Introduction:
Who doesn’t love chocolate? Two of its primary ingredients—cocoa and cocoa butter—have remained a delightful treat for thousands of years. From ancient Mesoamerican drinks and rituals to modern day confectionaries and balms, cocoa has remained one of nature’s most versatile (and delicious) ingredients, and while most recognized for its key role in chocolate production for the smooth and silky texture it provides on the tongue, cocoa butter has been widely used in skincare, traditional medicine, and ceremonial practices as well.
A Brief History of Cocoa Butter
The cacao tree was first domesticated around 5,300 years ago by the Mayo-Chinchipe people of modern day Ecuador. From there it spread North to Mesoamerica, where it became deeply woven into the cultures of the Olmec, Mayan, and Aztec peoples. Their knowledge and use of the cocoa bean was passed on through generations of oral story-telling, artwork, and religious tradition.
In Mayan religion, cocoa was believed to have divine origins. The goddess Xmucane is said to have sculpted humans from maize and as a gift of their birth, their god Sovereign Plumed Serpent presented humanity with delicious cocoa. This gift was so highly valued that cocoa was given a god of its own—Ek Chuah. An annual celebration occurred in his honor and involved indulgent offerings of cocoa beans, incense, and the occasional sacrifice of a dog unlucky enough to be born with cocoa-colored coat markings.
Outside of these ceremonies, cocoa was an important part of everyday Mesoamerican life. When the Conquistadors arrived in the 16th century, they observed frothy cacao drinks enjoyed by elites, cocoa beans used as currency in the markets, and local healers prescribing cocoa beans as treatment. Conquistadors brought this plant back to Europe and soon cocoa beans spread across the globe. By the 18th century, cocoa butter pressing got an industrial upgrade, cementing it as a worldwide staple in both the chocolate and skincare industries. Delicious for tastebuds and skin alike!
Centuries later, cocoa butter is still loved for the same reasons. While it dominates worldwide chocolate, wellness, and even pharmaceutical industries for the same superior properties first recognized centuries ago, cacao also remains deeply connected to many indigenous communities throughout Mesoamerica. In the Mexican state of Oaxaca, indigenous women spend hours hand-grinding cocoa beans to make tejate, a frothy ground cocoa beverage. Additionally, in many Mesoamerican indigenous communities, cocoa butter is still used topically to soothe burns, insect bites, and dry skin, preserving generations of traditional knowledge alongside a modern scientific perspective.
The Science Behind the Tradition
Cocoa butter has a simple property that has allowed it to keep its relevance through the test of time: its 93°F melting temperature. This unique feature means that it stays solid at room temperature but melts upon contact with human skin. This is why chocolate dissolves on the tongue and cocoa butter products melt so effortlessly into skin. This quality has even led cocoa butter to be explored as a natural drug delivery system in the pharmaceutical industry.
As luxurious as cocoa butter feels, its popularity goes beyond texture. Many of cocoa butter’s natural compounds complement the skin barrier (sound familiar?). As discussed in our previous blog on goat milk, human skin contains an organic barrier to defend against unwanted pathogens while dually keeping moisture in. Cocoa butter aids our skin barrier in the following ways:
- Anti-aging: it contains a wealth of anti-oxidant compounds such as vitamin E, polyphenols, and caffeine. These anti-oxidants help fight off free-radicals, which cause oxidative damage to the skin in the form of genetic mutations (similar to a sunburn, which is just more acute oxidative stress). This damage can cause premature aging if it builds up.
- Skin Barrier Reinforcement: The lipid (natural fat) content of cocoa butter, including oleic, linoleic, and Palmitic acids, support the natural lipid structure of the skin, and help repair damaged skin barriers. This locks in hydration while keeping out pathogens.
Whether you’re enjoying it in a chocolate bar or applying it to dry skin, cocoa butter’s unique nourishing qualities have helped it remain a beloved ingredient for thousands of years. You can find cocoa butter in many Elmore Mountain Farm’s products, including our Goat’s Milk Soaps, Healing Balm, and Deodorants.
The Cocoa Crisis of 2023
Even a beloved ingredient like cocoa butter isn’t immune to the modern global challenges of a changing world. In 2023 cocoa butter went through a crisis caused by poor growing conditions. Unexpected weather caused by climate change in West Africa—which produces roughly 70% of the world’s cocoa— created dry periods which left the cocoa crops susceptible to two primary diseases: black pod disease and cocoa swollen shoot virus (CSSV). In North West Ghana, where the majority of the country’s cocoa is produced, it was reported that 81% of the 2024 crop was infected with CSSV.
The result was a huge decline in global cocoa production and an unprecedented spike in prices by more than 300% at their peak. Although harvests have begun to recover in 2025 and 2026 and prices have gradually stabilized, cocoa butter remains much more expensive than it was prior to 2023.
For Elmore Mountain Farm, the shortages created a unique challenge. As cocoa butter became increasingly difficult to source, we elected to replace it in our bar soaps (and bar soaps only) with an alternative ingredient—one which would be both similar in properties yet as sustainable as cocoa butter. After thorough research we landed on kokum butter as an alternative and began trial runs. Derived from the seeds of the Garcinia indica tree native to India, kokum butter shares many of cocoa butter’s moisturizing and skin-nourishing properties, making it a great natural alternative. We began incorporating it into some of our products in 2024 and were very happy with the results. As cocoa butter has become more available, it has begun to make its way back into many of our bar soaps again. If you notice a bar with the ingredient description of “cocoa and/or kokum butter,” now you know the story behind it!
By: Ellen Wolstenholme, Elmore Mountain Farm Media Intern