Murumuru Butter: Evidence and Safety

Quick safety points

• We found no human trial of murumuru butter on skin, hair or anywhere else in the sources we read. What exists is lab analysis of the fat and tests of drug-carrier particles made from it. [1][2][9]
• The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) panel concluded in 2017 that 244 plant-derived fatty acid oils are safe as used in cosmetics. We could read only the abstract, which does not name murumuru, so we cannot confirm from it that murumuru is one of the 244. [5]
• We found no source on skin allergy to murumuru butter, and none on whether people with coconut or tree-nut allergy react to it. A small study of children found tree-nut sensitization was not linked to coconut sensitization, but it did not test murumuru. [13]
• One lab study of murumuru butter made into tiny carrier particles found those particles were toxic to cultured cells. The authors blamed the soaps (surfactants) and the very small size, not the butter itself. This does not describe plain butter on skin. [9]
• Pregnancy, breastfeeding, babies, pets, medicines and swallowing are not covered in the sources we read. See the safety checklist and do a patch test first.

What murumuru butter is

Murumuru butter is the fat from the seeds (kernels) of the murumuru palm, Astrocaryum murumuru Mart., a palm of the Amazon region. [1][14] It is a seed fat, not a fruit-pulp oil. In one study from the Colombian Amazon, the fat was pressed from seeds with a mechanical expeller press, and it was solid at room temperature. [1] The sources we read do not say how commercial butters are made, so we cannot say how many are cold-pressed, refined or blended.

In plain words, murumuru butter is mostly two saturated fats found in coconut and palm kernel oil. One analysis of a Colombian sample found about 64% lauric acid and about 27% myristic acid, with small amounts of palmitic (about 3%), oleic (about 3%) and linoleic acid (about 1%). [1] Palm seeds in general tend to store medium-chain fats like these. [4] Exact numbers vary by tree, place and batch, and this is one sample. A Brazilian study also found the fat is mostly triglycerides, yellowish in colour and rich in forms of vitamin E called beta- and gamma-tocopherol. [2] How it feels on skin, how fast it absorbs and how it melts were not measured in the sources we read.

How it is used

Cosmetic ingredient databases list it as a skin-conditioning emollient, meaning an ingredient that softens skin. [15] It appears as "Astrocaryum murumuru seed butter" on ingredient lists. One analysis argued its makeup suits cosmetics better than food. [1] A review describes Amazonian oils and butters as used in skin products for softening and moisturizing, without trials on murumuru. [6] Hair-product use is common in marketing, but the sources we read contain no hair study of murumuru. It can be combined with other oils; see carrier oils explained. For fats eaten as food, see Oils & Fats.

Traditional use (not proof)

Proper evidence not found in the sources we read for a specific traditional use of murumuru butter. One paper calls murumuru one of the "traditionally used species" of the Colombian Amazon but does not say what it was used for. [1] A broad review of Amazonian palms says their fruits and oils are of interest for food and cosmetics, but it is not about murumuru in particular. [3] We do not describe traditional uses we cannot source.

What research shows

There is no good evidence on murumuru butter for dry skin, eczema, acne, scars, stretch marks, hair growth or ageing. We found no human study of the butter itself.

Lab findings only:

• Composition: chemical analyses describe the fat (fatty acids, tocopherols, sterols, minerals). [1][2]


• Oxidation: the crude fat contained calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus, which can speed up oxidation, but it also resisted oxidation better than some other oils because it is so saturated. The authors suggested extra refining could improve stability. [2]


• Liver cells: in a study on cultured human liver cells, murumuru fat kept its antioxidant compounds after a lab process that rearranges its fats, and the products changed the cells' own antioxidant enzymes. This does not show anything for skin or people. [8]


• Carrier particles: murumuru butter has been used to build tiny lipid carriers for beta-carotene and vitamin E. About 42% of the beta-carotene was available after simulated digestion, but the particles were toxic to cultured cells. [9]

These are test-tube and chemistry results. They do not show that murumuru butter helps skin or hair.

Claims checked

• "Murumuru is like coconut oil for hair": both are rich in lauric acid. [1] The hair study we read tested coconut oil, not murumuru; it found coconut oil reduced protein loss from hair, and sunflower and mineral oil did not. [12] That result does not carry over to a different fat.
• "Non-comedogenic" or "will clog pores": we found no source that rates murumuru butter either way. Rabbit-ear tests were the source of old "comedogenic" lists, and one human test found finished products made with comedogenic ingredients were not necessarily comedogenic. [10][11] See comedogenic ratings checked.
• "Deeply moisturizing" or "seals in moisture": not tested in people in the sources we read.
• "Safe because CIR approved it": the CIR conclusion we read covers 244 plant oils as used in cosmetics, and we could not confirm murumuru is among them. [5]
• "Sustainable and fair-trade": see quality and sourcing below; we found no sourced data on murumuru harvest.
• "Natural, so it is safe": no. Plant oils can cause skin reactions in some people, and we found no study that tested murumuru butter for it.

Forms, grades and why they matter

Sold as a solid butter or used as an ingredient in skin and hair products; the sources we read do not list product types or grades. Studies describe crude (unrefined) and refined murumuru fat; the authors of one said the crude fat carried more metals and that refining could improve stability. [2] Grade matters: that same work and the Colombian study suggest a cosmetic use is a better fit than food. [1][2] See cosmetic grade vs food grade.

Safety and cautions

• Skin reaction: the sources we read contain no patch-test or case report on murumuru butter. Patch test first.
• Coconut and tree-nut allergy: not studied for murumuru. The small children's study found no link between tree-nut sensitization and coconut sensitization, but it cannot settle the question for one person. [13]
• Acne-prone skin: no source rates it; effects are unknown.
• Swallowing, pregnancy, breastfeeding, babies, pets, medicines: not described in the sources we read.
• Quality: cosmetic products can vary; a study of everyday cosmetics (not murumuru) found microbes and metal traces in many tested products. [16]

Quality and storage

The crude fats in the Brazilian study had a low acid value and little sign of oxidation, which fits a fresh sample. [2] The study did not test shelf life of shop products. The Colombian samples were kept at 4 degrees C away from light and air. [1] That is how the lab stored them, not a rule for home use. General advice is on the storage and rancidity page. If a butter smells sharp, sour or like old paint, do not use it.

Harvest and sustainability: the sources we read do not describe how murumuru seeds are collected or whether harvest is sustainable. One review says many palms are threatened by unrestrained exploitation and need conservation, without naming murumuru. [7] A study of forest-product trade in the Amazon found that processing and company partnerships did not reliably improve community well-being or forest outcomes. [17] Neither is about murumuru butter, so treat sustainability labels as unverified claims.

Related pages

• Carrier oils explained
• Babassu oil
• Cupuacu butter
• Check before you use natural oils and butters
• Patch testing natural oils and butters
• Comedogenic ratings checked