Mango Butter: 13 Things You Need to Know Before (and after) Buying It

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If you find a day without fresh mango to be a day wasted, you’re missing out if you haven’t looked into using mango butter for your hair and skin. While this nourishing natural product isn’t made from the fruit itself, mango butter is made from the mango seed pod and is an ideal way to add moisture back to your skin.

For those that love relying on natural butters for all their skincare needs, mango butter should be next on your list of body butter ingredients to try. To learn more about this special tropical substance, keep reading.

What is Mango Butter?

As the name implies, mango butter comes from the seeds of the mango tree. Native to South Asia, mango trees are now grown in tropical locations around the world.

While the mango flesh is by far the most popular part of the fruit, the seed itself is full of health benefits. Mango seeds can be powdered, turned into butter and even have their oil extracted, depending on the processing method. When the butter is extracted, it’s heated to almost boiling until it reaches the right consistency and becomes a solid at room temperature, though it will melt on contact with your skin.

When cold-pressed from the seeds into a natural butter, mango makes a butter that is considered very similar to cocoa butter and shea butter because it tends to be moisturizing without being greasy.

10 Best Benefits of Mango Butter

There’s a lot to like about the multiple uses of mango seed butter. Not only used as an ingredient for skin care products, mango butter is also considered a good alternative to dairy-based butter for cooking.

When it comes to pampering your body, mango butter is hard to beat. The butter is filled with oleic acid and stearic acid, two fatty acids that work to keep skin and hair soft and shiny. In the same way, mango butter is high in antioxidants and vitamins, and it has wound healing properties as well.

Some of our favorite benefits of mango seed butter are listed below.

1. Keep Your Skin Plump and Youthful

Combined together, the ingredients in mango seed butter can make a major difference for the health of your skin. Vitamin C will naturally plump up your skin and give it a firmer appearance while reducing the signs of fine lines and wrinkles.

2. Calm Down Insect Bites

Mango butter can help ease discomfort caused by insect bites and poison ivy. Dabbing a little to where you are tender can help calm any itching and let you better recover.

3. Treat Dry Skin

Thanks to its ultra-moisturizing properties, mango butter helps prevent dry, itchy skin, making it perfect after you’ve spent too much time in the sun.

4. Improve Your Complexion

Mix in a little mango butter with your regular moisturizer, and it can make a major difference for clearing up your acne troubles.

5. Reduce Scars

No one likes to have their skin become filled with scars. You can achieve flawless skin again with mango butter. Simply rub some onto your stretch marks or other unsightly marks, and your skin will heal up fast.

6. Moisturizes Hair

Curly-haired people know how hard it is to keep their hair well hydrated, but turning to mango seed butter can give it the moisture it needs to make an effective conditioner to use while showering.

7. Heals Minor Wounds

Mango butter’s powerful moisturizing properties make it ideal for protecting your skin and even healing small cuts. Simply mix some butter with tea tree oil to enjoy an all-natural healing balm that works to renew your skin.

8. Treats Eczema & Psoriasis

Because it is a natural anti-inflammatory, mango butter can help control eczema and psoriasis. Make a soft cream by blending mango butter with coconut oil, and you’ve created a high-quality balm that can be applied directly at the source.

9. Soothes Sunburn

Sun-damaged skin is both unhealthy and painful to live with. To soothe the initial pain of a sunburn, make a cooling cream with 2 tbsp mango butter, 2 tsp aloe vera gel and about three drops peppermint oil. Whip the ingredients together with a hand mixer, and lightly smear on your damaged skin to find relief.

10. Ideal for Soap Making

For those that are addicted to their handmade soap, mango seed butter is an ideal ingredient to use. This butter helps produce hard bars that last through dozens of uses while still providing a rich, conditioning lather.

How to Use Mango Butter

While mango seed butter can be made into dozens of effective recipes, one of the best ways to enjoy its natural benefits is to use it as is. You can scoop small amounts directly from the packages and melt it in your palm before applying it to your skin or hair for its nourishing effects. This melted butter will absorb into your body in seconds, keeping you conditioned and healthy.

To keep your mango butter lasting longer, it’s best to store it in a dark, cool location. Because the butter is naturally hard, it takes a little extra effort to get it rubbed into your skin.

3 Top Recipes for Mango Butter

There’s no limit to the creative ways you can put mango butter to use, but below are some of our favorite recipe ideas for making this natural ingredient work for your complexion, hair and skin.

1. Acne Treatment

Thanks to how easily absorbed it is into your skin, mango butter is a great ingredient for adding moisture without clogging your pores in the process. Make sure you stick to unrefined mango butter for this recipe, otherwise you risk contaminating your face with chemicals that can clog your pores anyways.

To make this skin-clearing remedy, simply combine 2 tbsp mango butter with ½ tsp rosehip oil and ¼ tsp vitamin E oil. You can add 3 drops of lavender essential oil for scent as well. Combine everything together and use it as a spot treatment for your breakouts. For extra benefits, leave it on your face overnight to allow it to work more effectively.

2. Moisturize Your Hair

Overly dry hair can ruin your appearance, but this recipe with mango butter will help you restore its moisture content so that you keep your curls looking gorgeous. Melt ¼ cup mango butter in a double boiler, and add 1 tsp of avocado oil and 2 tsp of aloe vera gel. Pour the mixture in your blender and add about 10 drops of lavender oil. Let it set until everything cools down before blending it until you achieve a creamy texture. Store in a cool dry place and add a dab to your hair when you want a boost of moisture.

3. Mango Whipped Body Butter

Body butters are a great way to let moisture seep into your skin, and they are surprisingly easy to make. (For more information about making and using body butters, check out this recipe).

To make a mango-based butter, combine 1 cup shea butter with ½ cup mango butter and ½ almond oil. Whisk the ingredients together in a double boiler until thoroughly melted, and stir in about 20 drops of your favorite essential oil. Let the mixture chill in the freezer for about 20 minutes before whisking the ingredients together with an electric mixer. To use, simply rub the butter into your skin after a shower or before bed to maintain your skin moisture.

When stored in a cool place like the fridge, this recipe should last for at least six months.

Where to Buy the Best Mango Butter

Finding the right mango-based butter can be tricky. You want to ensure you get your mango butter as pure and unrefined as possible, which means sourcing it from the best supplier that you can.

We’ve done the hard work for you and researched some of the best butter brands around to help you choose these options for your next nourishing skincare project.