How This Ingredient Improves Skin Health and 3 Ways to Use it
- One Good Handcrafted
- Nov 1
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 19
With all the products out there it can take a huge chunk of time to sort through ingredients and whether they’re not only good for your skin but won’t make your skin react badly. The ingredient at the top of my list? Mango butter. And not just because when I was younger we used to have mango trees in our backyard and sell them to a local store. Little did I know mangoes didn’t just taste good, they were good for you.
Mango Butter to Improve Skin Health
Native to countries like India, Asia, and Africa mango butter actually comes from fat pressed from the kernel, not the fruit itself. It is a stable fat that increases moisture in the skin without clogging pores.
Mango butter is an excellent emollient; loaded with vitamin E, which helps replenish moisture in the skin and increase blood circulation. When applied directly to the skin (or hair) mango butter is light in texture and not as greasy as coconut oil and it doesn’t have a sticky feeling like castor oil.
Studies have shown that due to mango butter’s ability to penetrate into the deeper layers, it protects and regenerates skin that is dry or cracked and is potentially useful in sun care products by blocking harmful UV rays. Mango butter also contains phytochemicals that speed the wound healing process by increasing collagen, thus, also aiding in aging or damaged skin.
Besides using mango butter in our products, here are a few other ways we like to use it:
You can put it in your hair
Just take about a ½ teaspoon, rub it in your palms and apply it to the ends of your hair. If it’s particularly dry, use any remainder of the oil on your hands and scrunch it through all over your hair and scalp. I can tell you as someone with curly hair, it’s a great way to get some shine and lift without being too greasy or heavy.
Apply it to itchy skin or eczema
Because it’s full of antioxidants and phytochemicals, it is a great option for irritated skin (including bug bites), giving it that deep moisturizing help that it needs. You don’t need a lot; just a pea size swipe across the affected areas.
“mango butter has a high potential to yield excellent emolliency which rebuilds a naturally occlusive, protective skin barrier and actively replenishes moisture for better skin protection thereby leaving the skin silky, smooth and hydrated.” -S. D. Mandawgade and Vandana B. Patravale Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, University Institute of Chemical Technology (UICT), Mumbai
Put it on your hands and face
Run out of moisturizer or face serum? Since it’s non-comedogenic, mango butter won’t clog your pores and, as a lightweight oil, it won’t be too greasy. I have dry skin and it especially shows on the backs of my hands so, oftentimes, I will use mango butter and then apply any excess to my face before adding makeup. However, if you have oily skin, by directly applying mango butter to the face, its benefits may be lost and have the opposite effect, so start slow and use it in moderation.
Conclusion
The many benefits of mango butter make it worth trying. It can improve skin health by speeding up the wound healing process and soothing irritated and inflamed skin. Because it’s not a greasy or thick oil, mango butter can be applied in combination with other oils or alone, improving the look and feel of your skin and hair.
Side note: It may appear and feel grainy. As a natural butter mango butter can have a grainy texture to it. When there is a temperature change the fats will separate but it does not affect the quality of the butter. If the texture is a problem try this:
Place the mango butter in a glass jar (if it isn't already in one). Pour water into a small pot and put it on the stove on low to low-medium. Put the jar of mango butter in the pot of water (making sure it's not too full that the water displaces into the jar) and let it melt. You can do this with a double broiler too; just put the jar in the upper pot. Once the water has reached the simmering point and the oil is melted, remove it from the burner (I like to keep it in the pot to cool slowly-remember the texture is subject to temperature change) and let it cool. This should smooth it right out.
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