Mango butter is quickly joining the lineup of natural beauty products perfect for skin and hair. It has a lot going for it, from being skin-friendly to a lack of distinctive smell.
But is this super ingredient all that’s been cracked up to be? Does it help dry skin and hair? After all, creating your own beauty and skin care products means continuously researching the benefits of natural products.
Let’s look at the main benefits of mango butter and what it can do for you.
What Is Mango Butter?
Mango butter is a light organic butter that comes from the seed or pit of mangoes. It’s similar to shea butter, which can offer skin great hydration without being super greasy.
Mango butter has a subtle fruity scent that many people prefer to the deeper smell of cocoa butter. Because it’s almost odorless, it fits a lot of cosmetic preparations and recipes, allowing you to use the natural fragrances you prefer.
What Does Mango Butter Contain?
Mango butter contains many antioxidants and compounds like vitamins C, A, and E, potassium, calcium, and beta-carotene. It has a high percentage of oleic, stearic, and linoleic acids, making it perfect for soft skin and hair.
Its natural compounds promote soft, smooth skin and offer UV protection. They work wonders on dry skin, performing better than commercial lotions to reduce cracks and scars and moisturize even the driest skin, like cracked heels.
When you purchase mango butter, keep an eye out for the available type. It can be refined or unrefined. Unrefined mango butter is raw and, as such, it’s not perfectly smooth and may have a stronger or fatty smell from its high oil content.
On the other hand, refined mango butter has been filtered and treated, so its color and texture are closer to that of other body butters. However, both types can work, depending on your needs.
It Is Non-Comedogenic
The above-mentioned compounds ensure that mango butter won’t clog pores, so if you’re looking for an ideal butter for sensitive skin, mango butter has you covered. There is an exception to this rule, though.
Don’t use products that contain mango butter if you have acne and oily skin. They may worsen your condition or even cause breakouts. Consider a different, less oily ingredient, like kokum butter.
Offers UV Protection
Vitamins C and E, which are in rich supply in mango butter, can protect your skin against UV rays and environmental damage. The antioxidants in mango butter also protect the skin against sun rays.
As such, you can include mango butter in your homemade sunblock cream. It will gently protect against damage while keeping your skin soft. The butter also offers respite for sunburn because of its skin regeneration properties, so use it if you’ve been in the sun without protection.
Skin and Hair Friendly
Mango butter can make skin feel hydrated and soft and has the ability to help dry, flaky skin on both your body and your scalp. In addition, it protects your scalp from UV rays.
Use mango butter in your DIY skin formulations to combat a variety of skin conditions, from bug bites to stretch marks and eczema. Its emollient and moisturizing properties also make it great for softening hair, decreasing dryness, reducing breakage, and helping hair grow.
Mild Scent
The mild scent of mango butter makes it ideal for formulations for sensitive skin, which doesn’t do well when exposed to harsh perfumes or fragrances. It is perfect for lotions and salves for skin prone to eczema and psoriasis because it doesn’t irritate or worsen itchiness.
If you are allergic to strong scents, mango butter can hydrate your skin and soften your hair without triggering or worsening an allergic reaction.
Antibacterial and Antimicrobial
The antibacterial and antimicrobial properties of mango butter have been researched and documented. Because the product is also chock full of oleic acid, which increases the skin’s permeability, using it on minor wounds can promote healing.
Use it in preparations for skin likely to experience irritation, like an after-shave balm for your legs, to take advantage of these properties. Also, use it on your scalp to reduce flakiness and dandruff caused by bacteria and fungi.
Repairs and Protects Hair
The vitamins and minerals in mango butter can condition hair and scalp. When used in a hair conditioner recipe, it imparts these compounds to the skin and hair, increasing moisture and reducing dry patches.
A healthy scalp ensures your hair looks healthy, soft, and manageable. Besides, soft, shiny hair is less likely to tangle, break, or experience split ends.
Reduces Wrinkles and Fine Lines
We’ve already seen that mango butter is rich in antioxidants, which are ideal for mature skin because they protect it from free radicals and moisturize it. Besides, its high oil content hydrates skin, making it more resilient and less prone to fine lines and wrinkles.
The high vitamin A content in mango oil stimulates skin regeneration and improves its elasticity, making it firmer.
Promotes Hair Growth
Mango butter encourages the skin and hair to regenerate themselves. If you want to grow your hair, incorporate mango butter in your DIY shampoo, conditioner, and hair treatment recipes.
It won’t necessarily make your hair grow faster, but it can promote hair health and make your tresses look their best when they finally reach the length you want.
Best Uses for Mango Butter
Mango butter is best used in recipes and formulations that target dry, flaky skin on your body and scalp. It’s perfect as an ingredient in body butter recipes, as well as body and hand lotions, lip balms, and face moisturizers.
Alternatively, you can use it in your shampoo, solid conditioner bars, and soap. In all these applications, it soothes dry skin and hair, making them smooth and shiny.
Best Substitutes for Mango Butter
You can use mango butter as a substitute for most oils other than cocoa butter. It shares the same emollient properties that shea butter and olive oil have and has similar applications for skin and hair.
Mango butter is softer than cocoa butter, which works great for body butters and lotions. It is slightly firmer than shea butter but otherwise works the same, so don’t be afraid to experiment with different recipes.
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This article originally appeared on Savvy Homemade
