It was yesterday I had to ask myself, I've been using cocoa butter cream all this while, my uncle grows cocoa on his farm yet I don't know a thing about how the beans turns into cream.
I asked my uncle and he said he's not into the processing but he knows a thing or two. From what he taught me and the googling I did to verify. I think I get it now.
Cocoa butter for anyone that doesn't know exactly what I'm talking about is a body moisturizer that is made from processed cocoa beans. The harvested cacao pods containing the cocoa beans are processed by fermenting them, drying them and roasting them.
After the beans have been roasted, they are broken open, the shells I mean, from which the cocoa nibs can be extracted.
The cocoa nibs are ground up to produce cocoa liquor that contains both solids and fat which is the butter, the cocoa butter is then pressed out of the cocoa solids. The cocoa butter is a pale colored fat which is what is used as a base when making cocoa butter cream.
To create cocoa butter cream, the cocoa butter must be melted gently producing a creamy texture without destroying any of its nutritional properties. Cocoa butter is mixed with other natural oil ingredients, water and emulsifiers to produce a homogenous product.
Fragrances and essential oils may be incorporated into the formula for an aromatic experience or for added skin care benefits. Once it is combined, the mixture must be whipped to create a smooth and creamy product, then they cool before storing it.
I like cocoa butter because of how good it is at providing moisture retention for my skin. Cocoa butter is particularly effective on very dry, rough or sensitive skin like mine. When you rub some on your skin, it will melt into the skin and is absorbed easily.
I'm thinking of making one on my own now that I've got free access to cocoa thanks to a lovely uncle and the knowledge I'm picking up, but I have to say, I know theory, I'm yet to put to practice.
Maybe in the future I might start my own, besides I've been using it my whole life.
Fresh cocoa, thankfully this is common in Ghana but still not too cheap in Accra
