pores and should be used sparingly by people with oily skin or acne. We us it in our body balms and lip products because of its amazing benefits while still keeping our skincare line safe for all skin types.

Comedogenic Rating 4