Artiste launches cocoa oil targeting anti-aging category

Cocoa oil has been widely used in the food industry and has been a popular ingredient in hair care products due to its moisturizing properties, but the company is also hoping to widen the scope for the ingredient towards skin care formulators with the launch of this oil.

“When used for cosmetics, it is ideal in applications for skin rejuvenation, hair treatment, anti-bacterial products, soaps, lip gloss, face masks, body care products, etc,”​ said Joe Raimondo, Artiste president and principal in an interview with Cosmetics Design. 

Cocoa oil fragrance hits a sensory note​

Cocoa oil has also been widely used in a long list of cosmetic and personal care products as a fragrance, known for fresh, rich notes that are invariably associated with tropical climates, while also having specific olfactory senses.

“The use of cocoa in cosmetics also initiates an olfactory sensory experience.  In fact, many studies found that cocoa contains fragrance compounds that provide aromatherapy properties and can help relieve stress,”​ said Raimondo.

However, in addition to the sensory and hair care applications, there is a growing body of evidence to support anti-aging claims for skin care products, which is likely to make it even more popular in this category.

Ant-aging properties boost scope for the ingredient​

“Cocoa has long been used topically in skin creams and cosmetics due to its anti-aging capabilities that help improve hydration, decrease skin roughness and scaling, and support in the skin’s defense against UV damage,”​ said Raimondo.

He also points out that it has effective astringent properties, making it ideal for soaps, while also containing proteins and vitamins that make it a restorative ingredient for a variety of hair care products.

Artiste sources its cocoa oil from Indonesian Theobroma caca beans, which are in turn processed according to ISO standards, while also being Halal and Kosher certified. The cocoa oil is extracted using an alcohol and palm oil solvent system that leaves the oil containing traces of palm oil, but no alcohol.