Murumuru butter is widely used in shampoos, facial creams, soap bars, and other beauty products for its extraordinary benefits.
In a world where usages of additives and artificial chemicals are widespread, all-natural products are a treasured rarity. Cosmetic butter products such as shea butter or cocoa butter are always in the spotlight for their natural and organic properties. Murumuru butter is a product that’s next on the list for its excellent natural properties.
The commercial use of murumuru butter started in Europe and the United States in the 1940s. They were predominantly used as an ingredient in vegetable soups or facial creams. Fast forward to the 20th century, the value for murumuru butter products is blooming in the cosmetic market more than ever.
This is because numerous well-known cosmetic brands like Natura, Clinique, and Butter London are starting to use murumuru seed butter in their products. Consequently, more and more people realize the benefits of murumuru butter, and its demand has been exponentially increasing.
In this article, we’ll explore what murumuru butter is and its benefits for your skin, hair, and lips!
What Is Murumuru Butter?
The murumuru palm tree, Astrocaryum Murumuru, is a species native to the Brazilian and Peruvian parts of the Amazon rainforest. This palm tree can produce up to 3 fruit bunches during the rainy season, each containing more than 300 fruits. Moreover, the tree is covered with blackthorns from top to bottom; so, high-level expertise to harvest the fruits without inflicting any wounds.
The fruits produced are reddish-orange, and it contains brown big-sized nuts/seeds. Within these nuts/seeds, murumuru butter is extracted through the cold press and hydraulic extraction processes.
The butter is odorless, tasteless, and ranges from white to beige in color. Even though it’s bland by appearance, it has extraordinary nutritional content such as:
- Vitamin A
- Antioxidant vitamin C
- Essential fatty acids (Omega-6 and Omega-3)
- Lauric acid
- Oleic acid
- Myristic acid
This non-exhaustive list of nutrients results in the popular use of murumuru in various cosmetic products to benefit the whole body.
Benefits of Murumuru Butter
If you look through some of the top-rated cosmetic butter, you’ll notice that murumuru is right up there with the best of them. So, what’s all the hype about, what are the benefits of murumuru butter, and is it worth a try?
Improves Hair Texture
Murumuru butter has high moisturizing and emollient properties. These properties help protect and moisturize hair strands of almost any hair type—dry, frizzy, oily, natural, or even color-treated hair.
Furthermore, unlike many other oils and butter, murumuru butter doesn’t have a heavy composition. So it doesn’t leave a greasy residue that makes the hair look oily and “flat.” Instead, regular use of murumuru butter helps to maintain a strong and healthy hair texture with a shiny look. It can also your hair well-hydrated due to its high lauric acid content [1].
Natural Skin Moisturizer
Every day, we’re exposed to pollution, premature aging chemicals, and many skin-damaging elements. Murumuru butter has an impressive fatty acid profile consisting of omega-6 essential fatty acids (building blocks of the skin) and omega-3 fatty acids (anti-inflammatory agents protecting the skin from sun damage).
Therefore, applying murumuru butter on the skin helps to effectively protect the skin from exterior damage and enhance your skin hydration [2, 3].
Moreover, murumuru butter is a humectant, meaning it can trap moisture on the skin and prevent further moisture loss. The outstanding emollient properties of murumuru butter allow it to form natural glossy films. When applied to the skin, these properties provide a protective effect by creating a natural skin barrier.
Murumuru butter, in its natural state, contains vitamin A and vitamin C, which are great for the skin. Additionally, the butter’s anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory components reduce irritation and promote healing. Therefore, murumuru butter is suitable for individuals with eczema, dry skin, or other skin sensitivity conditions.
Softens The Lips
Murumuru butter lip cream or lip balms help to heal, moisturize, and soften the lips. Considering that murumuru butter is packed with essential fatty acids and pro-vitamins, the lips will be left naturally soft following application. Other than that, the lips will also remain protected from harmful environmental elements.
When choosing a murumuru lip product, it’s always best to get those that are hypoallergenic and fragrance-free. This will eliminate the risk of applying any irritating ingredients on your lips and ensure you get the full benefits of murumuru butter.
