About a couple years ago I began looking into new moisturizers. As I began to investigate first-rate natural products I came across a Amazonian fruit butter called Cupuacu (pronounced cup-oo-as-soo) Butter. As I began to investigate this super butter, I found that it comes from the seed of a fruit that it has been grown for generations in the Rain forest. Cupuacu has been a staple food of the rain forest inhabitants and is used for medicinal purposes. The fruit looks like a small football shaped melon which can weigh up to 4 pounds, and although its not as well known as the other Amazonian super antioxidant acai, It may well have many of the benefits of its better known friend. Andrew Zimmern of the Travel Channel described cupuacu as "the pharmacy of the Amazon."

But enough about the fruit, what I was interested in was the moisturizing properties of the seeds of the cupuacu, which are similar in size to large grape. After the fruit falls to the ground the seeds are removed and dried with warm air, after they have been dried, the butter is extracted by pressing the seeds in a screw press. Once the butter is pressed it is then decanted (the process of pouring off a liquid leaving the solid butter on the bottom of the container) and filtered. Finally we are left with the butter of the Cupuacu fruit.

Cupuacu butter is very creamy in texture and has a light wonderful smell of chocolate. The butter is a solid, but as it hits the warmth of skin it begins to melt, therefore it is perfect for use inskin creams, balms, and even hair products.

Studies have shown that cupuacu butter is highly beneficial for dry and damaged skin and hair. It has properties that promote long lasting skin hydration. Some studies have compared it to a much more powerful vegan replacement for lanolin, giving skin significantly more ability to easily absorb and retain water. Because of the high levels of phytosterols within cupuacu butter, the skin can more easily retain its elasticity, help in the treatment of eczema and dermatitis, and reduce the appearance and development of wrinkles. Studies have also shown that cupuacu butter offers the skin broad-spectrum protection from both damaging UV-A and UV-B rays.