Benefits of Cocoa Butter You Might Not Know ...

Cocoa butter is full of antioxidants, which can benefit you in a number of ways. Antioxidants battle free radicals, saving your skin from environmental stressors and the inevitable signs of aging. Because free radicals dry out your skin like nobody's business, one of the biggest cocoa butter benefits is the way it deeply moisturizes your skin. You can use it in oil, cream, or lotion form, of course, but you can also eat raw cocoa butter. It has a high caloric intake so you'll want to use it sparingly, but in trade off, the fats and the antioxidants are so good for your skin.

A lot of people with sensitive skin have experienced an improvement when they use cocoa butter. You might be dealing with eczema or another painful skin condition, or your skin may simply be sensitive to anything from exfoliants to heat. Regardless, making cocoa butter your go-to moisturizer may help with sensitivity, and it will certainly leave your skin soft and supple.

Since cocoa butter is so good at moisturizing your skin, it's no surprise that it can smooth rough or chapped lips as well. It's a much more natural way to deal with chapping or even wind- and sunburn. As a bonus, you'll taste a little cocoa every time you lick your lips. Anyone lucky enough to kiss you will enjoy this benefit as well!

Cocoa butter contains lots of helpful things – omegas 6 and 9, vitamins E and K, zinc, iron, dopamine, tryptophan, and of course all those fantastic antioxidants, just to name a few. It also contains traces of caffeine. Find a formula or form that works for you and you can really perk up your skin, especially after those stressful days or sleepless nights. You never want to get any kind of moisturizer too close to your eyes, of course, but if you can safely apply cocoa butter near dark under eye circles, you'll also notice an improvement. Again, adding some cocoa butter to your diet can help as well.

You've no doubt heard that cocoa butter “cures” stretch marks. That's not exactly the case, although some people do swear by it. It can reduce the appearance of stretch marks, and it actually works wonders for scars. If you have a scar from a cut, former acne issues, or similar discolored areas, try using cocoa butter regularly. You may notice them looking lighter, if not outright disappearing.

Try to get some rich cocoa butter in bar form. LUSH offers some fantastic ones, but you can find them almost anywhere. Why do you want a bar? Smooth it over your legs and under your arms when you're shaving. You may or may not want to continue using your shave lotion or gel, that's entirely up to you, but whatever you do you'll notice a closer, smoother shave with much less irritation.

Cocoa butter is also extremely helpful for your hair. It makes it more manageable, can strengthen damaged hair, and adds moisture to dry hair. Try it if you're dealing with a lot of breakage as well. If you have fine hair, it can even add volume. Typically a cocoa butter oil is better, but there are also plenty of products infused with cocoa butter.

Cocoa butter is endlessly advantageous, plus it makes you smell like chocolate. Is there anything better than feeling and looking scrumptious? I hope this list convinced you to try cocoa butter, whether you use it on your skin, your lips, your hair, or your scars. Are there any cocoa butter benefits I missed? Let us know how you use it!