Can you use cocoa butter for tanning? Yes, you can if you’re tanning outdoors, and no if you’re tanning indoors (unless you tan in a stand-up booth). Keeping your skin moisturized with cocoa butter may help you tan deeper and faster.
Does cocoa butter make you darker? Cocoa butter, like any natural oil, may help concentrate the sun’s rays, plus it provides vitamin E, lipids, and polyphenols to keep the skin healthy. But if you want a darker tan, try tanning lotion with cocoa butter instead. It will have other ingredients that stimulate melanin production.
Can you apply raw cocoa butter directly to the skin? Yes, you can rub cocoa butter right onto the skin. It’s solid at room temperature, so you’ll need to warm it in your hands or in the microwave for a few seconds to turn it into oil.
Cocoa Butter Products for Tanning
Wild Foods Cocoa Butter
This raw, unrefined, organic cocoa butter comes in small round wafers which are super convenient to use for tanning. You don’t have to hack chunks off a big block and you get the same amount each time.
We have to warn you that it smells fantastic and it’s edible. You can make smoothies with it, melted in your coffee, and bake with it. So even if you don’t use it all up tanning outdoors it can serve many other purposes. Try making a hair mask, lip balm, scrub, or body butter with it.
The manufacturer sources from small family farms and abides by Fair Trade standards.
Pros:
- Unrefined, organic Fair Trade cocoa butter
- Comes in small round wafers instead of a big block
- Melts in the palm of the hand
- Perfect for conditioning the skin, baking, and coffee
Cons:
- None
Why can’t you use cocoa butter in a tanning bed? Tanning beds have an acrylic surface that is damaged by oil of any kind including cocoa butter, coconut oil, baby oil, etc. If you’ll be tanning indoors, please use tanning lotion formulated for tanning beds. Never fear, there are lotions with cocoa butter to help you develop a gorgeous bronze.
Is cocoa butter good for tanning outdoors? Cocoa butter is not ideal for tanning outdoors because it doesn’t protect against sunburn. Even though it contains vitamin E, which is an antioxidant, it’s not enough to prevent photoaging, either. However, if you use cocoa butter after tanning outdoors, it’s soothing and keeps the skin from getting thirsty.
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Moisturizing Body Oil
If you were searching for Palmer’s cocoa butter tan review, we’d like to recommend this lightweight oil. Even though it contains cocoa butter, it’s a liquid not a solid. That’s because it’s blended with safflower, sesame, and soybean oil for the perfect texture. It absorbs quickly and keeps the skin silky smooth for up to 24 hours.
Moreover, you can use it as bath oil, too. Two capfuls is enough to make your bath fragrant and extra moisturizing. Another trick is to slather it on as soon as you turn off the shower and before you use a towel. Since the oil seals in hydration, it performs best on damp skin.
The formula has a light, sweet fragrance, plus it’s paraben-free. If lotions are failing you, try this oil as it can make rough, dry skin feel smooth and soft.
Pros:
- Blend of cocoa butter, sunflower, soybean, and sesame oil
- Keeps the skin hydrated for up to 24 hours
- Can be used as bath oil
- Paraben-free
Cons:
- Has an artificial fragrance, but it’s not overpowering
Why is indoor tanning lotion better than raw cocoa butter for tanning? Cocoa butter is a fatty oil pressed from the seeds of the cocoa plant – which is why it smells like chocolate. It’s an occlusive that seals in moisture and conditions the skin. When you’re tanning, the UV light is drying to the skin, which is why it’s crucial to use tanning lotion. A specially formulated lotion doesn’t just lock in hydration like cocoa butter does. It also contains humectants to attract moisture, tyrosine to stimulate pigment production, and antioxidants to prevent wrinkles and premature aging.
Brown Sugar BLACK COCOA COLADA Bronzing Rum
Here’s an indoor tanning lotion that get you dark fast. It has both cocoa and coconut butter in a special cocktail safe for indoor tanning beds. Reviewers say it smells so good and prevents that toasty after tanning odor.
The formula features 200X black bronzers to accelerate tanning but it has no DHA. (DHA is what creates a fake tan.) Although it gives you an instant boost, the color you achieve is all your own.
What’s more, the patented Eternal Youth blend tones and firms the skin. And there are parabens or gluten in this cruelty-free lotion to worry about.
Pros:
- Dark bronzing formula without DHA
- Has cocoa butter and coconut to condition and firm the skin
- Pleasant fragrance and no after tanning odor
Cons:
- The list of ingredients is not readily available, so be careful if you have sensitive skin
How to use cocoa butter for tanning? It melts around body temperature, so rubbing a piece of cocoa butter on the skin will turn it into oil so it can be absorbed. What’s nice is that it doesn’t stay greasy because it sinks in. Apply a generous amount over all the exposed skin before laying out. Put on more after swimming and after you’re done tanning. Please remember that cocoa butter provides no sunscreen whatsoever and no protection against sunburn. To avoid problems in the future like skin cancer, it’s smart to use sunscreen with cocoa butter.
Hawaiian Tropic Island Tanning Reef-Friendly Sunscreen with Cocoa Butter, SPF 8
If you love to tan outdoors, try it with a cocoa butter sunscreen. As anyone who wears sun protection knows, no sunscreen is 100% effective because some UV rays will still reach your skin and darken it. The low SPF of this sunscreen filters out 95% of the harmful rays and stays on in the water for up to 80 minutes. Furthermore, it’s reef-safe so it won’t harm corals or wildlife in waterways.
