There are many butters that we use in our healthy soaps including Cocoa, Mango, Shea, and Kokum. Each butter introduces certain nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to our soaps as well as different textures and scents. Let’s explore mango butter and the impact it has on your soaps and ultimately your body. Like the fruit, mango butter is delightfully versatile. It has numerous health benefits, it’s great for most skin types, and it has a subtler scent than shea or cocoa butter, making it a fantastic all-purpose butter.
What is Mango Butter?
Mango butter also called mango seed butter, is derived from the mango seed. The mango seed is also referred to as the stone or drupe of the mango tree. Mango trees are perennial and flowering evergreen trees that are native to Southern Asia. They are used as shade trees in tropical climates and thrive in climates that experience cool, dry winters without frost and steamy hot summers. This climate includes parts of California where mango trees were introduced in 1880.
Mango butter is similar in consistency to shea butter, except mango butter moisturizes without greasiness. Mango butter has a firmer texture than shea, avocado, and coffee butters, but is softer than cocoa butter. It is extracted from the fruit kernels of the mango tree and begins to melt upon contact with the skin. Most mango butter on the market is refined and deodorized to remove its scent and color. It has a melting point of about 86° F, and shelf life of about 1 year.
The medium texture is not too soft, not too hard and the nutritional components make it an ideal butter for soap crafters. Mango butter helps with the hardness of the soap, and it adds luxurious conditioning and moisturizing values as well.
Nutrients in Mango Butter
Mango butter contains several nutrients including:
- Vitamin A
- Calcium
- Vitamin C
- Folate
- Vitamin B6
- Iron
- Vitamin E
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Zinc
Vitamin C in mango butter helps to boost the skin and brighten it. Vitamin A helps to increase the skin's youthful appearance, reducing fine lines. Since mango butter is a rich moisturizer, it is very soothing and healing. Given the plant that mango butter comes from, it shouldn’t be any surprise that mango butter has some of the fruit’s best qualities.
Folate is a nutrient in the vitamin B complex that the body needs in small amounts to function and stay healthy. Folate helps to make red blood cells. In addition to mangoes, is found in whole-grain bread and cereals, liver, green vegetables, orange juice, lentils, beans, and yeast.
Mangoes are full of fiber and antioxidants, including phytochemicals like gallotannins and mangiferin. These antioxidants have been found to help protect against certain cancers. Also, their high fiber content makes them good for your digestive tract.
Mango Butter is Beneficial for All Skin Types
Mango butter is non-comedogenic. Comedo is the least severe form of acne, which results from a pore clogged by dead skin cells, sebum, and bacteria. Since mango butter is non-comedogenic, it doesn’t clog pores. It’s a great moisturizing option for people with acne-prone skin.
Like its close cousins, shea and cocoa butter, mango butter is a light, non-greasy butter that glides on skin smoothly and absorbs well into the skin and hair.
Mango butter has a surprisingly subtle scent. It is much more subtle than the nutty scent of shea butter or the rich cocoa aroma of cocoa butter.
Some Important Uses of Mango Butter
- Soothing a Sunburn
When used on its own, mango butter has a cooling effect that’s a lifesaver when dealing with sunburn. There’s also a case to be made that the many antioxidants and vitamins in mango butter help expedite the healing process. When used in combination with other oils and butter types, mango butter can go a long way toward keeping your sunburn comfortable, manageable, and on the path to healing.
- Managing Dry Skin
Dry skin is a problem many people experience. Mango butter helps to protect tiny fissures in your skin and it replaces moisture and oils that your skin loses. Unfortunately, our bodies stop making enough oil as we age, and the addition of mango butter helps to make up for that and protect your skin against future damage. Mango butter also helps to soothe conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Mango butter has remarkable anti-inflammatory properties that can help soothe dry patches while also providing your skin with essential nutrients it needs in order to heal.
- Reducing Fine Lines
Our skin produces less oil as we age. This is part of why we develop fine lines as we age, on top of our skin losing elasticity as we grow older. Mango butter has a significant amount of fatty acid and mineral content, the exact ingredients your skin needs to slow the appearance of fine lines. Of particular value is mango butter’s high concentration of vitamin A, an essential nutrient for cell growth. Mango butter is also deeply moisturizing without being greasy, which helps your skin maintain a healthy oil balance like the skin of someone much younger.
- Battling Acne, Calming Itchiness
Mango butter can actually help soothe existing acne and decrease itchiness from bug bites because of its anti-inflammatory properties. Once you wash your face, apply mango butter using a small makeup brush. Don’t touch your face once you’ve applied it to avoid introducing new bacteria and oil.
- Reducing the Appearance of Scars
Mango butter can also be used to help reduce the appearance of scars. It is best to treat healing wounds early to minimize the potential for scarring. That said, you can use mango butter in combination with other healing butters like shea and cocoa to help promote healing and decrease scar tissue.
With its soothing scent, calming features, and nutritional benefits, mango butter is an important addition to the soaps you use on a regular basis. Take a look at some of our healthy soaps that contain mango butter:
Triple Butter Cold Process Soap