What’s Murumuru Butter and How Do You Use It?

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]

All about murumuru butter+−
- For skin and hair use
4 key benefits of murumuru butter for hair+−
How to use murumuru butter on your hair+−
- Applying it to wet or damp hair
- Applying it to dry hair

The natural beauty world is associated with a lot of familiar ingredients such as essential oils, aloe, and plant extracts, but is murumuru butter on your radar? Astrocaryum murumuru (its scientific name) is a fat that’s derived from the nuts of the murumuru palm tree, which can be found in and around the Amazon rainforest in Brazil—research suggests that there are more than 2.4 billion trees in the area.

Unlike other nut butters, this one is odorless and is particularly desirable because it doesn’t become rancid easily. These attributes also make murumuru butter a great choice for beauty products.

All about murumuru butter

But murumuru butter is not a newly discovered ingredient. It actually made its first appearance in the United States and Europe during the 1940s and 50s when it was used as a key ingredient in vegetable creams and soaps. Today, you can find murumuru butter in a variety of soaps, skin care (it doesn’t clog pores) and hair care products.

The butter is chock-full of beneficial fatty acids including oleic, myristic (approximately 27%, and lauric approximately 46%) acids. Myristic acid has high antioxidant properties while lauric is touted as a fatty acid that boasts an impressive antibacterial and anti-inflammatory action.

For skin and hair use

Studies show that because of this powerful combination of ingredients, murumuru butter is effective in helping to soften the look of fine lines and wrinkles, cleanse, alleviate temporary redness or discomfort, and protect from environmental stressors. But the benefits don’t just stop for the skin alone.

4 key benefits of murumuru butter for hair

It’s also great when used as a treatment for dry, frizzy, or brittle hair—even an oily scalp because it works to balance and keep pesky dandruff flakes at bay. Let’s talk more about murumuru butter and your tresses.

Deeply nourishes and hydrates

Murumuru butter penetrates deeply into each hair strand and follicle—even more than shea butter—making it an attractive ingredient for those with thick, coarse, and/or curly hair. Even the scalp receives a moisture boost.

Imparts shine sans grease

Many other oils and butters leave behind a heavy, greasy residue, which makes it next to impossible for those with thinner hair to use (read: limp locks.) Murumuru, however, is lightweight and won’t leave a film behind. Instead, you’ll be treated to silky, shiny tresses.

Reconstructs and strengthens

Along with providing an intense moisture boost, murumuru butter actually helps to restore hair health, thus improving strength, flexibility, and guarding against damage such as split ends and breakage.

Softens and smoothes

Extremely emollient, murumuru softens while sealing in moisture, which helps to keep hair healthy, soft, and full of shine despite frequent shampooing and styling.

Our 6 Favorite Ways to Use Coconut Oil for Beauty 1

How to use murumuru butter on your hair

Thanks to the growing popularity of this superhero nut butter, you may be able to find murumuru butter in an array of haircare products on the market, including our beloved Smoothing Hair Serum. The key is getting a natural (and ideally, one using organic ingredients) formula that’s void of chemicals and fillers… Which is exactly what you’ll see in our Smoothing Hair Serum.

Otherwise, what’s the point of using such a wonderful ingredient? Here are a couple of ways to apply murumuru butter, or our Smoothing Hair Serum.

Applying it to wet or damp hair

One option is to simply apply murumuru butter, or a hair product with it as the primary ingredient, to your tresses in lieu of your regular conditioner after shampooing. You only need a small amount (about a half a walnut—a bit more or less depending on the length of your hair) to do the trick. You can have your hair just slightly damp—as opposed to soaking wet—for better absorption. Or if you use a little bit more than usual––you can apply it to soaking wet hair, blend thoroughly around the tips, and then ring all excess water out. This allows a nice textured look as your hair dries. For curly and coarse hair, applying wet is ideal, and using as much or as little as you need depending on the thinness or thickness of your hair.

Applying it to dry hair

We always recommend applying murumuru butter (or our Smoothing Hair Serum) primarily to the ends of your hair and not too close to the roots, especially if used on dry hair. This product is incredibly beneficial for those with extremely damaged, thirsty locks.

For thinner and oily hair, use a small amount to the ends of dry hair to add softness and shine. For thicker and dryer hair, we suggest using a little bit more. For both of these hair types, you can apply after your hair is dried (naturally or blow-dried). If your hair is dry and you would like to smooth away any frizz or flyaways, or simply add softness and shine, apply a small amount to these areas specifically.