Ingredient

Murumuru Butter

Astrocaryum murumuru

Murumuru is a word that is not often heard, and that’s a shame because it is so purring, warm, and reassuring. The properties of the butter echo that: it’s protective, soothing and smoothing.

What is murumuru?

Found in the Amazon rainforest, Astrocaryum murumuru is a tall, spiny evergreen palm with a thick trunk and a shuttlecock-shaped crown. Its nutritious, edible fruits are an important local food source, and the many materials made from the tree are commercially significant to the region. The seed oil is traditionally used to soften and protect hair.

Where does Lush purchase murumuru butter?

Lush purchases deodorised murumuru butter from Candela, a producer in Peru. Deodorised means that the butter has been processed to remove any compound that would give it a scent. This ensures that the butter doesn’t interfere with the other scented ingredients in our products.

Candela is an NGO and social enterprise driven by the will to empower small-scale collectors and producers of raw materials in the Amazon and the Andean highlands. They are dedicated to developing and strengthening value chains in Peru, encouraging responsible consumption and sustainable use of natural resources. They promote crop diversity so that rural producers do not rely on the success of a single production. Candela also sells Brazil nut, copaiba, bataua and buriti oils.

What are the benefits of murumuru butter?

• Moisturising and emollient.
• Lightly coating the skin and hair with a thin protective film.
• It helps the hair and skin retain moisture.
• It gives the hair a smooth and shiny appearance.

Fats facts

Although murumuru is similar in colour, consistency, and melting point to cocoa butter, it has a unique fatty acid composition. It contains around 47% lauric acid, which has antimicrobial properties. It is also an excellent source of oleic acid and the essential fatty acids omega-6 and omega-3, which help calm inflammation and promote wound healing.