Cacao Butter
The Benefits of Cocoa Butter for Skin Care
Cocoa butter (also known as Cacao butter) contains a large number of different antioxidants that act synergistically to present a massive offensive against the free radicals that destroy your skin cells and lead to premature aging. As such, therefore, it is the ideal skin care product.
Let's look at that statement again. Why the 'ideal' skin care product? To answer that question, we have to look at what antioxidants are, and what cocoa butter can do them , and after that why it is better than other skin care products on the market.
Free radicals are small molecules forms during the body's metabolism when energy is generated from glucose in the mitochondria of every cell in your body. They are also formed by exposure to pollutants such as pesticides, and particularly the various toxic components of tobacco smoke. Cigars and pipes are no less dangerous than cigarettes, and filter tips make no difference to the production of free radicals.
What they do is to destroy cells, and when these are skin cells you begin to age. Your skin wrinkles and dries up, and you begin to take on the look of somebody years older than you are. They do this through a process known as oxidation, and antioxidants can prevent it. They neutralize the free radicals, and prevent your skin cells from being destroyed.
Cocoa butter contains a number of different antioxidants that can kill off a wide range of different free radicals and superoxides, including hydrogen peroxide. Vitamin E is a strong antioxidant - the strongest of all the antioxidant vitamins in fact, and can easily kill off hydrogen peroxide and any other oxidizing agent. The others are vitamins A and C, but they cannot approach the effectiveness of vitamin E.
It also contains phytochemicals (posh name for plant chemicals) such as flavanoids that are also strong antioxidants. Polyphenols are very effective at neutralizing free radicals, and the cocoa mass polyphenols are particularly effective. In fact, cocoa butter contains a much higher antioxidant concentration then even blueberries and other so-called superfoods.
In order for cocoa butter to be effective, it should get in contact with as many of your skin cells as possible, which involves rubbing it well into your skin. The skin is very absorbent and will destroy free radicals in the lower depths of your skin as soon as they are produced, and before they can do damage.
It has been scientifically proved that cocoa butter will prevent skin degradation due to the harmful effects of the UV light in the rays of the sun - UV radiation generates free radicals that are very effective at destroying skin. Just look at the effect of sunburn! However, there is more to cocoa butter than just that.
It contains a large proportion of minerals including calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, copper and iron, all of which are in a highly bioavailable form that render them more effective that commercial vitamin supplements. Not only that, though. It also contains tryptophan, involved in the formation of serotonin, the 'feel good' neurotransmitter, and also dopamine and phenylethylamine, all good substances. It is a brain food as well as food for your skin.
Without a doubt, there are few better skin care products than cocoa butter, and few that also makes you feel good scientifically in addition to feeling great at the way you skin looks so good.
Beauty Product Must Have: Cocoa Butter
 100% Organic Cacao Butter 16oz List Price: Sale Price: $15.50 See Reviews For This Product DescriptionThis is one of the most prized cacao butters, the first ever Organically Certified Venezuelan Cacao - a single bean butter from OCUMARE, an award winning farming co-operative that grows one of the most expensive cacao beans in the world. We work directly with the farmers and have helped export the first organic shipment. We share 2% of our profits with the farming co-operative and hope to bring three more farming regions into NOP organic certification by the middle of the 2010 Harvest.Be one of the first to try this rare and delicious cold pressed, non deodorized yet delicate cacao butter. - Use this in your milkshakes, raw chocolate recipes, cosmetics, moisturizers, bath oil, cooking, baking and many other recipes that require low temperature vegetable fats. Makes a great and tasty lip balm. Cocoa butter is one of the most stable fats known, containing natural antioxidants that prevent rancidity and give it a storage life of two to five years, making it a good choice for non-food products. The smooth texture, sweet fragrance and emollient property of cocoa butter make it a popular ingredient in cosmetics and skin care products, such as soaps and lotions. Features
