Illip
Illipe butter is obtained from the seeds of the wild-growing plant Shorey stenoptera, which we could originally find in the jungles of Borneo. Today, however, it is also grown in other parts of the world, precisely for the butter that can be made from its seeds.
Illipe butter is known primarily for its amazing effects on the skin. It contains a large amount of fatty acids and has an anti-aging effect on the skin. When using products with illipe butter, we prevent wrinkles, but also dry skin, and it also softens our skin nicely. That's why it's perfect for skin care products, whether it's body butters, balms, creams, lotions or soaps.
But the scope of illipe butter does not end here. He is also famous for his amazing influence on our hair! It supports the elasticity of our hair, which may seem unimportant at first glance, but the opposite is true. Healthy hair is flexible and does not break when stretched. You know those moments when you're combing through your curls in the sunshine and you suddenly find that there are lots of tiny, thin pieces of hair flying around you. This means that your hair has weakened elasticity and will break instead of stretching when stretched, which when combing particularly tangled hair. In addition, Illipe also acts against hair loss, hydrates dry scalp prone to dandruff and supports hair that is heavily damaged, for example by frequent blow-drying or ironing. Illipe is very similar in consistency and behavior to cocoa butter, so you can add a little, for example, to a hair mask where you would normally put cocoa butter. Or massage a little butter into the ends of still wet hair right after washing.
Kokum
Kokum butter is obtained from the seeds of the Kokum tree, which originally grows in the tropical regions of India. It is characterized by its grayish to yellowish color, great hardness and the associated friability. Unlike many others, kokum butter melts very quickly and easily when it comes into contact with warm skin, its melting point is already at 32°C, in contrast, the melting point of shea butter starts at 36°C. Thanks to such a low melting point, kokum butter is suitable, for example, for body massages, when you take a lump of butter in your hand and let it melt on contact with the skin.
Kokum butter hydrates very well, almost all parts of the body that are needed. It can be used on the body alone, but also in combination with another butter or oil to improve spreadability. It is also recommended for scratches, cuts and other small wounds that "burn" as a result of a small inflammation, because kokum butter will help alleviate this smaller inflammation. Before starting to use kokum butter, however, as with everything else, it is recommended to first test on a piece of skin whether the product is suitable for us and whether our skin tolerates it well.
Just like illipe, kokum has great effects on hair, so it is also suitable for hair masks. If you suffer from dry and cracked heels, try applying kokum butter to the area every night, you should see a positive change within two weeks. You can also use it for acne problems. Although kokum butter is not able to solve this problem 100%, but thanks to its ability to reduce inflammation and the fact that it does not clog pores, it can be the right helper on the way to healthier skin.
Kokum butter will also come in handy when making homemade moisturizing body butters, balms or body scrubs, here in combination with another softer butter or oil and some kind of exfoliant.
As with illipe butter, cocoa butter is an alternative to the recipes. So you can simply use kokum butter instead of cocoa butter in your favorite recipe.
Murumuru
This white to yellowish butter is obtained from the fruits of the Murumuru palm tree, which originally grows in Brazil, especially in the Amazon rainforest. Murumuru butter has a specific aroma, which may not be to everyone's taste, so we recommend not buying whole kilos straight away, but rather to first try whether our nose (and also our skin) likes this butter.
Murumuru butter is characterized by a very pleasant consistency. It is harder than coconut butter, but on the contrary softer than shea butter or mango butter, which is why it is very easy to spread and goes well with body butters and balms. It takes good care of dry skin, but when used as a massage agent, it also benefits tense muscles. Like kokum butter, it takes good care of cracked and dry skin, has anti-inflammatory effects and soothes irritated skin, making it suitable as a healing ingredient in skin care products. We can lubricate eczema and psoriasis scabs with it, but it also acts against skin aging.
It also has great effects on our hair. It not only adds elasticity and hydration to the hair, but also brightens its color. Therefore, it is suitable for the care of dry, often blow-dried and dyed hair. We can add it to home hair cosmetics, but we can also massage a little into the ends after washing our hair.
We can replace it in recipes with mango butter. Murumuru butter is not soluble in water, it is only soluble in oil and is added to the oil phase during production.
Cupuacu
Cupuacu butter is white to beige in color and is produced by pressing the seeds of the Cupuacu tree, which originally grows in Brazil. It does not have a particularly strong smell and is absorbed very well, it does not leave an unpleasant greasy film on the skin, and on the contrary, it leaves it beautifully soft and supple.
Cupuacu butter has a high ability to retain water, so it can nicely fill lines and wrinkles, making it the perfect means to maintain youthful skin. At the same time, it deeply hydrates, softens and softens the skin, but also helps preserve its elasticity. It takes good care of the lips and around the eyes.
In the production of home cosmetics, it is suitable for body creams, balms, massage creams, as well as make-up bases or solid soaps. Its alternatives can be mango butter or shea butter, so if you want to include cupuacu butter in one of your favorite recipes, slide it into the mix instead of mango butter or shea butter.
It is also great for hair cosmetics. It provides hydration to our curls, increases their shine and elasticity. It is also recommended for dyed hair, while it can partially prevent damage due to dyeing and deeply hydrate the hair. In addition, this butter is famous for its natural ability to absorb UVA and UVB rays, so it can be considered a natural hair protection against the sun, but do not be mistaken: although cupuacu butter can partially absorb these rays, it is not considered SPF.
Bacuri
Bacuri butter is obtained from the seeds of the Platonia insignis tree, which grows in the northern part of Brazil. This butter is characterized by its earthy aroma and brown to black color, which at first discourages and stuns, but those brave enough to work with bacuri never regret it. This butter often ranks first on the personal lists of natural cosmetics lovers, and there are several reasons for this.
Bacuri has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial effects and can be applied to eczematous skin. The original inhabitants of Brazil used bacuri for insect bites or as a natural repellent, but also used it to treat, for example, snake bites. Of course, we wouldn't recommend this, but there is also talk about its miraculous ability to help with rheumatism and arthritis. If these diseases bother you, try massaging (or having them massaged) the painful places with Bacuri butter. Bacuri is also great for caring for damaged hair, so it will definitely not get lost in conditioners and hair masks!
Bacuri has softening effects on the skin and is also said to protect the skin from free radicals and thus slow down the skin aging process. As already said, it helps to treat eczema, but it can also be applied to a cold sore on the skin. In addition, with its help, we can also take care of scars and stretch marks, which should be less pronounced with regular application.
do you know Will you try? Or do you prefer to stick with the shea, cocoa and mango classics? :)
