Vegetable butters are fatty substances that have the same properties as vegetable oils. But unlike vegetable oils in liquid or fluid form at room temperature, cosmetic butters are solid and creamy fats.
COSMETIC SHEA BUTTER
Shea butter is a natural product from West Africa and comes from a specific tree, the Butyrospermum Parkii.
The nuts produced by this tree and harvested between June and September are stripped of their pulp; the kernels are extracted and left to dry, then crushed, roasted and ground to obtain a thick paste of shea butter. Shea butter has always been produced by women and its production has an important economic and social role in the countries concerned. In this context, SOPHIM also offers ORGANIC and FAIR-TRADE versions.
COSMETIC MANGO BUTTER
Native to India, the mango tree produces a very popular fruit rich in vitamin C.
Ideal for dry, mature skin with dry and devitalised tendency, mango butter maintains moisturisation, prevents skin aging and is used in soothing care when the skin has been ravaged by both the sun and the cold. Its pleasant texture allows it to be used much in hair care where it also demonstrates all its benefits: it repairs and nourishes the hair, while preventing the formation of split ends.
COSMETIC COCOA BUTTER
Cocoa butter is obtained from cocoa beans, which are contained in pods growing on cocoa trees.
Antioxidant, it fights the effects of time by giving back elasticity to the skin. Its fatty acids nourish, protect and soften skin and hair
Cosmetic almond butter
Obtained from sweet almond oil, this rich and velvety butter is recommended for the care of dry skin and hair.
Rich in natural antioxidants and phytosterols, it brings a nourishing and restructuring action to your care and prevents the signs of aging. It blends remarkably well in your formulas of creams, balms, sticks, etc. It is perfect especially for the gourmet treatments.
Cosmetic butters are obtained from qualitative, natural raw materials and in accordance with a respectful manufacture of the product. They thus offer alternatives of choice for the development of natural cosmetics.
Today, SOPHIM offers several vegetable butters, including ORGANIC and Fair-Trade versions with well-known multifunctional properties.
Vegetable butters can be easily integrated in the formulation of cosmetic products, they promote the balance of fatty phases and have various properties.
- Indeed, they are ideal to bring texture to the finish product, for instance, they allow to thicken creams in order to give them the desired texture.
- Depending on the vegetable of origin, butters also have numerous active properties : they can be moisturizing, nourishing, repairing, soothing, or have an antioxidant action…
- Thanks to their strong emollient properties, vegetable butters strengthen the skin’s hydrolipidic film and improve its elasticity, thus allowing it to be protected from external aggressions. They also participate in the slowing down of skin aging.
The manufacturing process of butters for cosmetics is a key, as it is the case with vegetable oils. Pulp, kernels, seeds or any other raw material, from which the butter is made, is first crushed or macerated to extract the fat. During the manufacturing of an emulsion, the butter is added hot during the fatty phase. The refining of butters, like that of vegetable oils, ensures better preservation of the product, and avoids the oxidation responsible for the well-known phenomenon of rancidity. It can also regulate its colour and smell.
Butters are active formulants also used as natural thickeners, and can suit for various applications :
- Indeed, their emollient and deeply moisturizing properties make them good allies for the formulation of emulsions, lip or body balms, creams dedicated to dry, mature skin…
- Endowed with a rich texture, vegetable butters provide a certain comfort to body and facial care products, improve their touch, and ensure an ease of spreading.
- Their benefits also make them particularly interesting for the formulation of hair care products :
- Rich in fatty acids, as well as vitamins A, D, E and F, vegetable butters are ideal for the formulation of care products dedicated to dry, dull, damaged, texturized hair thanks to their strong power of nutrition and repair of the hair fiber. They also bring suppleness and strength to the hair…
- Curly, frizzy, or even texturized hair has a spiral structure, and has more difficulty than straight hair to circulate the sebum. The strong nourishing power of vegetable butter is ideal for this type of hair.
- Thanks to their anti-inflammatory and soothing properties, vegetable butters also suit perfectly in formulas dedicated to scalp care.