One common body cream in African homes is cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is good for the dark skin of Africans. It makes our skins look smooth, moisturized, and beautiful. But most store-bought cocoa butter creams contain ingredients that are not really good for the skin.
But the good news is that you can prepare your own cocoa butter cream at home. You can do this with organic cocoa butter or make your own cocoa butter using cocoa beans.
5 benefits of cocoa butter on the skin
Reduces inflammation
If your skin is increasingly red and itchy. Then you need cocoa butter. You have to apply cocoa butter to the red and itchy area at least twice daily which is during the day and night. It can also cure skin illnesses such as psoriasis, or eczema. As cocoa butter helps in soothing the skin naturally.
Moisturizes skin
Cocoa butter is the answer if you really want to moisturize your skin. Cocoa butter is an excellent source of hydration for your skin. You can use any cocoa butter for skin for this. For the best results, use this twice a day.
Heals damaged skin
Since cocoa butter has some restorative properties, it is good for dry and damaged skin. Cocoa butter includes natural components such as healthy fats and emollients that go deep into the skin to nourish it and restore its health.
Preventing stretch marks
If you have stretch marks, then cocoa butter is what you need for your skin. Using cocoa butter can help to fade stretch marks. So cocoa butter is really good for pregnant women as most women are likely to get stretch marks when they are pregnant.
Delays the signs of aging
Cocoa butter contains high content of antioxidants and fatty acids. These fight free radicals, which can cause darkening, dullness, and wrinkles. Cocoa butter nourishes the skin, allowing it to grow young and delay the aging process.
How to make cocoa butter with cocoa beans
To make your own cocoa butter at home, you will need only two ingredients cocoa beans and water.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of dry cocoa beans
- 4 cups of water
Method
- Add your cocoa beans to a skillet on medium heat and roast the cocoa beans for about 20 minutes.
- After it cools down, remove the skin from the cocoa beans.
- Blend the cocoa beans using a food processor or a blender to get a powder.
- Put the cocoa powder into boiling water on medium heat.
- Stir the mixture and allow it to cook for about 2-3 hours.
- Stir constantly until the water reduces.
- After some time, you will see the oil will start to settle on top.
- Keep cooking until the oil float on top.
- Now collect the oil into a saucepan.
- Put the oil on fire for about 10 minutes to ensure that all the water in it has evaporated
- Now strain the cocoa oil using a strainer and cheesecloth (do this to ensure you’ve removed all particles from it)
- Pour into a silicone mold and allow the cocoa butter to harden completely
- Pop the cocoa butter out of the mold and store it in a container in a cool dry place
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How to make cocoa butter cream for skin
Ingredients
- 1 cup cocoa butter
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/3 cup shea butter
- 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp jojoba oil
- 1 tbsp vitamin E oil
- Essentials oils (lavender, peppermint, or rose) optional
Method 1
- Melt the cocoa butter, coconut oil, and shea butter. You can do this by putting them in the microwave for a few minutes. Or you can do that using fire.
- Once that is done, pour all of the melted oils into a jar, and add in the olive oil, jojoba oil, and vitamin E oil. If you have some essential oils at home, add a few drops too.
- Stir the mixture and close the jar tightly. Now shake it vigorously for some time and allow the mixture to cool down.
- Once it cools, it will return to its butter state before you melted it and your shea butter cream is ready.
Method 2
- Melt only the cocoa butter and pour it into a bowl. Add the shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, and vitamin E oil.
- Add a few drops of your essential oil
- Now whip the mixture. Start at a low setting before making it high.
- Doing this will mix the hot cocoa butter oil with the other ingredients
- Once that is done, store it in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes. Make sure it doesn’t freeze.
- Now whip it again for about 10 minutes to make it fluffy
Storage
Get a small container to store your cocoa butter cream in it.
Homemade Cocoa Butter Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup cocoa butter
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/3 cup shea butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tbsp jojoba oil
- 1 tbsp Vitamin E oil
- Essential oil optional
Instructions
Method 1
- Melt the cocoa butter, coconut oil, and shea butter. You can do this by putting them in the microwave for a few minutes. Or you can do that using fire.
- Once that is done, pour all of the melted oils into a jar, and add in the olive oil, jojoba oil, and vitamin E oil. If you have some essential oils at home, add a few drops too.
- Stir the mixture and close the jar tightly. Now shake it vigorously for some time and allow the mixture to cool down.
- Once it cools, it will return to its butter state before you melted it and your shea butter cream is ready.
Method 2
- Melt only the cocoa butter and pour it into a bowl.
- Add the shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, and vitamin E oil.
- Add a few drops of your essential oil
- Now whip the mixture. Start at a low setting before making it high.Doing this will mix the hot cocoa butter oil with the other ingredients
- Once that is done, store it in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes. Make sure it doesn’t freeze.
- Now whip it again for about 10 minutes to make it fluffy
- Get a small container to store your cocoa butter cream in it.
