Which Is Better For Your Skin – Shea Butter Or Cocoa Butter?

by Rajashree Seal · October 1, 2015

With so many beauty products being introduced into the market, two that have retained substantial popularity are shea butter and cocoa butter that are commonly used in lotions, body wash, creams, etc. The two are among the best natural emollients that help you nourish your skin and body from deep within with its various nutrients, vitamins, and moisturizing properties. Both have an equal amount of benefits and uses in nourishing and hydrating your skin, and the most important thing that differentiates one from the other is their origin.

What is shea butter?

Shea butter

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Shea butter is an ivory-colored extract from the nut of the shea fruit from the shea-karite tree, a plant of African origin. For this reason, shea butter is also called Karite butter. Shea butter is famous for its healing properties and also its incomparable ability to protect and regenerate your skin. Regular use of shea butter is helpful for sun-damaged skin, premature aging, and wrinkles. It is often called women’s gold because its harvest and production creates many job opportunities for African women to earn their own livelihoods.

Suggested read: Why shea butter is perfect for great skin

Some benefits and uses of shea butter

1. Shea butter helps in reducing acne and pimples, and prevents your skin from scarring with dark spots.

2. Full of nutrients including Vitamin A, shea butter helps in treating blemishes, wrinkles, premature age lines, eczema, dermatitis, and many other skin disorders.

3. Widely known for its healing properties, shea butter can be used for getting rid of sunburns, tans, and skin rashes. Its antioxidant properties help in protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays.

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4. It can also be used as an aftershave lotion for smooth skin and reduce razor burns and irritations. It also prevents your skin from razor bumps after shaving.

5. Shea butter is used as a hair balm for dry and fragile hair, while eliminating scalp irritation and dryness.

6. Shea butter has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties, making it effective in curing you from cold flu, running nose, cough, frost bites, etc.

Besides the above, shea butter is used as an anti-inflammatory essence for sprains and arthritis, a lotion for hair and skin, and an edible ingredient for in preparing food in Africa.

What is cocoa butter?

Cocoa butter

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Cocoa butter is a natural, pale yellow-colored fat extracted from cocoa seeds. It is native to the Mayan civilization of South America. It is used as a base product for various skin care products, including body butters, massage creams, lip balms, lip gloss, and soaps. Rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial fats, it deeply nourishes your skin and is one of the best nutrients for your skin.

Cocoa butter has many beneficial qualities when used both internally and externally.

Some benefits and uses of cocoa butter

1. Soothes sensitive skin

Cocoa butter with its moisturizing properties is definitely a boon for people with sensitive skin. Use of cocoa butter products helps you soothe the skin and protects it from various diseases like dermatitis, psoriasis, and eczema.

2. Prevents premature aging

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The presence of polyphenol antioxidants in your cocoa butter cream can help you look and feel younger, as it helps protect the cells from premature oxidation, preventing your skin from aging.

3. Smoothens rough knees and elbows

Daily use of cocoa butter will help you smoothen dark, dry, and rough areas like knees and elbows.

4. Helps get rid of scars

Regular use of cocoa butter can help you get rid of scar marks from pimples, acne, or any other cut. The antioxidants and healing properties of cocoa butter make it an excellent remedy to get rid of scars on your skin.

5. Stretch marks

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One of the most important benefits of using cocoa butter products is its ability to reduce stretch marks. It is mainly effective for women who want to get rid of the stretch marks post pregnancy. Due to its nutrients and antioxidant properties, cocoa butter not only reduces stretch marks but can also prevent them from forming on the body and on the face.

6. Reduces stress

Applying cocoa butter on your skin is one of the best ways to ease tension from your body, in turn improving your skin. Its nice, enchanting aroma is part of why it makes a good stress reliever.

Shea butter vs Cocoa butter

Shea and cocoa butters are two brilliant natural ingredients that have almost the same chemical composition and similar uses. Accordingly, the two natural products are equally popular and beneficial, and one or the other is bound to be found in every skin care product nowadays. Yet, there are certain notable differences amongst the two that differentiate one from the other, including their various benefits and uses. So, let’s have a look at what these two substances are particularly useful for.

1. Both shea butter and cocoa butter melt at body temperature and absorbs into the skin to moisturize and nourish it deeply. While cocoa butter absorbs quickly into the skin, shea butter absorbs into the skin slightly better than cocoa butter and is more effective for nourishing it.

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2. Using cocoa butter can give you clogged pores, while shea butter is non-comedogenic in nature as it will let your pores stay clean. Therefore, the latter is preferred to be used for all skin types.

Suggested read: How cocoa butter gives you glowing skin

3. The presence of Cocoa Mass Polyphenol (CMP) in cocoa butter may inhibit the growth of cancerous cells and tumors in your body, while the use of shea butter, which is a good source of Vitamins A and E, helps you strengthen and repair damaged skin.

4. Both the substances consist of fatty acids, which improves elasticity and hydration of the skin.

5. Both shea and cocoa butters work as moisturizing lip balms for chapped and dried lips.

As you can see above, in the battle between shea butter vs cocoa butter, there are no clear winner. The beneficial qualities of both the butters are quite similar and it is quite hard to say which one is better than the other. For better results, we suggest you use both the products within a period of time and keep track of which product suits your skin the best — shea butter or cocoa butter?

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