Using Cocoa Butter for Scars
One of the best kept secrets in the world of home remedies is the use of cocoa butter for scars. Scars can appear anywhere on the human body from a variety of different reasons. Most people would like to reduce or remove the evidence of their scarring for cosmetic reasons. While there are many medical and pharmaceutical treatments for scars, it may be a good idea for you to try using the much cheaper and easier method of applying cocoa butter for scars first.
Cocoa Butter
Named because it often resembles a bar of butter, cocoa butter is extracted from vegetable fat from the cocoa tree bean. It has many uses, including the manufacturing of chocolate. It is also used in a number of ointments and pharmaceuticals including many types of cosmetics. It can be purchased from specialty health food stores or from online catalogs and can be used at home to help rid the body of unsightly scars.
Why is Cocoa Butter Good for Skin?
How does cocoa butter work to get rid of scars? Scar tissue develops when the skin and underlying tissues are damaged due to injury or surgery. This tissue often takes a long time to heal and this healing process can be disrupted by daily living conditions. Scar tissue also has a different appearance from uninjured skin and appears lighter in color and different in texture. Cocoa butter has several properties that reduce the amount of healing disruption the scar will face daily and contains nutrients that can help the texture of scar tissue appear more like normal skin.
Cocoa butter retains moisture within the skin. In order for the body to naturally rebuild skin cells and heal wounds, the skin has have moisture in it. When the skin dries out due to daily occurrences such as sun or cold weather exposure, this can severely inhibit the skins ability to re-grow. Cocoa butter has properties that allow the skin to retain its moisture and therefore can increase the healing process. Over time and with continuous use, cocoa butter can diminish the amount of time the scar takes to heal itself naturally. Cocoa butter forms a layer of moisture and oil in the layers of the skin, which makes it beneficial not only for re-growing tissue but it can also be used to protect all skin from the effects of daily exposures.
Scar tissue also often has a different appearance from the rest of the skin as it heals. This difference in appearance occurs from the hardening of scar tissue. Cocoa butter contains many useful ingredients, such as Vitamin E and emollients, which work to soften the cells of scar tissue skin by breaking down the harder tissues as they form. This can help give the scar tissue a softer look which can resemble the texture and color of normal skin much better. It works to even out the tones and colons of the skin, giving the appearance of a smooth transition from scar tissue to regular skin.
To maximize the benefits of using cocoa butter for scars, try to apply it several times a day, especially if the skin is exposed to harsh environmental conditions. Massage cocoa butter directly into the scar tissue or spread a thin covering over all of your skin to retain moisture and a smooth appearance.
Before resorting to more extreme methods of scar tissue removal, try using cocoa butter as soon as the skin tissue begins to heal. The quicker you begin to add cocoa butter to the healing process, the more beneficial it will be. Developing a routine of using natural cocoa butter will also help you keep your skin healthy and consistent in appearance.