butter
Mango Seed Butter
A rich tropical butter with a high stearic and oleic acid content used in premium moisturisers and emollient formulations. Provides conditioning texture in premium clean face creams.
Benefits
- Rich emollient
- Stearic acid contributes barrier-supporting occlusive function
- Antioxidant vitamin E and polyphenols
- Phytosterol anti-inflammatory activity
- Conditions and softens skin without greasiness
Example uses
- Premium face creams
- Nourishing body butters
- Lip treatments
- Protective balms
- Anti-ageing night creams
Mechanism of action
Provides emolliency via passive lipid film deposition. Stearic acid integrates into the stratum corneum intercellular lipid matrix, supporting barrier function. Phytosterols (beta-sitosterol, campesterol) inhibit prostaglandin synthesis, contributing anti-inflammatory activity. Tocopherol content provides in-situ antioxidant protection.
Clinical evidence · Moderate
Emollient mechanism well-characterised. Anti-inflammatory via phytosterols documented in vitro. No dedicated clinical RCTs for mango seed butter.
Effective concentration range
2–15% in emulsions; up to 30% in anhydrous formulas
Formulation notes
Semi-solid at room temperature; melts on skin contact. Requires tocopherol antioxidant for shelf stability. High stearic acid content provides structure in balm formulas.
Watchouts
High stearic + oleic acid content (stearic ~40%, oleic ~40%) — moderate comedogenicity. Not appropriate for acne-prone skin in high concentrations.
Stacks with
Controversies & overclaims
No significant controversy.
Market positioning
Marketed as luxurious tropical butter with barrier benefits. Accurate for emolliency; anti-inflammatory claims at finished formulation concentrations are plausible but not independently verified.
Comedogenicity
3 / 5
Sensitisation risk
Low
INCI & aliases
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
mangifera indica seed butter · mango butter · mango kernel fat
Clean beauty perception
Strongly accepted in clean beauty — tropical botanical, farm-to-face narrative, no safety concerns.
Related ingredients
Graph relationships
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