If you are looking for a soap, massage cream or balm that is all natural yet provides all the skin hydration you need then you should have a look at what Mother Nature has to offer, for there are plenty of ingredients which can be joined together... For starters there is cocoa butter , which is derived from the same delightful beans used to produce chocolate (a real all time favourite!!) A form of pure vegetable fat, cocoa butter is pale and edible, extracted from cocoa seeds or beans, cleaned crushed and ground into a paste. If heated, this will produce chocolate liqueur and this in turn is pressed to separate the cocoa butter from the cocoa solids.
One reason why cocoa butter is such a key ingredient in massage creams and other skin products is because of its powerful ability to moisturise the skin. The fact that it easily melts at around body temperature, makes it easily absorbed into the skin (which only adds to its moisturising qalities). In addition it is also very rich in Vitamin E, which is reported to not only reduce scarring, but also smooth wrinkles and help erase other signs of aging. In fact, cocoa butter is often recommended to pregnant women looking to prevent stretch marks, as well as people suffering from other skin conditions.
Many of The Soap Boutique's handmade body products in fact do include organic cocoa butter as part or even as a main component of their ingredients. There are luxurious handmade soaps scented with essential oils or enriched with natural botanicals, solid shampoo bars as well as "naked" unscented soaps which can also be used for the face (there's even a solid cocoa butter soap bar which is ideal for natural to oily skin). Other products which include this lovely moisturising butter are our solid massage bars, tea tree oil balm and lavender rosemary body butter.
There are other natural butters which are of equal benefit, but that's for another blog...