How To Use Murumuru Butter
Many moisturizing shampoos, body soaps or lotions, and lip balms have murumuru butter infused into their formulas. That said, some may prefer to use unrefined or raw murumuru butter that comes in chunks.
To use unrefined murumuru butter, you’d have to melt a small chunk over low heat until it turns into a thick paste. Then, apply it in small amounts to your wet shampooed hair, body post-showering, or lips.
It’s best to use murumuru butter on a damp surface as it’ll more effectively lock in the existing moisture and leave the area more hydrated. Then, gently pat on the applied area to ensure good absorption of the butter.
FAQ: Murumuru Butter
Are there any side effects of Murumuru butter?
Although Murumuru butter is an all-natural product, it may still be unsuitable for some. If you have a history of nut allergy, you should do a patch test of the product before full-on application [4]. Other than that, ascertain if there are any additional ingredients like fragrance, preservatives, or exfoliating chemicals in the product as these substances may irritate your body surfaces.
Does murumuru butter clog pores?
Comedogenic products describe ingredients that tend to clog your skin pores and subsequently lead to acne formation [5]. Although murumuru butter is less comedogenic than other oils and butter, it should be used with caution for those with acne-prone skin.
For those with acne-prone skin, test out murumuru butter in small amounts (patch testing) and look out for signs of acne breakout or irritation for a few weeks. If your skin tolerates murumuru butter well, you can continue to use it daily for optimal hydration. Stop using murumuru butter if it causes redness, itchiness, rash, or pain.
Can you eat murumuru butter?
Yes. You can melt murumuru butter and use it as a healthier substitute for cooking oil. However, it often has no flavor and will not affect the taste of the cooking.
Is murumuru butter better than shea butter for the skin?
Murumuru butter and shea butter are both excellent in their own ways. For example, murumuru butter contains antioxidant vitamin C, but shea butter does not. Instead, shea butter has vitamin E to improve skin texture, but murumuru butter does not [6].
Therefore, the answer to which butter is better depends on your personal goals for your skin. Talk to a cosmetologist or dermatologist to identify what your skin lacks and which products would suit you the best for you.
Bottomline
We all want to take care of ourselves in the best way. Murumuru butter is a great way to get started on your journey of cosmetic care as it comes with many promising benefits. That said, do take your time to learn what works the best for you and what doesn’t. Make sure to do your own research on products with murumuru butter before getting your hands on them.
Disclaimer: This article is only a guide. It does not substitute the advice given by your own healthcare professional. Before making any health-related decision, consult your healthcare professional.
Editorial References & Fact-Checking
- Gavazzoni Dias M. F. (2015). Hair cosmetics: an overview. International journal of trichology, 7(1), 2–15. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-7753.153450
- Pappas A. (2009). Epidermal surface lipids. Dermato-endocrinology, 1(2), 72–76. https://doi.org/10.4161/derm.1.2.7811
- Pons-Guiraud A. (2007). Dry skin in dermatology: a complex physiopathology. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV, 21 Suppl 2, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-3083.2007.02379.x
- Pereira Lima, R., Souza Da Luz, P. T., Braga, M., dos Santos Batista, P. R., Ferreira Da Costa, C. E., Zamian, J. R., Santos Do Nascimento, L. A., & da Rocha Filho, G. N. (2017). Murumuru ( Astrocaryum murumuru Mart.) butter and oils of buriti ( Mauritia flexuosa Mart.) and pracaxi ( Pentaclethra macroloba (Willd.) Kuntze) can be used for biodiesel production: Physico-chemical properties and thermal and kinetic studies. Industrial Crops and Products, 97, 536–544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2016.12.052
- Draelos, Z. D., & DiNardo, J. C. (2006). A re-evaluation of the comedogenicity concept. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 54(3), 507–512. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2005.11.1058
- Kelly, B. A., Davrieux, F., & Bouvet, J. M. (2018). A SHEA BUTTER RICH IN TOCOPHEROLS (VITAMIN E) AT THE DOGON PLATEAU AND SENO BANKASS IN MALI (WEST AFRICA). Journal of Phytology, 56–60. https://doi.org/10.25081/jp.2018.v10.3743
