Shea Butter Versus Cocoa Butter Skin Care

Cocoa butter and shea butter are two of nature's richest moisturizers, all-natural beauty products that can do wonders for your skin. Each has been used for centuries as a beauty product, and both are commonly found in creams and lotions. However, there are notable differences between the two that can affect your skin for the better or for the worse.

Both shea and cocoa are naturally occuring substances. Shea butter is also known as karite butter. It's made from the nuts of the karite tree found in West and Central Africa. Shea butter is sometimes called "women's gold," because its harvest and production creates jobs for many African women. Cocoa butter is extracted from cacao seeds, also known as cocoa beans. It's native to the Americas and is a traditional moisturizer in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean.

Cocoa butter and shea butter are similarly prized as moisturizers. Both contain fatty acids, which improve skin moisture retention and elasticity. Both are effective in easing skin problems such as eczema or psoriasis. Most people agree that cocoa butter's smell is very pleasant, and some use it for aromatherapy; shea butter's fragrance, on the other hand, is sometimes described as off-putting or even stinky.

Cocoa butter contains cocoa mass polyphenol (CMP), which helps ease dermatitis or rashes. CMP may also inhibit the growth of cancerous cells and tumors.

Shea is a good source of vitamins A and E, which strengthen your skin and help it repair damage. A 2009 study found that the caffeic acid in shea butter reduced the damaging effects of UV radiation. In addition, shea butter contains cinnamic acid: a 2010 study found that it could repel both inflammation and tumors.

For acne-prone skin, shea butter is a wiser choice than cocoa butter. Cocoa butter will clog your pores, according to a report by Beneficial Botanicals. Shea butter is non-comedogenic, meaning your pores will stay clear. It may also help reduce the appearance of acne scars, because its antimicrobial properties can fight off infections.

Cocoa butter has traditionally been recommended to pregnant women who have stretch marks. However, a 2008 study found that it was no more effective on stretch marks than a placebo lotion.

Raw, unrefined cocoa butter and shea butter have the most nutritive value to your skin, but can be difficult to find. Many products claiming to contain cocoa or shea have them in refined form, with additives and ingredients that may or may not heal your skin. You may need to pay more to receive the true benefit of these butters. In addition, shea butter quality can range quite a bit. Do you research before buying an inferior product: low-grade shea is useful only as a moisturizer.

Article reviewed by Greg Duran Last updated on: Mar 28, 2011

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What Is the Benefit of Olive Butter for Skin Care?

Olive butter is a thick moisturizer for the skin. Unlike lotion, olive body butter will not wash off your skin easily, making it a rich emollient, which is good for very dry skin. Esthetician Keeley Selvage says lotions are typically made of 70 to 90 percent water, which makes them more water soluble. Butter gets rid of the water and preservatives leaving you with a rich, thick substance made mainly of oil. Selvage says the body butter may feel heavy at first, but easily soaks into your skin in a few minutes.

The olive tree is one of the oldest known cultivated trees in the world, spreading from its native land of Asia Minor to the Mediterranean over 6,000 years ago. Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, advised his followers to put olive oil on their bodies, and he applied the oil to his head. Since then, olive oil is found in many religions and used in religious ceremonies as an anointing oil. According to NaturalSkinCareSecrets.com, Cleopatra used olive oil as a beauty product over 5,000 years ago. Many people of the Mediterranean believe olive oil keeps the skin and body young, and that it not only works topically but also from the inside out. This is one reason the Mediterranean diet contains a large amount of olive oil.

Olive butter is used to increase the skin's moisture by delivering moisturizing oils to the surface of the skin, then locking it in with waterproof butter. Olive butter is made using a Shea butter base then adding olive oil as a carrier oil. Selvage says you can incorporate cornstarch into the mixture if the basic butter and oil mixture is too greasy for your skin.

Olive oil is a natural, hypoallergenic way to moisturize your skin, according to OliveOilSource.com. Extra virgin olive oil contains antioxidants, including vitamins A and E, to help repair and renew skin that has been exposed to harsh, dry weather, sun and air pollution. According to OliveOilSource.com, these antioxidants stimulate cells naturally to return skin to a "firmer, smoother and healthier state."

Olive butter should be used on very dry skin. The rich emollients in the Shea butter may be too heavy for oily skin. Olive butter is best for the body rather than the face since the thick consistency of the butter may clog pores and lead to breakouts. Selvage says butters are good for those who wash their hands often because the butter is less likely to wash off the hands than a lotion.

Olive butter contains the moisturizing and antioxidant properties of olive oil with the deep moisturizing and skin nourishing qualities of Shea butter to create an extra-rich emollient for the skin. In a study performed by U. Kiechl-Kohlendorfer et.al. at the Innsbruck Medical University in Austria, the skin integrity of pre-term infants was tested using a water-in-oil emollient cream and an olive oil cream, and comparing the skin of both groups with the control group's, which did not receive cream. The study lasted four weeks, and found the olive oil cream to be superior to the emollient cream and that topical skin therapy lowers the risk of dermatitis.

Article reviewed by James Dryden 

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