Cocoa butter and Shea butter have been used as food, natural moisturisers and beauty products for centuries. Cher-Mère products use Cocoa butter and Shea butter in its hair, skin and body products. There has been in recent times a great reliance on these 2 ingredients in many hair and skin products so we thought it would be fun to differentiate from these two wonderful ingredients!!!
Cocoa butter (Theobroma cacao) is:
- Derived from the beans of the cocoa pod which are separated from the pod, de-pulped, dried, fermented, sunned, danced to polish the beans before manufacture where the beans are roasted, and then separated from their hulls. About 54–58% of the residue is cocoa butter. Chocolate liquor is pressed to separate the cocoa butter from the cocoa solids. Cocoa solids are used to prepare chocolates and cocoa powder.
- Cocoa is a source of natural powerful natural antioxidants, Vitamins E and K.
- Easily melted when rubbed in the palms of your hands. It has a pleasant aroma and smooth texture.
- The same cocoa fat which floats on the surface of locally prepared cocoa/chocolate tea chocolate. Trinidad cocoa is world renowned due to its fine quality and is used in manufacture of high end dark chocolate which contains antioxidants.
- A natural moisturizer which has traditionally been used in soaps, lotions to fade dark marks, prevent stretch marks on skin, moisturize dry lips.
Shea butter (Butyrospermum parkii) is:
- Derived from the nuts of the Karite tree found mainly in West Africa. The nuts are collected, de-pulped, cleaned and boiled in water and dried in sun; then crushed to release the Shea kernels which are then roasted, milled and boiled to release the Shea butter which is filtered and allowed to solidify.
- An edible yellow to ivory coloured vegetable fat rich in oleic, linoleic and stearic acids.
- Shea butter is not easily melted when rubbed in the palms of your hands it also has a nutty flavour.
- Shea butter is a natural moisturiser which has traditionally been used in hair care to restore dry, damaged hair it’s also in skin care as an emollient soothing itchy skin conditions.
So you see each has its specific uses and are rich in all types of different nutrients and antioxidants which are beneficial to both your skin and hair, which is why Cher-Mère uses these two ingredients in many of our products. To see our many products that contain these wonderful ingredients visit our website by clicking here !!