Cocoa butter has a mild chocolate taste because it is derived from fermented and roasted cocoa beans, which are the main ingredient in most chocolate preparations. Cocoa butter melts at body temperature and is absorbed not only by the top layer of skin, the dermis but also by all body layers, allowing it to retain more moisture.
Cocoa butter helps with stretch marks by keeping the skin soft and supple as it stretches. The ability of cocoa butter to penetrate deep into the skin makes it a great treatment for stretch marks and scars. The strict application of cocoa butter during pregnancy can help to prevent and heal stubborn stretch marks.
There are many proven methods to reduce stretch marks, but there are also a few unconventional ways to do this. The use of cocoa butter for stretch marks during pregnancy, together with oil and rosehips, is a way to improve skin elasticity and reduce the appearance of stretch marks on the skin. Apply cocoa butter morning or evening on stretch marks if you lack moisture as a proactive measure.
Research says cocoa butter smells good and feels luxurious when rubbed onto the body, but there is not much evidence that it actually improves skin tone. In fact, cocoa butter has many uses but one of the most common is to combat the linear markings caused by rapid growth during pregnancy and weight gain.
The inability of shea butter and cocoa butter to treat any form of scar does not mean that these ingredients are not beneficial. While your doctor may recommend creams, Cleveland Clinic does not recommend Shea or Cocoa butter for reducing or preventing the appearance of stretch marks.
There is no proven method of preventing or getting rid of stretch marks without the benefit of using creams, lotions or oils to hydrate the skin during pregnancy. The National Institutes of Health report says in fact, ointments and creams meant to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy are of little value. Whether you get or not stretch marks has a lot to do with genetics, but topical creams and lotions play a limited role in prevention, said Julie K. Karen, M.D., a dermatologist at CompleteskinMD in New York City.
Reuters Health – Applying cocoa butter lotion during pregnancy may not prevent stretch marks many women develop, according to a new study. The stretch marks, or striae gravidarum, as doctors call them, occur on the abdomen and chest, but can also occur on hips, thighs and buttocks.
Technically referred to as streaks, stretch marks indicate a reduction in skin elasticity during stretching, explains New York dermatologist Kavita Mariwalla. The stretch marks are the result of collagen and elastin in the dermis, the layer of skin cells that tears and tears the skin. They appear when the skin is stretched (think pregnancy, rapid weight gain or loss, or puberty) and can be purple, pink, or red, or change into more skin-colored colors.
Shea butter increases the production of collagen in the skin and reduces collagen loss, which is indispensable for the healing and prevention of stretch marks. A study in the American Journal of Life Sciences found that shea butter boosts collagen production. Shea butter is thought to have a low SPF, so it is not strong enough to prevent your skin from burning after exposure to the sun, so be sure to use sunscreen.
Whether you use skincare cream with cocoa butter or pure butter, the application method remains the same. A 2008 study found no significant difference between women who used cocoa butter lotion and women who used a placebo.
A promising study into the use of bitter almond oil to massage the abdomen during pregnancy has been called off due to information suggesting it could lead to premature birth.