Rich Body Butters for your Skin

Meagan O'Connell of Natural Health says "The best decadent pleasures are those that temper guilt with built-in benefits--think massages for stress relief, red wine for heart health, and Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream for ... well, maybe that one's a stretch. However, there is a cream that comes guilt-free--namely, creamy all-natural body butters, which have sinfully rich ingredients working overtime to soothe your skin."

"Shea butter and cocoa butter are known occlusives that hydrate by forming a protective barrier over the skin to prevent moisture loss in dry, winter environments," says Philadelphia dermatologist Susan C. Taylor, M.D. It's also the same for oils and butters extracted from the mango seed. Once these are mixed together with other nourishing ingredients, they become the perfect cold-weather remedy for dry, rough skin.

So, what makes these body butters so hydrating? The secret lies in the emollient seed and nut oils that form the base of each blend. These oils are extracted by first grinding or cold-pressing the seeds or the kernel of the nuts, and then cooking the remaining mixture until the fat and oils are released. (One caution for those with allergies: If eating nuts or mangos is problematic for you, steer clear of skin-care products with high concentrations of their oils.)

So which ones are best?

Cocoa

Grinding the seeds of the obroma cacao plant (more commonly known as cocoa beans) releases cocoa butter. It's a key ingredients in the making of chocolate bars, which could explain the addictive quality of these body balms. Cocoa butter is loaded with antioxidants and countless nutrients such as calcium, potassium, and iron.

Shea Nut

Shea butter is made from the fruit of the shea (karite) tree, which is 100 percent organic; the trees, indigenous to West Central Africa, grow wild without the use of chemical pesticides. Evidence also suggests that shea butter, which contains cinnamic-acid esters, may provide some UVB protection along with its skin-smoothing benefits.

Mango

Known as the "apple of the tropics," the mango is an Asian native that thrives in Southern California. The fruit of the tree, which has a waxy, smooth skin and sweet flavor, contains seeds that are cold-pressed to produce mango butter, which is rich in beta carotene and vitamins A and E.

All of these beneficial butters are included in the Country Girl Gardens BODY ENLIGHTENING BUTTERS which come in several fragrant scents.