The skincare industry is worth more than ever today, with products and brands continuously coming out, promising to give us the perfect complexion. Unfortunately, many of these products are expensive and don’t always do what they promise.
Because of this I always try to research “natural” alternatives to expensive skin care products. Today, I am going to give an overview of cupuacu butter, and how it can positively impact both the skin and hair.
Also known as Cupuassu, this fruit is one of South America’s finest skincare secrets. Indigenous people of the Amazon have used it for centuries to protect their skin against premature sun damage. Cupuacu’s natural butter is derived from the seeds of this fruit, where they are pressed and refined to create an oil that can be used as butter, lotions, creams, and more. The pulp of Cupuacu can also be removed and is often pressed in Brazil for juices, jelly, and desserts. Finding natural beauty products that are inexpensive and require fewer resources can be overwhelming with all the options out there.
One of the first things that come to mind when talking about cupuacu’s amazing skincare benefits is its deep moisturization properties. This powerful butter is considered an emollient, which means it has low melting points and absorbs especially quickly into the skin. It can also hold up to 4x its own molecular weight in water due to its high amount of phenolic compounds and proanthocyanidins. These are beneficial in restoring hydration as well as decreasing oxidative stress. Filled with omegas, nutrients, and antioxidants, cupuacu butter is a perfect dose of hydration for dried-out skin and brittle hair.
While many people relate this butter to shea or coconut, it is much lighter and more absorbent on the skin. In fact, cupuacu butter actually holds more than 2x the hydration as Shea, with many consumers finding their face feeling moisturized for up to 8 hours. Cupuacu butter is sure to have your skin feeling soft and smooth rather than leaving behind any leftover residue.
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Will Cupuacu Butter Break Me Out?
It is important to be mindful that too much of this butter could potentially clog pores and lead to breakouts. This butter has a comedogenic rating of about 4, which isn’t too high but still can clog pores. It may be best for those struggling with acne to look for a moisturizer that includes a small amount of cupuacu but is still labeled non-comedogenic (meaning it won’t clog pores).
While those who struggle with acne may be hesitant to try out this butter. Ensuring your skin gets deep moisturization without clogging the pores is the most important and easy way to prevent breakouts. Cupuacu is high in phytosterols such as Beta-Sitosterol. This is a highly potent anti-inflammatory agent and is great for fighting acne. With cupuacu’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, it may not hurt to give a small amount of Cupuacu a try!
Cupuacu Butter is Great For Sunburn
As mentioned above, the indigenous women of the Amazon rainforest have been using this oil butter to protect against harsh UV rays, which can cause fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots. Cupuacu is high in vitamin E, great for protecting the skin against UV rays and targeting collagen production. It is also high in Vitamin B, which helps build elastic skin and fight dark spots. The butter is smooth and deeply moisturizing, which feels amazing on raw, burnt skin.
This powerful dose of antioxidants and Vitamin E can play a role in preventing skin cancer, which has now become one of the most common cancers with over 5 million diagnoses just in the US per year. Studies found in mice research that after a 15-week treatment of a High dose vitamin E & C, tumor growth from damaged skin cells from UVB rays decreased by 34%. While I’m not saying Vitamin E cures cancer, this is a good study to support some of the benefits antioxidants have on our skin health.
Heal Chapped Lips With Cupuacu Butter
While this butter can be great for fighting sun-damaged skin in the summer, it also makes a great hydrator for dry and chapped lips. As winter rolls in, nothing is worse than raw, burning lips. Cupuacu butter immediately provides a hydrating barrier and calming sensation to chapped lips, kicking in quickly to seal moisture.
Prevent Aging Skin With Moisturizing Cupuacu
Cupuacus’ high levels of essential fatty acids and potent plant compounds fight everyday environmental pollutants, sun damage, clogged pores from cosmetics, and free radicals. These contribute to a quicker aging process on the skin causing fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, and crow’s feet. Utilize this south American fruit to keep the most youthful glow and prevent skin from getting dried out prematurely.
Cupuacu Oil For Softer Hair
One surprising benefit of this versatile butter is the ability to protect brittle and stripped hair. Both Vitamin B1 and B2 can be found in cupuacu butter. These are powerful for providing direct nutrients to the hair follicles and can also be found in various leafy greens, certain meats, and fruits with citrus. On top of these, vitamins A and C also play a role in regulating scalp sebum to keep your hair in balance. Too much oil can often dry out our hair, while too dry of hair can cause us to produce excess oil.
Protect Your Dyed Hair
One surprising benefit of this versatile butter is the ability to protect brittle and stripped hair. While dying your hair can be a fun way to change up your look, it can also strip the hair follicles of essential nutrients and antioxidants. This leads to brittle and often frizzy hair. Research found that using a hair formula with up to 10% of cupuacu butter can reduce protein loss by up to 35%. This will keep hair shiny, smooth and your color will last longer!
What Makes Cupuacu Butter So Powerful?
Cupuacu butter is a long-chain fatty acid primarily made up of omegas that form triglycerides. These omega fatty acids are powerful compounds essential for physical health, mental wellness, and glowing skin. Omegas can be found in various foods, including salmon, avocado, and Brussel sprouts. On top of being filled with a host of these, cupuacu also contains tons of vitamins, essential minerals, and antioxidants. Continue below to see the breakdown of the potent properties of this butter.
Filled With Polyphenols
Cupuacu butter is full of small plant compounds known as polyphenols. These can be found in many plants, especially spices and foods like dark chocolate and red wine. They can act as antioxidants and help fight free radicals in the skin. These are unstable atoms that can cause general inflammation of the cells and increase stress.
Oleic Acid
Oleic acid, also known as omega 9, is the most abundant fatty acid oil found in cupuacu butter, making up 30-43% of its content. Omega 9 has powerful antibacterial properties and is often used as a cleansing agent in the skincare industry. Too much of this acid or using it straight onto the skin can dry out it. However, this isn’t usually a problem with cupuacu butter due to its balance of moisturizing properties. This fatty acid also works to help preserve other ingredients found, such as antioxidants, which are slightly less durable as a compound.
Stearic Acid
This powerful acid gives cupuacu its strong emollient properties to help absorb moisture into the skin barrier, making up almost 35% of this butter. It works by thickening the product and a surfactant to improve texture. While some may compare this to salicylic or hyaluronic acid, it is much different. Consider stearic acid, a long saturated fatty chain that works as an extremely moisturizing fat.
Arachidic Acid
Found naturally in dense oils such as cupuacu, peanut, cocoa, and corn oil. This powerful acid plays a vital role in conditioning and cleansing the skin. Consider this the ultimate champion to reduce the flakiness of the skin. Arachidic acid makes up about 11% of Cupuacu butter.
Palmitic Acid
Palmitic acid, more commonly known as omega 7, is another unsaturated fat giving cupuacu its healing properties by restoring dry skin and promoting circulation. Omega 7 is considered a lipokine and plays various essential roles in the body, such as transferring information about fat to muscle and liver tissues. Find about 7% of this in cupuacu butter.
