“Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter?”Here!cocoa butter
Appears in 1 scanned product.
In personal care
The fat pressed from roasted cocoa beans, solid at room temperature but melting close to body heat. It is the same fat used in chocolate, just without the sugar and cocoa solids left in.
Why it’s used
It is a rich emollient that softens and smooths skin, lends body to balms and lotion bars, and helps stabilize other oils and waxes in a formula. Its pleasant chocolate-like scent is also a natural selling point.
What the evidence says
A small study applied cocoa butter under occlusive patches to the upper back of 6 participants and used reflectance confocal microscopy to count microcomedones, finding a statistically significant increase in microcomedone number and diameter compared to untreated skin over 2-4 weeks. This is a surrogate marker (microcomedone counts) rather than a clinical acne outcome, the sample size is very small, and patch occlusion is not representative of typical leave-on cosmetic use. Two larger randomized trials testing cocoa butter lotion/cream for stretch mark prevention in pregnant women did not report any adverse skin effects, but they were not designed to assess comedogenicity.
Context
Used mainly in leave-on products like balms, body butters, and lip products, where its richness is the whole point. Concentration is typically high since it is often a primary base ingredient rather than a minor additive.
Rumors
Cocoa butter fades dark spots and acne hyperpigmentation.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- Organic Trade and Investments (OTI) — a retailer: wholesales and exports organic, gluten-free and non-GMO products from African producers
How we know who this is
- “Organic Trade and Investments (OTI) is Ghana's first virtual agribusiness , eCommerce, and export trading company.” (their page)
- “We wholesale, export, and distribute certified gluten-free foods, non-GMO produce, and organic products handcrafted by the indigenous people of the land, using traditional methods.” (their page)
- Organic Trade and Investments (OTI) — a retailer: wholesales and exports organic, gluten-free and non-GMO products from African producers
Cocoa butter deeply moisturizes and keeps skin soft and supple.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- vaseline.com — we couldn’t open the site to see who runs it
Cocoa butter clogs pores and causes breakouts.
Supports — suggestivehealth and safety evidence
Measured as a biomarker.
- Early detection of microcomedones induced by cocoa butter using reflectance confocal microscopy (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not checked
Who’s saying this
- Seek Pretty — an individual: fashion and design blog earning Amazon affiliate fees
How we know who this is
- “Trust in Seek Pretty to be your reliable guide in all things fashion and beauty.” (their page)
- “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” (their page)
Cocoa butter fades scars.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- Better Shea Butter — a brand: sells shea butter and other butters, oils and botanicals
How we know who this is
- “Better Shea Butter was founded in 2013 with a signature 1 lb brick of Unrefined Shea Butter, sourced from a small women’s co-op in Ghana.” (their page)
- “Our headquarters are in Austin, TX, where we manufacture, package and warehouse everything we offer.” (their page)
- Better Shea Butter — a brand: sells shea butter and other butters, oils and botanicals
Cocoa butter reduces stretch marks by boosting skin elasticity.
Does not support — establishedhealth and safety evidence
Studied in: pregnant women (for stretch mark prevention).
Measured as an outcome.
- Topical preparations for preventing stretch marks in pregnancy (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not checked
- Cocoa butter lotion for prevention of striae gravidarum: a double-blind, randomised and placebo-controlled trial. (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not checked
Who’s saying this
- 100% PURE — a brand: makes and sells its own clean skincare and makeup
How we know who this is
- “We chose not to sell because 100% PURE is more than a company to us.” (their page)
- “Everything we make is formulated and manufactured in our own Silicon Valley, California facility, powered entirely by solar energy.” (their page)