Enjoy the coconut fragrance and silky sheen on your skin while wearing it at the pool, the lake, or the ocean. No matter where you soak up the sun, cocoa butter, aloe, and botanicals take good care of your skin. Reviewers say it rubs and easily and doesn’t feel sticky or greasy.
Pros:
- Pampers the skin with cocoa butter and aloe while filtering out harmful UV
- Ideal for tanning outdoors
- Water-resistant for up to 80 minutes and reef-safe
- Pleasant coconut fragrance and silky feel, not sticky
Cons:
- Not the perfect solution for people who burn easily because of the low SPF
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Ultra Moisturizing Lip Balm SPF 15
Don’t forget the sunscreen lip balm with cocoa butter. It keeps your lips from getting chapped or burned when you tan outdoors. The convenient tube slips in a pocket or your bag so that you never have to leave it behind.
It’s enriched with vitamin E, a potent antioxidant that promotes healing. Therefore, you can benefit from this cocoa butter lip balm year-round as it protects against cold and dry weather, too.
Happily, it’s paraben-free and has a subtle yet luxurious fragrance.
Pros:
- Cocoa butter lip balm with sunscreen for tanning and enjoying the outdoors
- Protects against sunburn and chapping, promotes healing
- Pleasant and subtle fragrance and taste
Cons:
- Not fragrance-free so be careful if you’re allergic to perfumes
What are the benefits of cocoa butter? Pure cocoa butter smells delicious and it’s an excellent conditioner for the skin. It can repair chapped lips, treat eczema, and reduce scars. That’s because it boosts lipid levels to reinforce the skin’s natural barrier against dehydration and infection (1).
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Natural Bronze Body Lotion
Palmer’s makes several different cocoa butter skincare products including body butter, lip balm, body oil, and lotion. We’re fans of the gradual tanning lotion with DHA. With it, you don’t even need to see the sun to get a tan. Within a few hours after you put it on, it starts to bronze your body. Apply it a few days in a row and you’ll go from a sun-kissed glow to a vacation tan.
Unlike self-tanning mousse, you don’t have to worry about going too dark too fast, developing streaks or dark patches, or looking orange. The only thing you have to remember is to wash your hands after putting it on. That’s because it will turn your cuticles and possibly your knuckles darker than the rest of your skin. In fact, any self-tanning product may cause dark patches where the skin is dry and rough. It helps to exfoliate beforehand. But the good thing is that this lotion with cocoa butter and vitamin E moisturizes dry patches so that regular use prevents problems.
Lastly, it’s paraben-free and has an appealing cocoa butter fragrance that helps minimize the self-tanning odor.
Pros:
- Paraben-free bronzing lotion with cocoa butter
- Uses DHA to gradually tan the skin
- Moisturizes and softens to prevent dark patches and streaks
- Soft cocoa butter fragrance
Cons:
- May not get you as dark as sun tanning but definitely provides a healthy glow
TAN-LUXE The Butter – Illuminating Tanning Butter
If you love lush and creamy body butter and you love having a tan, here’s the best of both worlds. Unlike messy self-tanning mousse, this luscious lotion can be your daily moisturizer to maintain a beautiful bronze. The formula features reflective nanoparticles for extra glow, leaving the skin with a slight shimmer.
It has a high concentration of DHA (dihydroxyacetone) that develops color in as little as four hours. All you need to do is stay dry and it does all the hard work for you. (If you swim or shower, you’ll stop the tan from developing).
Besides cocoa butter, the body cream has raspberry seed, sweet almond, and oat kernel oils for smooth and healthy skin. Moreover, it’s paraben-free and has a light green tea scent.
Pros:
- Gradual tanning lotion with DHA and cocoa butter
- Develops color in as little as 4 hours
- Subtle green tea fragrance
- Paraben-free
Cons:
- Cocoa butter is not the base ingredient, but it’s near the top of the list
Who should not use cocoa butter for tanning? If you’re allergic to chocolate or nuts of any kind, please avoid cocoa butter or at least do a patch test first. If you burn easily, we recommend tanning with a cocoa butter sunscreen or using a self-tanning product with cocoa butter instead.
| Cocoa butter products for tanning | Why we love them |
|---|---|
| Wild Foods Cocoa Butter |
|
| Palmer's Cocoa Butter Moisturizing Body Oil |
|
| Brown Sugar BLACK COCOA COLADA Bronzing Rum |
|
| Hawaiian Tropic Island Tanning Reef-Friendly Sunscreen with Cocoa Butter, SPF 8 |
|
| Palmer's Cocoa Butter Ultra Moisturizing Lip Balm SPF 15 |
|
| Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Natural Bronze Body Lotion |
|
| TAN-LUXE The Butter - Illuminating Tanning Butter |
|
Conclusion
We hope this article showed you what you want to know about cocoa butter for tanning. This rich and nourishing natural moisturizer can keep your skin soft and hydrated while you soak up the sun and afterward, too. Don’t hesitate to explore all the best cocoa butter skincare products that can help you achieve a golden tan.
Souce:
1. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/6/8/3202 Scapagnini G, Davinelli S, Di Renzo L, De Lorenzo A, Olarte HH, Micali G, Cicero AF, Gonzalez S. Cocoa Bioactive Compounds: Significance and Potential for the Maintenance of Skin Health. Nutrients. 2014; 6(8):3202-3213. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu6083202