Hair and body butter has been used to moisturize hair and skin for decades.
Cocoa and shea butter are currently top sellers, but the newly popular product known as murumuru butter may soon take the lead.
Murumuru butter is made by extracting the rich, white-yellow fat from the seeds of Astrocaryum murumuru, a palm tree indigenous to the Amazon rainforest.
This natural butter is not only commonly used to soften skin and hair. Still, it is also (along with other Amazon fats and oils) being explored as a cooking alternative to coconut oil and cocoa butter.
Here are six skin and hair benefits of murumuru butter
Natural skin moisturizer
Murumuru butter is an excellent emollient known for its moisturizing properties.
Healthy skin has a lipid-rich skin barrier that seals in moisture, while dry skin typically has lower fat levels. Therefore, creams and lotions rich in fats can improve your skin’s hydration by filling in water.
Murumuru butter has a fatty acid profile similar to cocoa butter. It is rich in medium- and long-chain fatty acids, such as lauric and myristic acids, which may help restore your skin’s moisture barrier.
For the best results, apply murumuru butter immediately after showering when your skin absorbs water best.
Decreases frizzy hair
Thanks to its moisturizing properties, murumuru butter has become a popular haircare treatment.
A lack of moisture can cause frizzy hair. The hair shaft contains an outer layer known as the cuticle. When hair is dry, the cuticle is rough and swells, causing a curly appearance.
Murumuru butter has a high lauric acid content, a fatty acid that penetrates the hair’s shaft. This allows for better moisture retention and sealing of the cuticle, resulting in softer, more hydrated hair.
Moreover, the butter naturally protects against sun damage, heat, and other harmful compounds.
Won’t clog your pores
If coconut oil is too heavy for your skin, murumuru butter may be a good alternative.
Compared with other moisturizing oils like cocoa butter and coconut oil, it’s less comedogenic. This means it’s less likely to clog your pores and cause acne breakouts or comedones.
It may also help soothe your skin and replenish its natural moisture barrier without causing breakouts, a common issue for acne-prone skin.
However, if you have oily skin, murumuru butter may be too heavy, especially on your face, as this area contains more oil-producing sebaceous glands and is more sensitive to breakouts than your hands, elbows, and feet.
Therefore, oil-based products like murumuru butter may be better suited for more challenging, drier areas.
It may reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Applying murumuru butter to your skin may support a youthful appearance, as it hydrates with healthy fats and nutrients.
Keeping your skin hydrated supports a healthy skin membrane and may slow the progression of fine lines and wrinkles. Moreover, it can help reduce the appearance of lines by keeping your skin plump and full.
Promotes shiny hair
Shine is a sign of healthy hair.
To achieve a healthy hair shine, keeping your hair hydrated and free of damage and breakage is essential. Light does not reflect off damaged hair well, resulting in a dull appearance.