I really enjoy discovering new natural butters and oils for my skin and hair. They’re so much better than commercial products filled with chemicals since they’re packed with nutrients that nourish, hydrate, and revitalize. As someone with dry skin who’s keen on reducing wrinkles, I’m a fan of Illipe and Murumuru butters, and now I’ve added Tucuma butter to my list. Tucuma butter helps heal dry skin and hair, minimizes stretch marks, and tackles sun damage. Plus, it’s an excellent emollient and loaded with antioxidants.
Tucuma butter is made from the seeds of the tucuma palm, native to Brazil. Its fruit is packed with antioxidant polyphenols and tons of moisturizing fatty acids. Like Murumuru butter, it’s great for managing dry and frizzy hair.
Tucuma butter is fantastic for skincare and haircare because of its essential fatty acids and antioxidants. You’ll often see Astrocaryum tucuma, its scientific name, on the labels of body butters and hair masks I love. This butter’s benefits come from its rich natural properties, like high levels of vitamins A, C, and E, which give it a natural shine that’s perfect for treating skin issues, coarse hair, and making them look smooth.
Just like cocoa and mango butter, Tucuma has a rich fatty acid content, including linoleic, oleic, stearic, and palmitic acids, making it an amazing emollient. It’s great for hydrating and nourishing the skin, especially if you have dry skin or eczema. The seeds are full of antioxidant polyphenols, which help fight free radicals, making it excellent for dealing with sun damage, fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots.
For hair, one of Tucuma’s major perks is its ability to act like silicone, blocking out humidity and smoothing strands, similar to cupuaçu butter. This is especially appreciated by those with curly hair who want a frizz-free look, even in summer, and by anyone straightening their natural hair.
If you struggle with an itchy, dry scalp, Tucuma butter is a great solution. Its lauric acid offers antimicrobial benefits that can help treat dandruff. Hair growth relies on a healthy scalp, and Tucuma butter helps by hydrating the scalp and hair follicles, promoting growth. This butter’s natural gloss makes it suitable for any hair type, adding shine and taming frizz.
Tucuma butter is also amazing for skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis due to its anti-inflammatory plant esters. Its lauric and myristic acids have antimicrobial properties, helping treat acne and scalp conditions. Packed with vitamins A, C, and E, Tucuma nourishes the skin and hair, improving texture, especially for those with coarse hair or dry skin.
Tucuma butter’s unique fatty acids help regulate sebum production, keeping oily skin—a common cause of acne—under control. With age, our skin loses elasticity, leading to wrinkles and sagging, but the vitamin A in Tucuma boosts elastin production for firmer skin. Its vitamin C aids collagen production, promoting quick healing of scars and wounds and reducing stretch marks over time.
For dry and itchy skin, Tucuma butter is a lifesaver, deeply hydrating and soothing conditions like eczema and psoriasis. As a natural highlighter, it gives the skin a healthy glow by reflecting light with its natural oils. Its stearic acid also strengthens the skin’s protective barrier, maintaining hydration and shielding against environmental damage like pollution and UV rays.
To fully benefit from Tucuma butter, using it raw is best. Purchase pure Tucuma butter online or in health food stores, and apply it as needed to your skin or hair. You can also mix it into homemade cosmetics or hair and skincare products.
If you prefer ready-made products, there are some great options available. For example, a hair mask enriched with Tucuma butter, avocado oil, and shea butter can deeply condition and repair damaged hair. A favorite among many is a hair mask with Tucuma, coconut oil, and cupuaçu butter, highly rated by numerous users for its ability to repair and hydrate hair.
There’s also a serum that uses Tucuma butter’s silicone-like properties to smooth and tame frizzy hair, featuring additional nourishing ingredients like argan and macadamia oils. For skincare, an antioxidant-rich cream with Tucuma can reduce fine lines and wrinkles while protecting against free radical damage.
For skin hydration, a lotion with Tucuma butter and black currant seed oil nourishes and evens out skin tone, reducing stretch marks. Tucuma butter can also provide UV protection, as seen in a sunblock lotion that’s perfect for outdoor activities, offering a light scent and water-resistant properties for up to 80 minutes.
