Tucuma butter is a valuable extraction from the seeds of a tree found in the rain forests of Colombia and Brazil. The Astrocaryum tucuma palm tree produces edible fruit, precious leaves, and is cultivated for its wood. The seeds are cold pressed into a rich butter and the results are very similar in composition to murumuru butter, which is in the same family, also derived from Brazil. Murumuru butter, like tucuma, has earned the reputation of providing healing and repairing of the hair and skin.  

Unique features

This exotic emollient is heavily sought out by cosmetic companies for its benefits for not only the hair, but also the scalp and skin. Jacob C. Smith notes that its high content of polyphenols fight free radicals to help retain elasticity. Its fatty acid content increases moisture levels and softness and adds shine to the strands. High amounts of vitamin A also contribute to a healthy, supple, oil-producing scalp for hair growth and length retention. Tucuma butter is an excellent choice for damaged hair in need of restructuring and stabilizing. Let’s see how it performs in some of our favorite hair products.

OBIA Hair Care Twist Whip Butter

Tucuma butter shows up in the ingredient list with other heavy hitters like shea butter and mango butter. Obia Ewah is a trained chemist and has purposed her company to produce pH balanced, non-toxic, herbal-based hair care products for natural hair.

I used tucuma butter because it is high in fatty acids that are great for the hair. This butter provides natural slip and shine for your hair without being greasy.” – Obia Ewah, Founder of Obia Natural Hair Care

 The creamy whipped butter truly goes on light, enhances shine, adds moisture, and soothes effects to your tresses while still delivering the needed support to your daily hair styling routine.

Darcy Botanicals Tucuma Butter Moisture Whip 

The tucuma butter is one of the top five ingredients in this formulation right beside organic jojoba oil and avocado oil. This formula is intended for the maintenance of your hair and skin. The moisturizer can be used beneath or in conjunction with your styling aids and retains moisture. This natural and eco-friendly product with botanical ingredients makes this product good for the skin, even your face!

We chose this ingredient due to its benefits for dry hair. It provides excellent moisture, sheen, and softness.” – Yvonne, Representative of Darcy Botanicals.

This whipped goodness is very creamy and smells of warm aloe. It lives up to its claims of enhancing the quality of moisture in curly hair. 

Original Moxie Hair Bling

Original Moxie infused the tucuma butter in this versatile styler that is made for all textures including kinky hair types. The formula increases moisture and softens and strengthens hair while supporting various styling efforts. Rachel Blistein, founder of Original Moxie, explains why tucuma was chosen in the top five ingredients for this product right after jojoba butter and mango butter: “Tucuma butter possesses an especially rich blend of fatty acids, including lauric, myristic, and oleic, which protects and moisturizes the hair. It also protects the scalp’s natural moisturizing factor (NMF”>, which keeps it supple and healthy. This butter, which imparts superior shine to the hair, is one of the main ingredients that put the “bling” in our Hair Bling High Shine Pomade and makes it a spa-like treatment that can be used on the hair, skin, and nails.” Living up to its claims, the hair bling delivers hold and shine without a stiff or flakey aftermath.

Although tucuma butter can be used on all curl patterns, I understand how its buttery descriptions may intimidate looser-haired curlies and wavies, however, it is truly beneficial to all curl types. Fine hair can use it as a pre-treatment or styler and other hair types can use it for any hair care or styling technique. While strengthening and adding hydration to the exterior layers of the hair shaft as an emollient, tucuma butter performs as promised. All of these products discussed have various functions while also sharing these similarities: strengthening, shine enhancing, and increasing moisture. 

[prodmod]

Will you consider tucuma butter for your fall and winter hair woes?

Janelle Sands

Put me in a box? What size? I am an artist, teacher, writer, lover of women, and image consultant. Hired and trained at 12 years old on hair and beauty, many women have poured their gifts into me and now I choose to do that for other women through the Secret Curl Society.

No comments yet.