kokum butter

i’ve made me a number of scrubs over the past few years, tho nsaa facial scrub may not be the last, it’s definitely my go-to recipe for now. as i was creating nsaa, i wanted a base that’s quite easily absorbed by the skin, very light, and with a relatively non-greasy feel to it. and that’s how i found kokum butter.  

when the kokum tree bears fruits, oil can be extracted from the kernels. this tropical blessing solidifies at room temperature into a hard, and crumbly textured butter. surprisingly, it does melt to the touch, tho not at all uniformly. as it melts, it crumbles into smaller pieces of itself which can make topical use a lil’ inflexible (refer to pics above). so while kokum butter can be applied alone, when blended with/melted into an oil, i realized i can more easily spread its love (if in solid form). the kokum butter i use is unrefined, organic, and cold-pressed.

and this’ what i’m learning so far…

when used on our skin/hair, it enriches ‘em with:

• emollients that soften ‘em by pullin’ in all the moisture flowing around us deep into our pores and cuticles so our skin/hair stay soft, and elastic

• antioxidant and antifungal powers (especially vitamin E, and A) that support our cells to thrive from our not-so-healthy skin/haircare choices, and environmental toxins

• anti-inflammatory goodness that soothe skin with scrapes, burns, or rashes, cracks, acne, and ulcers

• fatty acids that provide for a nourishing atmosphere for new growth (in skin and hair cells)

another wonderful quality of kokum butter is that it almost smells like nothing. as a cosmetic diy enthusiast, you already know i’m enjoying that.

if you’d like to see what it’s like to the touch? watch me experience it here @nannanmeup.

*here are some nannan medicines that include kokum butter: nsaa, aya

may more peace and blessings find you always, and in all ways,

nuru, your reflection