Every time we hear of the ‘next new super food’ we get excited and worked up only to hear of scams and let downs. This time it seems like we might actually have a much touted product live up to its hype. I’m talking about Cupuacu Butter. Pressed from the seed of the Cupuacu fruit it is a moisture rich creamy butter whose properties appear to lend themselves to a plethora of good things. Because it sounds too good to be completely true, and because I am a natural skeptic, I decided to check it out.
This butter is a native of Brazil and complementary in its properties to shea butter. Its
excellent emollient and lubricating properties make it a welcome ingredient in skin care products. The fact that it helps emulsify and stabilize cream and lotion formulas, also makes it doubly valuable.
It has been found to retain moisture in skin (its water absorption rates are as high as 240 percent higher than lanolin.) and its long chain fatty acids enhance its elasticity, giving age battered skin a second chance as it were.
To top it off Cupuacu butter has an anti inflammatory effect and creates an effective barrier reducing moisture loss trans-epidermally (through the skin).
And it does not appear to stop there; the moisture retaining properties of this butter are making waves in the hair care world as well. Cupuacu butter is being hailed as an effective and lasting remedy for dry brittle hair.
Commercialization of the product in its various forms is not far behind. Already this butter is available in 2-4 percent concentrations in creams and lotions and in 10-12 percent concentration in hair care products. From the sound of it, ancillary products like lipstick, deodorants, soaps and yes, even ice cream are on their way. The trans-epidermal loss. Applied for hair products, products with spa appeal, soaps, make-ups,
As if its enriching qualities were not enough, it also provides broad spectrum protection against both UV-B and UV-A radiation. Although an SPF is not yet associated with it, its sun protection prowess is proven.
A word of caution here: there are claims out there that this has proved helpful in cases of dermatitis and eczema, and other ‘skin conditions’. Such a sweeping statement should be taken with a pinch of salt. Such claims need more extensive proof than we have seen or heard of, so I’d stick with the ‘Secret to a new young me’ line if I were you. At least for now.
Some natural products companies such as Natural Sourcing, Garden State Naturals are already selling it, but its bigger potential, in being branded as an essential ingredient in cosmeceutical products is still largely unrealized.
So afr we have yet to hear of any undesirable side effects of using this Always the skeptic, I will wait and see how much of its propaganda Cupuacu butter can live up to, but the report card, so far, reads positive.