Tucuma Butter

What is it? Tucuma butter is a brittle plant-derived butter.
INCI Astrocaryum Tucuma Seed Butter
Appearance Hard off-white chunks and shards.
Usage rate Up to 100%
Texture Brittle, a bit glossy. Neat application leaves the skin looking a bit glossy and feeling smooth, soft, and a bit silicone-y.
Scent The refined version smells vaguely of fat.
Absorbency Speed Fast to medium
Approximate Melting Point 32°C (90°F)
Solubility Oil
Why do we use it in formulations? When used in higher concentrations (upwards of 50%) tucuma butter offers some firmness to our products. In something like a solid body butter bar it can provide the bulk of the hardening power, and in lower concentrations it can offer some firming to a formula.

It also offers lovely skin feel and emolliency, though this isn’t particularly unique to tucuma butter. I really likely it in body butter bars as the skin feel is great and body butter bars require a brittle butter at high concentrations to hold their shape.
Do you need it? No, but I enjoy it as an alternative to cocoa butter.
Refined or unrefined? I’ve only managed to find refined, and I like it.
Strengths Excellent no-scent brittle butter option. A fantastic option for those with cocoa allergies.
Weaknesses Can be harder to find and more expensive than cocoa butter.
Alternatives & Substitutions You’ll need another brittle butter; deodorized cocoa butter would be your best option, but kokum butter should also work.
How to Work with It Melt it into your heated oil phase; it is too brittle to cold process.
Storage & Shelf Life Stored somewhere cool, dark, and dry, tucuma butter should last at least one to two years.
Tips, Tricks, and Quirks Tucuma butter is rich in Lauric, Myristic and Oleoic fatty acids.
Recommended starter amount 100g (3.3oz)
Where to Buy it  Buy it from an online DIY ingredient supplier or Amazon.

Some Formulations that Use Tucuma Butter

Skills

Posted on

November 25, 2018