Let’s Make It “Butter” Series: Mango Butter And It’s Benefits For The Skin & Body

Mango Butter:

Mango butter can be applied to the skin and other areas of the body. It has been touted for a host of benefits for the skin. In fact, fats obtained from mango butter and other exotic crops, then used in skin care products is “ancient practice”. 

Over a recent number of years, you’ve likely witnessed this particular butter grow in popularity in many larger skincare lines. Furthermore, in bath and body products.

This rich, sweet-smelling butter is actually quite widely used. In this post, we’ll be exploring the potential benefits of mango butter for the skin.

What is Mango Butter?

As one may have expected, mango butter is a type of body butter that comes from mango fruit. Mango is one of the worlds most consumed fruits. In fact, it’s produced in over 100 countries around the world today.

So why has this fruit in particular been targeting in bath and body products, you may ask? 

Truth is, mango’s themselves are very nutrient rich. Orally, it’s possible to consume a large percent of your daily vitamin C intake from mango. Likewise, it contains nutrients such as vitamin B6, vitamin A and E, in just about a cup of mango’s. 

Mango’s also contain sources of iron, potassium, magnesium and zinc.

If mango’s are that nutrient dense when consumed, what effect can they have when applied topically to the skin? Oftentimes, skin applications are a results of mango’s being made into extracts, butters, and oils. 

In fact, to make mango butter, fat is extracted from the nutrient-rich seeds of the mango. The process is called Expeller or by Cold-Pressing de-shelled seeds. It is then turned into butter that can be used on the body and in many commercial skin and healthcare products. 

Mango butter is rich in mono-saturated triglycerides, and solid or semi-solid at room temperature. When applied to lotions, creams or ointments, the immediate effect of many of these formulations is there ability to hydrate the skin, and modify the chemical nature of the skin’s surface.

In this day and age with a little effort you actually can even make your own DIY creations with mango butter. For example, body lotions, homemade soaps, bath bombs, balms, foot creams, gels, ointments, and hot oil treatments.

Mango Butter Benefits:

Mango butter is used for a host of skin care benefits. We’ll visit some of these proposed benefits below.

Moisturizes and Smooths Your Skin:

Firstly, is mango butter’s ability to nourish the skin. Most likely, due to it’s chemical composition. When you put mango butter on your skin, your body is infused with nutrients and fats that moisturize and smooth-out skin. 

Recent studies, like one in 2016, have even shown wild Mango butter to be a potential Cocoa Butter Alternative (CBA). Wild mango butter has a light colored fat with a similar fatty acid profile and triglyceride profile as cocoa butter. These fatty acids include (but not limited to); palmitic, stearic, and oleic acids.

On top of being a great moisturizer in cosmetic products, mango butter, like cocoa and shea, tend to be non-greasy, adding to it’s popularity.

May Help Protect & Repair Your Skin:

In addition, mango butter acts as a barrier when placed on the skin. It has the ability to penetrant deeply within the skin. Furthermore, with it’s chemical make-up, has great skin conditioning properties.

Oftentimes, mango butter is applied to cracked, peeling or chapped skin. However, has a potential role for soothing insect bites, rashes and eczema, as it helps to minimize itching. 

A study done in 2008, evaluated the medicinal value and protective function in a developed foot care cream with mango butter.  

Results of the study found complete repair of cracked and worn skin in all of the human volunteers. Furthermore, concluding it has a “high potential for skin protection”.

 Some exotic fats have an ability to restore skin lipids, skin elasticity, boost natural skin regeneration and hydration. Adding to this, it’s researched bacteriostatic, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activity, helps put mango butter into mainstream use in many skin care lines.  

An animal study done in 2013, saw improved signs of sun damage (or anti-photoaging activity), and smaller wrinkles in mice that received mango extract in water as opposed to those that received a placebo. 

May Help Prevent Premature Aging:

Mango butter may be preventative for fine lines and other signs of aging. Mango butter has the ability to deeply penetrate the surface of the skin. However, it’s also packed with nutrients, which helps to form barriers to retain moisture. 

Mango butter, when applied or used directly (with a carrier oil) on the skin, may support the improvement of the skins sebum secretion. Consequently, helping the skin feel softer and look less advanced.

Mango’s themselves have a high amount of Vitamin C. Vitamin C is needed for the production of collagen, important for maintaining structure of the largest organ of your body, the skin!

May Support The Strengthening Of Hair:

Mango butter can also be applied to your hair in small doses. It has been known to be directly mixed within essential oils, massaged into the scalp, and then rinsed with a mild shampoo. This helps with issues such as a flaky scalp, or dandruff.

It may even provide an extra moisturizer when blended with carrier oils and left in as a conditioner. Mango butter properties help to lock in moisture and also can add some amount of nourishment to the hair, and scalp. Healthier hair, can lead to less breakage and split-ends.

Final Thoughts!

Mango butter can be a great additive in bath and beauty products or a skin care line. Please share your experiences with mango butter infused products on our blog. 

Do you have a favorite, let the community know about it!

Resources:

• https://bettersheabutter.com/learn-everything-about-mango-butter-mango-butter-benefits-for-skin/
• https://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com/blog/products/all-about-mango-butters.html
• https://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com/blog/products/all-about-mango-butters.html#:~:text=Mango%20Butter%20can%20be%20used,carrier%20oil%20such%20as%20Jojoba.
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4995435/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2792546/
• https://skinkraft.com/blogs/articles/mango-butter-for-skin#:~:text=Mango%20butter%20is%20derived%20from,conditions%20like%20eczema%20and%20psoriasis.
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23458392/
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331936276_Mango_Butter_in_Cosmetic_Formulations