The Enchantment of Cupuacu - February 6, 2022
In researching some of the finest natural ingredients on earth for skincare, I came across the Amazonian wonder, Theobroma Grandiflorum, or Cupuacu. Cupuacu is related to the cacao tree and produces a rich, delicious tropical fruit. The seeds of the Cupuacu fruit are cold-pressed to yield a creamy, amazing butter that is used in the making of luxurious candies and bars (very similar to chocolate bars) and skin enhancing beauty products. Although I love chocolate and could spend every waking hour obsessing about it, the focus was on how cupuacu might be the answer to finding a key basic butter that would anchor our new line of skincare balms.
So I ordered some virgin cupuacu from a few US suppliers, and waited in anticipation to get my hands on it. I was not disappointed! From the very opening of the pristine package, where an earthy, chocolate and citrus scent greeted my senses, to the look of this milk-ish creamy and exotic butter in all it’s buttery consistency…I was in love!
Cupuacu butter has a naturally low melting point, below the normal temperature of your skin. So when applied to the back of your hand for instance, it begins melting almost immediately. Because of it’s hydrophilic or “water loving” properties, Cupuacu is one of the most effective moisturizing butters knows to exist. Simply, your skin is in heaven as the melted butter begins to absorb and you think you can literally hear your skin cells rejoicing!
Not only does the Cupuacu butter leave your skin feely velvety smooth with no stickiness, but it can be 200% more moisturizing than counterparts like Shea butter. I had read that studies from Cupuacu butter effects on skin can mean up to 8 hours of ongoing hydration after application. In addition, Cupuacu butter is packed with healthy fats and antioxidants, which leave the skin vibrant, supple, and noticeably more elastic and youthful with repeated daily application.
It is safe to say that I had found my hero ingredient for life altering skincare. Cupuacu is a rare gem from the Amazon Rainforest, it can be sustainably and ethically grown by indigenous peoples of the Peruvian Amazon, and has been a tried-and-true natural remedy of the shaman in ancient cultures for millennia. Mother Earth has an amazing cabinet of skincare blessings, not the least of which is Cupuacu butter. Thanks Peru!
About the Author: Angel Jackson is a mom, a Personal Wellness Coach, an Entrepreneur, and blogger for The Skin Shaman and Emplaura.