SUMMER MANGOES & BUTTERY MUSINGS!

What is it with the colour of yellow? It is so closely intertwined with memories – of summer holidays, freedom, friends, festivities, and of course, mangoes. If a single fruit could sum up the warmth of April and May, it would be mango.

And, it is what I am looking at now. Not a slice of mango but a jar of mango butter. Those not familiar with the term, do not smack your lips- it is not for eating. The suffix butter could conjure up a whole lot of images associated with gastronomical pleasure but sorry to disappoint you; this butter is used mainly for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. If you want to savour butter made from mangoes, it must be a food-grade mango butter that is not meant for skincare!

So, what exactly is this mango butter that you can’t spread on a slice of bread or add to your curries? It is a natural fat derived from the seeds of the mango fruit. The creamy texture is exactly like that of butter and is high in antioxidants, vitamins A and E, and essential fatty acids.

What makes it a favourite of beauty enthusiasts, cosmetic brands and beauty experts are the range of benefits including moisturisation and protection from the sun.

Mango butter is known as an excellent moisturiser, helping to soften and nourish dry, chapped skin. It also contains anti-inflammatory compounds that help reduce inflammation in the skin, reducing redness and irritation. Many chose products with mango butter mainly for its anti-ageing properties: The high levels of antioxidants in mango butter help protect the skin from damage caused by free radicals, which can lead to premature ageing.

Since this butter has a natural SPF of 6, it is a good option for adding an extra layer of sun protection to your skin. Moreover, mango butter has been known to have wound-healing properties, helping to soothe and heal minor cuts, scrapes, and burns.

No wonder this versatile ingredient is used in a variety of skincare products like moisturisers, lip balms, sunscreens and night creams.

But the jar in front of me contains something else – body butter! That creamy concoction and its looks! It is the whipped body butter from Soilscents which has the goodness of mango butter and more. It is rich with cocoa butter, shea butter, sunflower oil, geranium flower essential oil and palmarosa oil, to name a few exotic ingredients.

And, what it does to the skin is nothing less than magic. All these ingredients work together to pamper the skin. While mango butter effectively retains moisture and improves the flexibility and elasticity of the skin, cocoa butter forms a protective layer and helps in profuse hydration. Shea butter plays its part well by softening and smoothening the skin and preventing it from drying. So, what does sunflower oil do? Since it is rich in linoleic acid, it helps soften and nourish the skin. And there is more. While the Palmarosa oil adds its regenerative properties, the Geranium oil brings to the butter its much-acclaimed anti-ageing effect. Need anything more?

Use it day or night, but make sure the skin is slightly moist when you apply the butter. And let the butter work its magic!