Attention chocolate lovers! Winter guilt-free season is here. It's time to surrender to your favorite chocolate truffle or snuggle in with a heavenly cup of hot chocolate. Whether you are indulging in the sensory pleasure of melting a chocolate morsel at first bite or taking an epicurean joyride into your childhood memories with every sip of hot chocolate, you may not realize that you are consuming an ingredient that is a staple in your beauty ritual.
An incredible edible - cocoa butter is a rich, vegetable fat, extracted from cacao beans found inside the fruit pods of the cacao tree. With a long shelf life, and bursting with essential nutrients, cocoa butter is an integral component in chocolate making, adding to its heart-healthy nutritional value, its substance, and shiny, creamy texture.
The word cacao defines the raw unprocessed bean and cocoa identifies the harvested processed one. Originally, cultivated for thousands of years in Central America “The Food of The Gods” (later known as chocolate) started out as an ambrosia for the privileged and was consumed in ceremonial rights of passage. According to the ancients, cocoa butter was already known as a great emollient. Exchanged as a currency, the cacao bean was money that grew on trees. It was introduced to Europe in the 16th century, and in the early 19th century a hydraulic press, supposedly to extract purer chocolate was invented. However, a purer form of cocoa butter was inadvertently discovered during that pressing process.
There are four steps in cocoa butter extraction - harvesting, drying the beans, fermentation and pressing. Cold press contributes to the purest form of cocoa butter. With its seductive chocolate aroma cocoa butter melts at 34-37°C, and is solid at room temperature.
When applied topically, it spreads all over the body evenly, locking in the moisture to hydrate the skin. It is a perfect moisturizer. Rich in fatty acids, with a high concentration of plant compounds, vitamins and antioxidants, it protects the skin from environmental damage. It soothes dry, flaky, sensitive and inflamed skin, sealing in the moisture. Enhancing cell rejuvenation, cocoa butter may reduce the signs of aging, brighten skin tone, and improve its elasticity and suppleness. According to anecdotal claims, it reduces stretch marks and scarring, while boosting circulation and blood flow.
We love cocoa butter at Cynplicity! Stop by the store or visit our website to check out our products with this treasured ingredient.