Kokum Butter: Evidence and Safety

Quick safety points

• Kokum butter comes from the seeds of the Indian kokum tree. The sources we read describe it as a food-type fat that is also used in creams, and none reported a case of skin allergy to it. That is an absence of data, not proof it is allergy-free. [1][2][3]
• We found no human trial of kokum butter alone, so we cannot say it treats dry skin, cracked heels, lips, burns or any other problem. Proper evidence not found in the sources we read. [1][8]
• The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) panel concluded in 2017 that 244 plant-derived fatty acid oils were safe as used in cosmetics. We read only the abstract and could not confirm that kokum butter is one of the 244, so we do not quote a CIR verdict for it. [11]
• Allergy to tree nuts, peanuts or seeds, pregnancy, breastfeeding, babies and pets: not described for kokum butter in the sources we read. Do a small patch test first and read check before you use natural oils and butters.
• Do not confuse kokum butter with kokum fruit extracts or garcinol and HCA supplements. The liver caution on the kokum page concerns the fruit rind acid and supplements, not the seed butter. [1]

What kokum butter is

Kokum butter is the fat from the seeds (kernels) of Garcinia indica (Thouars) Choisy, a tree in the mangosteen family that is probably native to the Western Ghats of India. [2] Its other names include goa butter tree and wild mangosteen. [1] The fruit itself is covered on our kokum page, where the dried rind is a sour kitchen ingredient. [1]

Traditionally it is made as a cottage industry. Seeds are crushed and boiled in water, and the fat is skimmed off, shaped into balls and often sold without further cleaning. [2] Seed fats of this kind are also used by food makers in chocolate fats and shortenings. [3]

In plain words, kokum butter is a hard, stearic-rich fat. One review lists its fatty acids as roughly 59% stearic acid (a firm, saturated fat) and 38% oleic acid (the main olive oil fat), with almost no linoleic acid. [9] Another source gives stearic acid 38 to 56% and oleic acid 30 to 53%, so the exact mix varies. [2] Most of the fat is made of one pattern of triglyceride, with two stearic acids and one oleic acid, the same kind of structure that gives cocoa butter its snap. [3][13] It is solid, hard and greyish at room temperature and melts sharply at about 39.5 to 40 °C, a little above skin temperature. [2] Sources we read do not describe how it feels on skin in people.

How it is used

• Skin and lips (creams, balms, lip products): kokum butter is named among the butters and waxes used in cosmetic creams, lotions, balms and lipsticks to soften and thicken them. [6] A traditional use is in creams for cracked lips, hands and ulcers. [2]
• Hair and body care: not documented in the sources we read, beyond being listed as a cosmetic butter. [6]
• Soap and candles: low-grade fat is used for both. [2]
• Food: the fat is used as a confectionery fat, but it sets with a rough surface, so it is often blended with other fats. [2] It is used as a cocoa butter alternative or extender. [2][13] In the European Union, "kokum gurgi" is on the list of vegetable fats that chocolate makers may use besides cocoa butter. [4] Its use in everyday Indian home cooking: not found in the sources we read. For other fats see cocoa butter as food.

Traditional use (not proof)

A review says kokum plant parts are used in traditional medicine for inflammation, dermatitis and diarrhea. [1] A rat study cites Ayurvedic use of the fruit for rashes, burns, scalds and chafed skin. [5] The seed fat is described as an ingredient of creams for cracked lips and hands. [2] These are long-standing uses written in review introductions and plant handbooks, not results of clinical trials. Traditional use does not show that kokum butter heals cracked heels, lips or burns. The sources do not say which burns, how deep, or what other treatment was used, so please see a clinician for any burn that is large, blistered or on the face, hands or genitals.

What research shows

We found no clinical trial in which kokum butter by itself was tested on skin. Proper evidence not found in the sources we read.

The 2008 mango butter paper says in its introduction that fats from shea, sal, mango and kokum kernels are valued for skin care and for resisting oxidation. [12] That is a general statement by its authors, not a result for kokum.

In the lab, a review of many Garcinia seed fats lists tocopherols, phytosterols and other minor substances that may have antioxidant roles. [3] These are ingredient findings, not proof of what a butter does on skin. Studies of kokum's fruit compounds such as garcinol are mostly in cells and animals, and are not about the butter. [1]

Claims checked

Forms, grades and why they matter

• Unrefined or village butter: a cooked-and-skimmed fat often sold without further cleaning, in hard balls or blocks. Colour and smell vary from batch to batch. [2]
• Refined butter: sold by suppliers for a plainer colour and smell; we found no source that compares refined and unrefined kokum butter.
• Food-grade fat for chocolate: a refined or fractionated fat meeting food rules. In the EU, vegetable fats added to chocolate besides cocoa butter must be obtained only by refining and/or fractionation. [4]
• Cosmetic grade and low grade: low-grade fat is used for candles and soap. [2] A soap or candle fat is not meant for food or for lips. See cosmetic grade vs food grade oils and butters.
• Blends and creams: a balm or lip product with kokum butter is a mixture. Results for one blend do not carry to another. [6][7]

Safety and cautions

• Skin allergy and the patch test: we found no reports of allergy to kokum butter in the sources we read. A general review of botanical oils notes that oxidized (spoiled) oils can irritate or sensitize skin and that some food-origin skin products raised concern about sensitizing people to food proteins. [9] A small patch test is still wise with any new product.
• Nut, peanut, seed and sesame allergy: not described for kokum butter in the sources we read. Kokum is not a tree nut or peanut; the seeds come from a fruit in the mangosteen family. Whether people with seed allergies react: not found.
• Swallowing: as a food fat it is used in chocolate fats and shortenings. [3] Cosmetic and low-grade soap or candle fats should not be eaten (see grades above). Garcinia fruit supplements are a different matter; see the kokum page. [1]
• Pregnancy, breastfeeding, babies, children, pets and medicines: not described in the sources we read for kokum butter. Ask a clinician or vet if unsure, and see natural oils and pets.
• Eczema or broken skin: no data for kokum butter in the sources we read.

Quality and storage

We found no test of kokum butter for pesticides, heavy metals or adulteration. One source notes that kokum fat has itself been used to adulterate ghee, so a pure-looking fat is not always what the label says. [2] The sources that mention shea, sal, mango and kokum fats describe them as high in oxidative resistance. [12] That is not a guarantee, so keep it cool and dry, away from sun, in a closed container. The butter melts at about 40 °C, so a very hot room can soften it. [2] No shelf-life testing for kokum butter: not found in the sources we read. See rancidity, shelf life and storage of natural oils.

Related pages

• Kokum (the fruit and rind)
• Shea butter
• Mango butter
• Cocoa butter
• Carrier oils explained
• Check before you use natural oils and butters
• Patch testing natural oils and butters