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When it comes to buying body butter (skin moisturiser), consumers often opt for the current top sellers — shea butter and cocoa butter. However, recent trends show a popular new alternative called murumuru butter.
If you haven't heard of it yet, it's time you caught up on the latest beauty trends. Chances are, you'll repeatedly find the name of murumuru butter when you look at the best beauty products' ingredient labels.
What is it?
Murumuru butter is a non-greasy, lightweight, and regenerative fat extracted from the seeds of Astrocaryum Murumuru, a palm tree indigenous to the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. It's gaining popularity in the personal care and cosmetic industry for its moisturising and rejuvenating properties.
Transparency Market Research (TMR), a global market intelligence company, reported that the global murumuru butter market was valued at around USD 1 billion in 2020, and is expected to cross the 3.0 billion mark within the next 10 years. This number alone sums up why beauty experts call it the new trend.
Which brands are using murumuru butter?
In January 2018, Unilever launched the eco-friendly beauty brand ‘Love Beauty and Planet.’ The brand infused murumuru butter in their formulations for hair products like shampoos and conditioners.
Most recently, in June 2021, Tom Ford's renowned ‘Most Wanted’ line introduced a new lip texture called Lip Colour Cream. It was blended with murumuru butter along with other ingredients to offer additional moisture to the lips. Cosmetics brand Lush also adopted the trend. They developed fully vegetarian and handmade facial oils from murumuru butter.
Skin aids of Murumuru butter
Dr Tauhida Rahman Ereen, a dermatologist who specialises in skin rejuvenation and laser skin therapy, has shared some insights on murumuru butter that might attract those who are interested in this unique skincare product.
"Murumuru butter has a rich fatty acid profile consisting of medium- and long-chain fatty acids, such as lauric acid and myristic acid. This high-fat content hydrates your skin by restoring skin's natural moisture barrier that prevents water loss," she says.
Ms Ereen adds that using murumuru butter may improve skin conditions, including eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis. These conditions are linked to lower levels of fatty acids and ceramides in the skin membrane.
"Applying murumuru butter, which is an excellent source of oleic acid and essential fatty acids like omega-6 and omega-3, may help decrease dryness and irritation by sealing in moisture," she explains.
Murumuru butter may help reduce the signs of ageing."The natural butter is chock-full of fat-soluble vitamins and collagen-stimulating antioxidants which keep your skin hydrated, nourished, and youthful," Ms Ereen adds.
The doctor further informs that Murumuru butter doesn't contain chemical irritants known to clog your pores and cause acne breakouts. However, she warns that it can still be too heavy to use on your face if your skin is acne-prone.
And what can murumuru butter do for your hair?
"Murumuru butter has a high lauric acid content that penetrates deeply into each hair strand and follicle — which allows for better moisture retention. On top of this, it helps restore hair health by improving strength, flexibility, and guarding against damage and breakage," adds Ms Ereen.
Applying murumuru butter can also bring out your hair's natural sheen. Since the butter is lightweight, it doesn't even leave behind a greasy residue.
Usage
For skin, you can apply raw, unrefined murumuru butter directly. Use your fingers to scoop a teaspoon or so of the butter from your jar, and then rub it onto your skin until it's completely absorbed. For the best results, apply it immediately after showering and gently patting the skin dry.
Raw murumuru butter can be applied directly to your hair too. If your hair is naturally curly or porous, consider using murumuru butter as a conditioner. Make sure your hair has absorbed most of the butter before rinsing and styling as usual.
You can also use a small amount of murumuru butter as an overnight leave-in hair mask. But if your hair is naturally straight, thin, or fine, consider using murumuru butter only on the ends of your hair.
How does murumuru butter stack up against other moisturisers?
Shea butter has long been the leading ingredient in the body butter market. But pure shea butter is associated with skin breakouts in many consumers. In this case, murumuru butter can be an alternative.
It's less comedogenic compared to not only shea butter but also coconut oil and cocoa butter. This quality allows murumuru butter to adequately hydrate your skin without causing concern for irritation or breakouts. So if you want your skin and hair to be smooth like butter -- the BTS way -- murumuru butter could be your next thing.