Mango Butter

Mango butter makes the occasional appearance in product labels for a wide variety of body lotions and creams, but what is it exactly? Together, we'll explore this fruity material and what makes it so effective as a topical ingredient.

What is mango butter?

Before we discuss mango butter, let's rewind time to it's previous life - as a mango fruit. While there are over 40 different species of the fruit around the world, there are essentially two broad variants - one native to India/Pakistan, and the other native to Southeastern Asia. Mangoes are known in India as "The King of Fruit", which is slightly confusing because Durian also goes by the same moniker in Southeastern Asia (thankfully, you likely won't ever confuse the two at a supermarket, if even by just the Durian's pungent scent).

Mango BUTTER comes from the fruit's seed, more commonly referred to as the "stone". On skincare product labels, mango butter can also be called "mangifera indica seed butter". After all of the juicy parts go towards confections and ice cream, the leftover stone gets dried, ground, then cold-pressed to produce oil. The oil becomes butter after blending with beeswax or carnauba wax so that it can remain solid at room temperature. This butter is the final product that gets used by skincare manufacturers most often. As a note to those with pollen or propolis-related allergies, carnauba wax is the preferred choice for most commercial manufacturers because it offers a higher melting point.

I'm glad that the world developed a way to utilize every part of the mango, especially since the stone accounts for about a fifth of the fruit's entire weight!

How is mango butter used in cosmetics?

Mango butter has incredible versatility and can be used in a variety of skincare products. To name a few, this butter appears in body lotions and creams, lip balms, sun creams (both for protection and after-sun recovery), shampoo and hair conditioning creams, bath lotions, and even foot creams!

Advantages

As an ingredient, mango butter falls into the "emollient" category. This means that it helps replenish moisture and acts as protective barrier for the skin. There are three compounds found within mango butter that make it an excellent emollient:

• Stearic acid

• Oleic acid

• Linoleic acid

Mango butter also contains powerful antioxidants Vitamin A and E that help reduce inflammation. They also serve other helpful functions for those with sensitive skin or conditions such as eczema.

• Vitamin A reduces and smooths wrinkles, improves skin elasticity, and evens skin tone

• Vitamin E improves skin hydration, reduces hyperpigmentation, and strengthens skin

There are more helpful active components involved such as tocopherols, phystosteroles, and triterpenes. While their names are a mouthful, just know that they provide protection against UV rays and also help reduce inflammation.

From the skincare manufacturer's perspective, mango butter offers great skin feel, spreadability, and absorption. Talk about a multi-talented ingredient!

Disadvantages and/or potential concerns

While we've covered a lot about why mango butter might be good, it's also important to explore where the ingredient might be the best fit for everyone.

• Allergies: People with known mango allergies or skin sensitivities will want to steer clear. If you're not sure, I highly recommend that you schedule a skin allergy test with a local dermatologist. You may discover sensitivities that prevent your favorite products from working as expected.

• Naturally oily skin: Mango butter's richness as an emollient may be too much for people who have naturally oily skin and can contribute to breakouts. Of course, the amount of mango butter included in a product plays a highly influential role. Manufacturers can develop products that are appropriate for oily skin by controlling the proportion of butter in their recipes.

I recommend that you test new cosmetic products on a small patch of skin for a few days to check for any reactions before using them as intended.

Closing

It's easy to see how mangoes have become an incredibly popular fruit around the world. The juicy bits go into favorite juice blends, candies, and flavors that bring moments of sweet happiness. Rather than going to waste, the stones also take on a new life - they transform into a super-powered ingredient that help people look and feel their best, every day.

See you next time!

Jay Kim, Founder