Cocoa Butter - Food of the Gods
Exotic cocoa - aka “Food of the Gods” is an edible fat produced from cocoa pods cut from the cocoa tree Theobroma cacoa which thrives in rich tropical soil with plenty of sun and rain.
The cocoa pod is a large gourd shaped fruit which come in a variety of hues of green, brown, yellow, purple, (depending on the variety and growing region). Each pod contains between 30 and 40 cocoa seeds. The cocoa butter is extracted from the seeds by cold-pressing fermenting and roasting/drying.
Cocoa butter is a naturally occurring fat found in the cocoa pods which is used by chocolate makers to make chocolate and chocolate goods, as well as cosmetic makers who use it in moisturisers, body butters, lip balms, handcrafted soap etc.
Cocoa production
Cocoa is a very labour-intensive crop involving many people throughout the growing season usually family members neighbours and friends. The pods are collected in large baskets, which workers carry on their heads. After the pods are gathered the workers split each pod open by hand and carefully remove the seeds/beans before beginning a two-part curing process - fermentation and drying/roasting.
Chocolate making
To produce the chocolate, we know and love cocoa butter is cold pressed to release its delicious chocolate liquor which forms the base of cocoa powder and delicious velvety chocolate bars.
Skincare benefits
Cocoa butter’s high emollient properties (which means it adds a protective layer of hydration to skin. It's an excellent moisturiser which is easily absorbed by the skin because it melts on contact - think about how chocolate melts in your mouth… (yum) and can remain on your skin for several hours as it easily penetrates and absorbs into the top layer of your skin. This means that you’ll need to moisturise less frequently when using skincare or bodycare products made with cocoa butter.
Skin health benefits
We’ve all heard the reports about chocolate being good for you? This is because of the natural antioxidants inside cocoa beans. Studies have shown that a combination of healthy fats, emollients, Vitamin E content and antioxidant compounds called cocoa mass polyphenols found in cocoa butter can:
Moisturise and promote healthy skin
Protect your skin from the sun, cold & rain
Restore skin elasticity
Diminish the signs of aging
Soothe irritated and inflamed skin
How Kalabash use Cocoa butter
Each bar of 100% natural palm free Kalabashbodycare artisan soap is loaded with natural and organic unrefined cocoa butter which is rich in healthy fatty acids proven to heal dry and sensitive skin naturally.
We add moisturising organic unrefined cocoa butter to our unique handcrafted soap formula because it contributes to making our rich lotion like creamy lather. A more practical benefit of adding cocoa butter to our soap, is that it contains hardening properties. This makes a long-lasting bar of soap especially when stored on a soap stand or free draining soap dish which means you can enjoy using your Kalabash soap again and again.
Until next time …
SHARRON
