Formulating with exotic butters

James J. Ramirez, Larry S. Moroni – BioChemica International, USA

Contrary to what their name might otherwise imply, exotic butters being used in cosmetic formulations are not sourced from milk and contain no dairy by-products. By definition, exotic butters are naturally occurring, plant-derived lipids that are generally solid at room temperature, but melt readily on contact with the skin. The definition has been extended to include man-made butters produced via blending of natural (plant derived) oils with fractionated or hydrogenated oils to simulate the properties of a “butter”.