Cocoa butter is an indispensable part of confectionery – in high-quality chocolate creations it should not be missing, if they are supposed to shine on the surface silk-matt and melt on the tongue. But also in cosmetic products it is increasingly used as a natural and fragrant ingredient, especially in skin care. Cocoa butter is especially valued for its high content of unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which strengthen and moisturize our cells. As a natural remedy it is the optimal care dispenser for dry and stressed skin. In addition, cocoa butter helps the skin in places where the natural tension decreases and it tends to form wrinkles. Another advantage: care products with cocoa butter are inherently particularly stable and long-lasting. Also interesting is another ingredient of cocoa butter, potassium, which regulates the pigmentation of the skin.

But how is cocoa butter actually won? The basis for this is once the cocoa plant (Theobroma cacao), which can be up to 15 meters high, on the plantations but usually trimmed to four feet. It belongs to the genus Sterkuliengewächse and grows exclusively in tropical climates, especially in South America, West Africa and Southeast Asia. The approximately 500 gram fruits of the cocoa plant again contain between 25 and 50 cocoa beans. When the cocoa fruits are ripe, the seeds are removed, ground and then pressed. So you get to the liquid fat – the cocoa butter. Of course, you can also make the popular cocoa powder from the beans – the raw material for chocolate.

Incidentally, the cocoa tree was already cultivated by the Aztecs and Mayas. Cocoa was considered a gift of the gods and served as a means of payment as well as a remedy. From the beans they prepared a spicy drink, the so-called Xocolatl. For this they mixed cocoa with hot water, vanilla and spicy hot peppers. But it did not have much to do with the taste of our hot chocolate today. Of course, the name of the drink is particularly interesting. The aztec word Xocolatl is composed of the words xoco (bitter) and atl (water) and is the linguistic origin of our word chocolate.

The natural power of cocoa beans – and especially cocoa butter – has also been harnessed to produce the Ashéra White Pearl luxury soap. For this we use only high quality cocoa butter from organic farming. The aromatic fat has a soothing effect on irritated, brittle skin, is wonderfully moisturizing and clarifying the skin and creates a wonderfully silky soft skin feeling.