Mango Butter: Evidence and Safety

Quick safety points

• Mango butter comes from the seed kernel inside the stone, not from the peel or the fruit. Mango peel and sap can cause an itchy skin rash in some people, especially people already sensitized to poison ivy or lacquer plants. We did not find a source that reports this rash from the kernel butter, and we did not find one that rules it out. [12][13][14]
• A safety review of 244 plant-derived oils and fats used in cosmetics concluded they are "safe as used in cosmetics." The abstract we read does not name mango butter, so we cannot confirm what it says about this butter in particular. [2]
• Mango butter is not a medicine. The only human data we found are a very small, uncontrolled cream test from 2008. Proper evidence not found in the sources we read for dry skin, eczema, stretch marks, scars or hair. [9]
• Mango allergy (a food allergy) is a different problem from a skin rash. A review describes allergens in mango flesh and cross-reactions with other foods and pollen. We found no source about the butter and these allergies. If you have a known mango, cashew or pistachio allergy, ask an allergist before using it. [15]
• Do a small patch test first. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, babies, pets and medicines are not described in the sources we read.

What mango butter is

Mango butter is the fat taken from the kernel (the seed) inside the hard stone of the mango fruit, Mangifera indica. The kernel is a by-product of mango processing. The fat is firm at room temperature: in one study the seed fat was solid at 26 to 28 degrees C. [8] It is mostly made of three fatty acids. In that Nigerian sample they were oleic acid (about 36%), palmitic acid (about 29%) and stearic acid (about 25%). [8] Stearic and oleic acids give it a firm but smooth, melt-on-the-skin feel. A review describes a large share of the fat as one specific fat molecule (a "stearic-oleic-stearic" type, 29 to 65% depending on the sample), the same kind that makes cocoa butter snap and melt. [3]

How it is made: the kernels are dried, then the fat is taken out with solvents or other methods, and then often refined. One study found the yield varied by method (about 8 to 20% with solvents, about 2.5 to 3.6% with supercritical carbon dioxide). [6] Another found that long, hot drying of kernels can break the fat down and produce free fatty acids, which is why makers refine and fractionate it. [3]

How it is used

• On skin and lips: in body butters, creams, lip balms and foot creams, where it is valued as a firm, non-greasy-feeling emollient (a softening, moisture-holding ingredient). [9][8]
• In balms and soaps: it is used to make balms firmer. A 2024 lab study found mango butter changed the texture of a beeswax and moringa oil gel and increased how much of a test drug passed through a membrane. [10] Another lab study found mango butter gels behaved much like cocoa butter gels in texture tests. [11] That is lab chemistry, not a skin result. One study notes the oil is poorly suited to soap making because of its low saponification value. [8]
• In food: the food industry uses it as a cocoa butter alternative. See the section below, and the dietary page on cocoa butter.

Traditional use (not proof)

The sources we read do not describe traditional uses of the mango kernel fat on skin or hair, so we describe none. Do not treat modern marketing as tradition or as evidence.

What research shows

Lab and animal findings. The same 2008 paper reports faster wound healing in rats with the mango butter cream. [9] A Nigerian lab study found the cream reduced protein breakdown in a test-tube assay. [8] These results do not show that the butter heals wounds or calms inflammation in people. Large reviews of basic skin emollients focus on other ingredients such as glycerol, petrolatum and urea, so mango butter does not appear in the eczema emollient review we read. [16]

Claims checked

• "Mango butter heals cracked skin, stretch marks or scars." The only human data are the small 2008 case studies above. We found no trial for stretch marks, scars or eczema. Cocoa butter, a similar fat, did not prevent stretch marks in a placebo-controlled trial (see our cocoa butter page), so a similar fat should not be assumed to work.
• "Mango butter is non-comedogenic (will not clog pores)." Comedogenic scoring tables come from old tests and are not reliable predictors for people. We found no trial of mango butter and acne. See comedogenic ratings checked.
• "Safe for people allergic to mango." Not shown. The skin rash from mango is linked to resorcinol compounds in the peel and sap that can cross-react with poison ivy chemicals. [12][14] We found no report about the kernel butter. A caution is sensible, not a proven rule.
• "Natural, so it is safe to eat." Cosmetic and food grade are not the same. See cosmetic vs food grade.

The mango and poison ivy question

Poison ivy, lacquer trees and mango are in the same plant family (Anacardiaceae). Rashes from mango are well documented, but they come from the fruit's skin, sap and stem area. In a small test, two patients with mango dermatitis reacted to resorcinol compounds taken from mango, and one also reacted to urushiol, the poison ivy chemical. [12] Of six lacquer-allergy patients, five reacted to one of the mango compounds. [12] In a group of 17 US camp workers picking mangoes in Israel, all had earlier poison ivy or oak exposure. Co-workers without that exposure did not get a rash. [13] A case report links delayed reactions to earlier urushiol sensitization and names mango peel as the main source. [14]

What this means for the butter: the sources we read are about peel, sap and flesh. They do not say whether refined kernel butter carries enough of these chemicals to cause a rash. If you have ever had a reaction to poison ivy, mango skin or cashew shell oil, a patch test and asking a dermatologist is a reasonable step. This is a caution from related plants, not a documented problem with the butter.

Cocoa butter alternative in food

Mango kernel fat is one of six vegetable fats (with illipe, palm oil, sal, shea and kokum) that European Union chocolate rules allow in chocolate besides cocoa butter, up to 5% of the finished product. [1] Food-science studies have tested larger blends. In one, mango kernel fat replaced 80% of the fat in a dark chocolate preparation; sensory and texture tests were part of that work. [4] In another, replacing 20 to 80 g of cocoa butter per 100 g gave chocolate that was softer and the authors suggested up to 60 g per 100 g could work in hot climates. [5] These are food technology findings. They do not show any health effect. [3]

Forms, grades and why they matter

• Unrefined (raw) mango butter: sold in blocks; may smell slightly nutty or sweet. In studies the quality depends on how the kernels were dried. [3]
• Refined mango butter: cleaned and often deodorized, milder in smell. Refining and splitting the fat into fractions is how the food industry gets a consistent product. [3]
• Cosmetic or food grade: make sure food use is on the label for anything you plan to eat. Cosmetic butters are not made to be eaten.
• Blends: many "mango butters" in body products are blends with other oils and waxes. The label tells you what is inside, not what a study tested. [8]

Safety and cautions

• Skin rash: a patch test is sensible, especially after past poison ivy or mango reactions. We found no reports of rashes from the butter itself in the sources we read. [12][14]
• Food allergy: mango has known food allergens and cross-reactions with other plants. We did not find whether the butter contains them. [15]
• Contamination: in a lab check of kernel oil from four Bangladeshi mango types, aflatoxin and metal levels were below the limits the authors cited. That does not cover every product. [7]
• Swallowing, babies, pregnancy, breastfeeding, pets, medicines: not described for mango butter in the sources we read. We make no claim. See check before you use natural oils and butters.

Quality and storage

Mango kernel fat is described as quite stable to oxidation in lab testing (a measured stability of about 59 to 85 hours at 110 degrees C, depending on the sample). [3] In another study, fat from three mango types was stored at 30 degrees C for up to 60 days, and the measured oxidation markers changed in the fat and the chocolate made from it. [5] The studies do not give a shelf life for a jar at home. As with any natural fat, keep it cool, dark and closed, and stop using it if it smells sharp, paint-like or stale. See rancidity, shelf life and storage.

Related pages

• Shea butter
• Cocoa butter and cocoa butter as food
• Kokum butter
• Carrier oils explained
• Patch testing natural oils and butters
• Check before you use natural oils and butters