What it is
Cocoa butter is the solid-at-room-temperature fat extracted from the roasted or unroasted seeds of the cacao tree, Theobroma cacao. It is rich in stearic, oleic, and palmitic fatty acids, which give it a firm but melt-on-skin texture and strong emollient and occlusive character. In sunscreens, especially sticks and balms, it adds body, softens skin, and forms a protective film, and it contributes to the structure of solid formats.
Safety & warnings
Cocoa butter is widely used and generally well tolerated as an emollient, but it is a rich, occlusive plant butter that is often rated as moderately comedogenic, so it may not suit very oily or acne-prone skin. Sensitization is uncommon. Its firm texture is also what helps give sunscreen sticks and balms their structure.
Origin & sourcing
Natural; obtained by pressing the fat from the seeds (beans) of the cacao tree, Theobroma cacao.
Questions everyone asks
Why is cocoa butter used in sunscreen?
It is a rich emollient and occlusive that softens skin, adds body to balms and sticks, and forms a smoothing film.
Can cocoa butter clog pores?
It is a heavy, occlusive butter often rated as moderately comedogenic, so people with very oily or acne-prone skin may prefer lighter emollients.