Ucuuba Butter -  (Virola surinamensis, Myristicaceae)

• Extraction Method: cold pressed.

• Part of the plant used: seed.

• Quality: 100 % pure, cold pressed without any chemical treatment, cosmetic quality.

• Country of origin: Brazil.

• Culture: wild harvested.

• Appearance:  very hard butter.

• Color: light brown with golden speckles.

• Smell:  rich, warm beeswax like.

• Touch: very hard, must be mixed with another butter or a carrier oil for application.

• For chemical data and fatty acid composition refer to pictures.

• The second picture is of the present batch we are carrying.

Ucuuba is a tall tree that produces small red fruit. They are collected from the ground, on my last trip to the Amazon I actually helped one of the harvesters (on the 6th picture). The butter is made from the seed, that is very cute and also used for jewelry by the locals.

Ucuuba butter is ultra rich in Lauric, Myristic and Palmitic acid - crucial in healthy cell development, regulation of the immune system and maintenance of healthy skin and hair. Ucuuba butter is also rich in  vitamin A and C, and in unsaturated fatty acids.

Ucuuba Butter is said to have anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties and in Brazil is used for treating acne, eczema and dry or irritated skin. Ucuuba Butter is considered to have anti-aging properties and can be used to replenish tone and moisture to dry and mature skin. 
The fatty acids also make this butter helpful preventing hair damage from free-radicals, helps improving shine and elasticity in hair (leading to less breakage), and help keep hair hydrated longer.

PROPERTIES:

• Ultra rich in Lauric, Myristic and Palmitic acid

• Rich in vitamins A 

• Improves shine and elasticity in hair

APPLICATIONS:

• Aging-well products

• Hair products

• Salves and balms

• Lipsticks and lip balms

IDEAS:

• Unique soaping

• Lip balms

• Healing salves

• Shampoo bars

IN PRACTICE:

• This is a hard butter that needs to be blended with a softer butter or oils to facilitate application.

• Great butter for soap making.

• Can be used as a vegan substitute for beeswax.

ECOLOGY

 Ucuuba is a native tree of the floodplains found throughout the Amazonian region, extending to the states of Maranhão and Pernambuco. The indigenous name of the tree means grease (ucu) and tree (yba). This species prefers flooded regions, and reaches a height of 25 to 35 m. A mature tree can produce between 30 to 50 kg of seeds per year.  The wood is of excellent quality and is used for particleboard and laminated wood. The extraction of trees for these uses is endangering the remaining forest resources.

Locally, the butter is used as an ingredient of candles and to burn for light, which spreads an aromatic odor. In home medicine, it has been successful at treating   rheumatism, arthritis, colic, ulcers, and hemorrhoids. The butter of ucuuba, which is hard and brownish yellow, can be used in combination with other ingredients for the production of candles and plant-based soaps, and is a substitute for paraffin, which is made with petroleum. Soaps and creams made with ucuuba show a proven anti-inflammatory effect, and have healing and anti-septic properties.

Product for cosmetic use only, not suited for human consumption!

This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Warnings: Avoid contact with eyes, do not ingest. In case of eye contact, flush thoroughly with water, call physician if irritation persists. Keep out of reach of children.

My oils and butters are are wild harvested, grown naturally in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest without any pesticides, they are fair traded and sustainable resources.