Cocoa Butter, Deodorised, 100 g

Deodorized cocoa butter gives balms, body butters and lip balms a firm consistency and leaves a protective film on the skin that slows the evaporation of water. It differs from unrefined cocoa butter in one essential point: after deodorization it is free of the chocolate scent, so the fragrance of the finished product is determined only by what you add to it. The raw material comes from the seeds of the cacao tree Theobroma cacao. It is obtained by mechanical pressing, filtration and subsequent deodorization, and it is supplied in both cosmetic and food grade.

What it brings to a formulation

• Hardness and shape stability – a high proportion of stearic and palmitic acid (together roughly 53 – 67 % of the fatty acids) ranks it among the hardest plant butters. Sticks, balms and massage bars hold their shape even without wax or with a smaller proportion of wax.
• Protection of the skin barrier – it forms a continuous lipid film on the skin that limits water loss. You will feel it most on dry skin of the hands, feet, elbows and lips, where the film lasts longer than with light oils.
• Softening and nourishment – as an emollient it smooths rough spots and supplies the skin with lipids that it lacks in a dry or cold environment. The manufacturer also reports a soothing effect on irritated skin.
• An antioxidant component – according to the manufacturer's data it contains natural antioxidants that help protect the skin's lipids against oxidative stress. The butter itself has a low proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, so it does not worsen the stability of blends with more sensitive oils.
• Hair care – in conditioners and masks it coats the hair fibre, softens dry ends and makes combing easier. Coarser and curly hair is easier to style with it.

Use in a formulation

The butter melts at approximately 30 – 34 °C. On the skin it slowly melts with body heat, while in the jar it stays solid even in a warmer room. It is added to the formulation into the oil phase, where it melts together with the other fats and waxes. The recommended processing temperature is up to 80 °C, which is enough to melt it even in combination with beeswax or candelilla wax. In emulsions it acts as a solid emollient: it increases viscosity and gives the cream a denser, more nourishing feel, which is why it is dosed lower in facial creams than in body ones.

The manufacturer permits dosing from 1 to 100 %, depending on what the butter is meant to do in the formulation. As a guide: 2 – 10 % in creams and lotions, 10 – 30 % in body butters and balms, 15 – 40 % in lip balms, and up to 100 % in anhydrous massage bars or pure balms. A high proportion of cocoa butter, however, produces a hard mass that becomes brittle at lower temperatures, which is why it is combined with softer butters (shea, mango) and liquid oils in body butters.

In cold-process soap, cocoa butter is added for a hard, long-lasting bar with a creamy, denser lather. At a higher proportion it can speed up trace and the mass sets faster, so keep that in mind with more demanding designs. In bath bombs and salts it is added as a fat that leaves the skin cared for after it dissolves in water, while also slightly firming up the pressed bomb.

Suitable for products such as

• Lip sticks and balms – the basic structural fat that gives the stick firmness and shine without the taste and scent of cocoa.
• Body butters and balms – for dry areas that need a longer-lasting protective film: heels, elbows, knees, hands.
• Massage bars and solid creams – a melting point just below body temperature ensures they melt gradually during the massage.
• Creams and body lotions – a solid emollient that increases the consistency and nourishing quality of the emulsion.
• Baby cosmetics – a neutral scent and no allergenic fragrance substances.
• Cold-process soaps – hardness of the bar and a creamy lather.
• Hair masks and conditioners – for dry, coarse and curly hair; in leave-in products at a low proportion so that it does not weigh the hair down.
• Bath bombs and shower products – a nourishing fatty component.

Good to know

The butter is insoluble in water and soluble in oils; you cannot incorporate it into water-based toners or gels without an emulsifier. When weighing, bear in mind that solid butter is easier to dose when grated or chopped into smaller pieces. It then melts faster and more evenly.

Anhydrous products do not require preservation, since the butter contains no water. In an emulsion the water phase is preserved in the usual way; the butter itself does not conflict with preservatives and has no known compatibility limitations.

On the face it is used at a lower proportion, rather in nourishing night creams or balms. With oilier skin, verify its suitability in the finished formulation. It suits products for sensitive skin precisely because it contains no fragrance allergens.

Food grade means that the raw material also meets the requirements for a food fat. In cosmetics you will appreciate this in lip balms and products for children.

The difference compared with unrefined cocoa butter and shea butter

Unrefined cocoa butter has a pronounced chocolate scent and a darker, more yellow shade. Both butters have the same fatty-acid composition and hardness; deodorization removes the volatile fragrance substances and part of the colouring. If the chocolate scent is meant to be part of the product, choose the unrefined one. If the product is meant to smell different or not at all, the deodorized one is more suitable.

Shea butter is softer, spreadable straight from the jar and melts at a lower temperature. Cocoa butter is hard and breaks when pressed, so in a formulation it forms the “backbone” while shea adds creaminess. In body butters the two are commonly combined.

Frequently asked questions