Ingredient
Cupuaçu Butter (Theobroma Grandiflorum)
Theobroma grandiflorum
Benefits
Natural
The cupuaçu tree (pronounced coo-poo-assoo) is native to the Amazon rainforest. It produces oil-rich seeds that can be transformed into a luxurious butter.
What are the benefits of cupuaçu butter?
An emollient, it softens and moisturizes.
It protects and conditions the skin and hair.
It attracts and retains water, delivering it to the skin.
It contains antioxidant polyphenols that are thought to help keep the skin looking firm.
It has a low melting point and melts very easily.
It’s an effective vegan alternative to lanolin.
A great deal of oil
The butter is made up of a variety of beneficial fatty acids (the building block of fats), including omega-9 oleic acid, which conditions the skin and hair. A combination of palmitic and stearic acids also serves as a natural emulsifier, which means that it allows water and oil-based ingredients to bind in a formula.
Who are you, cupuaçu?
The cupuaçu and the cacao tree are relatives (Theobroma genus) and cupuaçu butter is sometimes used to make white chocolate. The tree can grow to heights of 65 feet and produces large and heavy oval fruits. There is no waste from the fruit harvest: the sweet and sour pulp is edible, the shell is used to make compost, and the seeds are fermented, dried and pressed to obtain butter.