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 Bali Truly Raw Cacao Butter, 9oz - Big Tree Farms Sale Price: $14.95  Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product DescriptionCacao Butter is what white chocolate is made of! Our raw, certified organic, chemical-free cacao butter is the pure oil of the cacao bean. Cacao Butter (Organic, Raw) 1lb Ingredients: Certified Organic Raw Cacao Butter (Vegan.) Contains no chemicals, no hexane and no solvents. Storage: Store in a cool, dry place. Our raw organic cacao butter has a high level of stability and a long shelf-life (over a year). Suggested Uses: Cacao butter is edible and possesses an extraordinary rich, delicate chocolate aroma. Add a piece of this butter to your favorite smoothie, dessert, ice cream or chocolate creation. Because it has not been damaged by heat, our cacao butter melts easily and blends nicely into any type of recipe. Cacao Butter makes a great dessert when mixed with coconut oil, agave and cacao. Cacao Butter may be used as a skin moisturizer. It may be used as (or in conjunction with) a massage oil. What is Raw Cacao Butter? Our Cacao butter is created through a proprietary cold-pressed method. This process begins by cold-pressing the organic Cacao Nibs into a "cake" in such a way that the oil begins to separate from the protein and fiber. The temperature is never allowed to exceed (or even reach) 120 degrees Fahrenheit and is usually 104 degrees Fahrenheit (all other cacao butters are exposed to temperatures as high as 300 degrees Fahrenheit!) A high-accuracy thermometer is used throughout processing. Slowly, the pure, liquid cacao butter begins to sift off into a stainless steel valve that takes the cacao butter into a separate container where it is allowed to solidify in an attractive shape and packaged for shipment! Cacao butter melts at approximately 90 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius.) Features
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 Cocoa Butter (100% Pure) 7 Ounces List Price: Sale Price: $5.56 You save: $3.43 (38%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product DescriptionCocoa Butter is an all-natural vegetable fat derived from cocoa beans. Also called Theobroma oil, Cocoa Butter is one of the most stable fats known and has a very mild chocolate flavor and aroma. Christopher Columbus is believed to have brought the first cocoa beans back to Europe as part of the treasures of the New World. Features
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 RAW Cocoa Butter 1 Lb Sale Price: $7.00 Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product DescriptionMadina Cocoa Butter is a pure, crushed butter obtained from the cacao bean. It has a beautiful, rich aroma of dark chocolate. This edible fat from the cocoa pod is a stable fat containing natural antioxidants that give it a long shelf life of over 3 years. Cocoa butter is a soothing emollient that has been used for centuries in Africa for skin care. It has been traditionally used to heal and moisturize skin that has been exposed to the elements. Cocoa butter helps reduce the formation of stretch marks during pregnancy by keeping the skin supple. It is a nourishing addition to lotion bar, lip balm, body butter, soap and belly balm formulations. Features
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 Raw Cacao Butter, 16oz - Ultimate Superfoods Sale Price: $19.95 Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product DescriptionCacao butter is edible and possesses an extraordinary rich, delicious chocolate aroma. Add a piece of this butter to your favorite smoothie, dessert, ice cream or chocolate creation. Because it has not been damaged by heat, our cacao butter melts easily and blends nicely into any type of recipe. Cacao Butter makes a great dessert when mixed with coconut oil, agave and cacao. Cacao Butter may be used as a skin moisturizer. It may be used as (or in conjunction with) a massage oil. Features
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 Artisana Organic Raw Cacao Bliss Coconut Butter 8oz Sale Price: $17.99 Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product DescriptionArtisana, makers of the wonderfully popular Coconut Butter has unveiled a line of Blissful butters aptly named to take your senses on a pleasure cruise through from the Himalayas to the Amazon. Cacao Bliss is a blend of Coconut Butter, Coconut Oil, Agave, Raw Cacao Powder and Raw Cacao Butter. Likely to put your sweets meter on hold, this spreadable sauce is just right for raw confections and inventions. |
 Navitas Naturals Organic Raw Cacao Powder 16 oz Sale Price: $19.95 Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product DescriptionNavitas Naturals Cacao Powder brings the chocolate factory to your kitchen, as it instantly transforms smoothies, desserts, pies, and countless other recipes into the healthiest chocolate indulgence around. Put a spoonful into your next treat and understand why this super food has been enjoyed for thousands of years. Plus, with no added sugar, Navitas Naturals Cacao Powder is an exceptionally healthy way to stock up on antioxidants and important minerals like magnesium and iron. Check out the cacao recipe section for great ideas, and make your life as chocolatey as you please! Source and Processing Navitas Naturals cacao beans are hand-selected for quality, partially fermented to alleviate bitterness, and processed at low temperatures for maximum nutrient retention. Once extracted from the pod-like fruit, purified water is used to cleanse the beans. The whole beans are peeled and cold-pressed to from a paste, the bean's oil is extracted, and our nutrient-dense cacao powder is formed. Features
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 Palmers Cocoa Butter Massage Stretch Mark Cream 4.4 oz. List Price: Sale Price: $7.59 You save: $7.40 (49%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product DescriptionPalmers Cocoa Butter Massage Stretch Mark Cream 4.4 oz.Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Cream for Stretch Marks 4.4 oz With Vitamin E Collagen & ElastinHelps Prevent and Reduce Stretch Marks Features
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