Benefits of Cocoa Butter on Scarring

Whether from an injury, acne, pregnancy or something else, at some point during the course of your life you can expect to sustain a scar. Scars are typically white, brown or pinkish in color, and they are distinctive from the tissue that surrounds it. They are also permanent. While scars are a normal consequence of life, they can be rather unsightly. If scarring makes you feel uncomfortable or self-conscious, there are certain products available that can help minimize their appearance on your skin. Cocoa butter, the cream-colored fat extracted from cacao seeds, has long been reputed for its value in preventing and treating scars 1. One of the most stable, highly concentrated fats available, it contains unique properties that make it particularly good for the skin.

Moisturizing Benefits

Because cocoa butter is a fat, one of its most obvious benefits is its value as a moisturizing agent 1. Cocoa butter is an excellent emollient 1. It melts at body temperature and is quickly and easily absorbed into the skin. According to StretchMarksCream.net, it penetrates not only the top layer of skin but the dermis layer as well where the body is more able to retain the moisture.

Cocoa butter can be applied both to scarring and the skin surrounding it 1. In addition to softening and moisturizing your skin, it will smooth out the tone and texture of it, making scars look less noticeable. Furthermore, applying cocoa butter topically on a daily basis can help facilitate repairing damaged skin. In order for the body to regrow skin tissue, the skin must be well hydrated. Therefore, cocoa butter's unique ability to lock moisture in at the deeper levels of the skin make it particularly beneficial as a treatment for scars.

Protective Benefits

How to Use Cocoa Butter to Get Rid of Scars

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There are also protective benefits to using cocoa butter on scars. Beautyadivce.org states environmental factors such as sun exposure, extreme temperatures and pollution can be particularly damaging to your skin, even on skin that is otherwise perfectly healthy. Those same factors can also exacerbate the appearance of scars on skin that has suffered some form of damage. Cocoa butter can provide the skin with some measure of protection. When it is absorbed into the epidermis and dermis layers, cocoa butter forms "a layer of moisture and oil that protects the skin from all external weathering elements that prevent the regrowth of damaged tissues." This layer of protection is a unique feature of cocoa butter 1. Additionally, cocoa butter contains powerful antioxidants that help protect against the harmful effects of the environment by fighting free radicals, which damage the skin and cause weakened cell structure, such as ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun 1. Take advantage of the protective benefits of cocoa butter by applying it to your skin regularly.

Prevention Benefits

Because scarring is permanent, no amount of topical treatments will ever make it disappear completely; however, daily use of cocoa butter can prevent scars from forming in the first place, particularly during pregnancy. Massaging it onto your growing belly will keep your skin soft and pliable, which will allow your skin to stretch without tearing. For maximum benefits, choose a product that contains collagen, elastin and vitamin E as well as cocoa butter 1. These four ingredients will work together to keep your skin well hydrated and health, and to maintain its natural elasticity. You should apply cocoa butter daily onto any areas of concern on your body, including your stomach, hips, legs and chest, to prevent stretch marks 1.