Kokum Butter Skin Benefits + Kokum Butter Hand and Cuticle Balm Recipe (2025)

Did you know there's a beauty secret from Western India that's been quietly revolutionizing skincare routines worldwide? Meet kokum butter, a luxurious natural ingredient derived from the seeds of the Garcinia Indica fruit that's catching the attention of beauty enthusiasts and DIY skincare aficionados alike.

What sets this creamy white wonder apart is its remarkable ability to melt perfectly at body temperature, delivering a silky-smooth application that puts other natural butters to shame.

What Is Kokum Butter?

This incredible plant butter comes from the seeds of the Garcinia Indica fruit, and it's quickly becoming a favorite among skincare enthusiasts. This remarkable natural plant butter has been treasured in Western India for generations for its therapeutic and moisturizing properties.

DIY beauty enthusiasts absolutely love working with kokum butter. Why? It's solid at room temperature, but the moment it touches your skin, it melts like magic. The melting point is perfectly aligned with our body temperature, typically between 34-38°C (93-100°F), which makes it ideal for skincare applications.

It's incredibly versatile and has a mild scent that plays well with other ingredients in homemade beauty recipes. Whether you're whipping up a moisturizer, crafting a body butter, or creating a nourishing lip balm, kokum butter delivers consistent results every time.

The Benefits of Kokum Butter for Your Skin

Skin Repair: This natural wonder is packed with antioxidants that fight those pesky free radicals and help repair damaged skin cells. If you're dealing with minor skin irritations or scars, kokum butter on your skin has got your back.

Skin Cell Regeneration: Kokum butter promotes skin cell regeneration, helping reduce the appearance of scars, hyperpigmentation, and uneven skin tone.

Moisturizing: Kokum butter is a great emollient that keeps the skin hydrated without leaving a greasy residue. It is particularly beneficial for dry, sensitive, or chapped skin. It sinks right into your skin, providing deep hydration that lasts.

Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory: Kokum butter has antibacterial properties that help cleanse pores of impurities and germs. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce redness, swelling, and irritation.

Gentle and Non-Comedogenic: Kokum butter is ideal for sensitive skin due to its gentle nature and non-comedogenic properties, which prevent it from clogging pores. It repairs skin damage and is easily tolerated by sensitive skin types.

High in Essential Fatty Acids: Kokum butter is rich in essential fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6, which help maintain healthy skin cell membranes and prevent damage. It also contains stearic and oleic acids that help maintain healthy skin cell membranes and create a protective barrier against environmental damage.

Kokum Butter Hand and Cuticle Balm

This kokum butter hand balm is a miracle worker for dry, cracked hands. And it's so simple to make at home!

Ingredients

• ¼ cup kokum butter
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ⅓ cup beeswax
• 20 drops each lime and mandarin essential oils (switch to sweet orange if you plan to spend a lot of time in the sun)
• 2 4-ounce containers or jars with lids

Instructions

Step 1: Combine Butter + Oil

Combine all the ingredients except the essential oils in a small microwave safe dish.

Step 2: Melt Together

See Also

DIY After Sun Lotion

Microwave in 30-second intervals until completely melted (about 2 minutes) and stir well to combine.

Step 3: Add Essential Oils

Let the mixture cool slightly then add the essential oils and stir again.

Step 4: Pour + Let Set

Pour into your containers and let it sit at room temperature until fully hardened.

More Kokum Butter Recipes

1. Whipped Kokum Body Butter

I love whipping up a simple healing body butter with kokum butter and coconut oil, then adding a few drops of tea tree oil for extra oomph. You'll need:

• ½ cup kokum butter
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• a few drops essential oil

Mix kokum butter with coconut oil, melt them together in a double boiler, and add a few drops of your favorite essential oils. Pour in a container of your choice. Pop it in the fridge until it starts to firm up, then whip it into a cloud-like consistency.

2. Kokum Hand Cream

Need a rich hand cream? This blend is amazing for dry, cracked hands and absorbs beautifully. You'll need:

• 3 tablespoon kokum butter
• 2 tablespoon camelina oil
• 1 teaspoon emulsifying wax

Mix kokum butter with camelina oil and emulsifying wax. Heat everything gently until melted, then pour into a clean container.

For a more lotion-like consistency, follow the instructions in this lotion recipe post.

3. Kokum Lip Balm

Take advantage of the benefits of kokum butter in your lip care. My favorite lip balm recipe couldn't be simpler:

• 2 tablespoon kokum butter
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• a few drops vitamin E oil

Melt together kokum butter with coconut oil, then add a few drops of vitamin E oil. Pour the mixture into lip balm tubes, and voilà - you've got yourself an all-natural, super moisturizing lip treatment that'll keep your pout soft and protected.

Where To Find High-Quality Kokum Butter

When shopping for kokum butter, there are a few key things I always look out for.

First, check the color—it should be creamy white to pale yellow.

The texture should be firm at room temperature, and high-quality kokum butter will feel smooth and uniform throughout. If you spot any grainy texture or strong odors, that's usually a red flag.

Pro tip: Skip the unrefined versions for skincare applications. While unrefined oils and butter sometimes get all the hype, refined kokum butter is ideal for beauty recipes.

It's more stable, has a longer shelf life, and blends beautifully with other ingredients without any competing scents. Plus, the refining process doesn't diminish those amazing skin-loving properties we're after!

How To Store Kokum Butter

This amazing natural butter has a pretty impressive shelf life—up to two years when unopened, and you can expect it to stay fresh for about 1 to 1.5 years after cracking open that seal. But here's the thing: proper storage is key to maintaining all those wonderful skin-loving properties.

I always recommend keeping it in an airtight container—this prevents any unwanted moisture or contaminants from sneaking in. Find a cool, dry spot away from direct sunlight to store your butter.

From its perfect melting point to its impressive array of skin-nourishing properties, kokum butter proves that sometimes the best beauty solutions come straight from nature's laboratory.

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