Why You Shouldn't Use Cocoa Butter on Scars

When searching for ways to get rid of your scar there’s no doubt that you’ve come across the use of cocoa butter as a scar treatment product. Cocoa butter is touted as a natural way to remove scars, but is this popular treatment really effective? We’ve taken a look at what studies have found about cocoa butter, and while some data suggest this treatment may be able to prevent stretched scars there is a lack of evidence for the use of cocoa butter to reduce scars that have already formed. Read on to learn why you shouldn’t use cocoa butter for scars and what you can use instead!

THE SCIENCE BEHIND COCOA BUTTER

The origin of cocoa dates back to more than 3000 years ago when it was used by the Mayan and Aztec civilizations for nutritional and medicinal purposes. The bioactive constituents of the cocoa plant include numerous antioxidants, flavonoids, polyphenols, vitamins, and minerals. All of these beneficial components are thought to moisturize and protect the skin. For example, the antioxidants present in cocoa butter can intercept and neutralize free radicals. This is important because free radicals are known to damage the skin by mutating DNA and causing premature signs of aging as well as hyperpigmentation.

While it’s clear that the cocoa plant contains a plethora of beneficial components, there’s only one problem: the processing and manufacturing of this plant alters its content. Therefore, it can’t be assumed that all of these beneficial qualities will help the skin after the cocoa plant has been processed into the various topical formulations found on the market, such as lotions, creams, and serums.

COCOA BUTTER CLINICAL STUDIES

It’s believed that the moisturizing and antioxidant benefits of cocoa butter will help you to achieve overall skin health. However, if your goal is to smooth out and reduce the size and visibility of a scar, cocoa butter is not going to be your best option. This has been proven in multiple studies that have evaluated the use of cocoa butter specifically on stretched scars. According to the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, there have been two randomized controlled trials which have investigated the effects of cocoa butter versus a placebo for the prevention of stretch marks. It was theorized that cocoa butter cream could prevent and reduce the appearance of stretch marks by maintaining skin elasticity and increasing hydration of the skin. Unfortunately, both studies found that there were no significant differences between the cocoa butter cream and the placebo.

WHAT TO USE INSTEAD

While cocoa butter certainly isn’t going cause you any harm, we believe you shouldn’t use cocoa butter for scars due to its lack of evidence for reducing their appearance. Rather, we recommend using a product with ingredients that have been clinically proven to reduce, flatten, and fade your scars, such as silicone gel.

Silicone gel has been used for more than 30 years in the management of scars due to its proven safety and efficacy. In fact, there have been over one hundred clinical studies confirming silicone gel’s effectiveness in treating scars. The reason silicone gel works so well at improving the appearance of scars is that it provides the properties necessary for proper healing, such as occlusion and hydration. Applying silicone to your scar, whether in gel or sheet form, will create an ultra-thin barrier over your scar that dries within minutes. This barrier mimics the skin’s occlusive properties, which protects it from environmental damage and also helps to maintain proper hydration in the healing skin.

So now that you’ve learned why you shouldn’t use cocoa butter, you may be wondering where you can find silicone gel products to start using for your scars. Search no further: NewGel+ offers the widest variety of silicone scar treatment products available! Products include sheets, strips, specific shapes, and two tube sizes of topical silicone gel. These products can be used for a variety of scar types, including keloids, burns, hypertrophic scars, and scars from trauma, cosmetic procedures, C-sections, and abdominoplasty.

Shop these NewGel+ silicone scar treatment products now and witness for yourself how silicone can heal and improve the appearance of scars!

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