Is Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Good for Skin? Safety Guide

Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula products

Palmer’s is one of the oldest skin and hair care brands. Its marvelous Cocoa Butter Formula has a global loyal customer base. This nourishing formula contains cocoa butter and Vitamin E, perfect for healing and softening skin. 

Wondering if Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula is worth the hype? Want to know if it is indeed good and safe for your skin? Read on.

Here for the one-line answer? Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula is good for your skin, no matter your skin tone and type. It’s a brilliant moisturizer, evens out skin tone, and nourishes the skin.

Table of Contents

What are the ingredients in Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula?

Palmer’s famous Cocoa Butter Formula is present in many skin and hair care products, like lip balms, hand and foot creams, body oils, body lotions and shampoos, conditioners, and masks. 

The key ingredients in all of these Palmer’s products are the hydrating cocoa butter and the nourishing vitamin E. 

The solvents in most of these products are water and mineral oil. In some cases, like in the lip balms, the base ingredients also include microcrystalline wax and carnauba wax along with mineral oil. 

Other common ingredients in these products include Glyceryl Stearate, Petrolatum, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, and some fragrances. Palmer’s also has some fragrance-free products which give the same benefits as cocoa butter without the added scent. 

The lip balms contain octyl or Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate and oxybenzone which act as sunscreen, while the body oils contain benzophenone-3 as sunscreen.

Is Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula safe during pregnancy?

Yes. Palmer’s assures its customers that its Cocoa Butter Formula is safe and effective during pregnancy. The nourishing cocoa butter and vitamin E enriched formula helps to reduce the stretch marks while keeping the belly skin soft and toned. 

There are a couple of Palmer’s products with the Cocoa Butter Formula that contain retinoids. Retinoids are a strict no-no for pregnant women as they can lead to birth defects. Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Concentrated Cream, Skin Therapy Oil for Face, Eventone Fade Cream, and Night Renewal Cream contain retinoids.

So, it’s wise to stay away from these Palmer’s products if you are pregnant. 

Is Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula safe for dogs and cats? 

Palmer’s has a range of pet care products including lotions that are completely safe for your dog or cat. The cocoa butter enriched products can be applied to your pet’s dry, chafed skin, or on its dry and damaged paws, or even on its nose to keep it moist.

Is Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula safe for babies?

Not completely. And here is why. Palmer’s also has a lot of baby care products. Although these products are enriched with the nourishing Cocoa Butter Formula, they also contain propylene glycol and fragrances. These ingredients may cause skin irritation. 

You can check if your baby has an allergic reaction to Palmer’s cocoa butter products by first doing a patch test.

Is Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula safe for tattoos?

Yes! Cocoa butter is one of the most widely recommended products for tattoo care. It prevents the tattoo from drying up and cracking. Many tattoo artists vouch for Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula because of its skin moisturizing and nourishing qualities. 

Just make sure that you do not smother your tattoo with a huge amount of Cocoa Butter products, and instead only apply a thin layer. 

Is Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula good for eczema?

Yes, absolutely. The cocoa butter in general is highly recommended for eczema, and so Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula is good and safe for people with eczema. Customers usually find Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula to effectively heal and soften their skin.  

Is Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula good for sunburn?

Cocoa butter is generally not considered a good material to treat sunburn. Cold compress and aloe vera are your best bets. 

However, Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Daily Skin Therapy Lotion is a good option to treat sunburn.

Is Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula good for fair skin? 

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula is good for all types of skin tones; from fair to dark skin. Its cocoa butter acts as a great moisturizer and regenerates and heals the skin very well. 

Does Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula make you darker? 

No, Cocoa butter, in general, can lighten the dark spots on your skin and even out uneven skin tone. It does not make you darker than your original skin tone. So, Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula will also not darken your skin.

Does Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula lighten skin? 

Well, Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula is not exactly a skin-lightening agent. Cocoa butter can only improve uneven skin tone and diminish the appearance of dark blemishes on your skin. It will not visibly lighten your skin like in the case of bleaching. 

Is Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula good for hair?

Yes. Palmer’s has a separate elaborate category of hair care products infused with their fantastic Cocoa Butter Formula. Cocoa butter is very good for hair as it moisturizes the hair, makes the scalp soft and improves hair growth. Vitamin E on the other hand nourishes the scalp and gives the hair a strong base to grow from. 

Biotin is also added to Palmer’s hair care products which strengthen the hair and stimulate hair growth. 

Overall, Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula is pretty good for your hair and scalp. 

Is Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula good for the face?

Yes. Palmer’s has quite a few face care products infused with the Cocoa Butter Formula. Cocoa butter keeps the face skin soft, hydrated and younger-looking. Apart from moisturizing the face, the Cocoa Butter Formula also helps fade away dark spots and offers sun protection. 

Is Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula good for lips? 

Yes absolutely! As mentioned towards the beginning of the article, Palmer’s has a set of ultra-moisturizing lip balms enriched with the Cocoa Butter Formula. The lip balms quickly moisturize and heal dry lips. Applying lip balm regularly also prevents further chapping or cracking of the lips.

Is Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula good for stretch marks? 

Yes. Palmer’s has a category of postpartum care products infused with the Cocoa Butter Formula. These products are also free of mineral oil, parabens, and phthalates.

Palmer’s claims that these products improve the elasticity of the skin, reduce the appearance of stretch marks, and moisturize the belly skin. You cannot however expect complete and total fading of the stretch marks with these products. 

Is Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula good for black skin? 

Yes. As previously mentioned, Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula is suitable for all skin tones and types. Black-skinned people do use these skincare products and the amazing formula has worked wonders on their skin, like for others. 

Is Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula good for sensitive skin? 

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula is not good for those whose skin is sensitive to cocoa butter or any other ingredient present in the products. They might break out if they use Palmer’s cocoa butter products. 

For people with sensitive skin in general, you should first do a patch test and see for yourself if your skin is allergic to cocoa butter. If your skin doesn’t become red and break out, you can safely use Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula containing skincare products. 

Is Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula good for oily skin?

Cocoa butter is not good for oily skin as it can clog the pores. So, it is a good idea to avoid applying Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula products on your face. 

Does Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula have caffeine? 

No. Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula does not have any caffeine in it. 

Does Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula have SPF?

Yes. Some of Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula products contain SPF 15 and they help protect your skin from sun exposure. Other products like the Eventone Cream even contain SPF 50.

Although SPF protects you from sunburn and skin cancer, a frequent application may cause skin irritation and also premature aging. If you are worried about these side effects, you should avoid products like the Eventone cream. 

Does Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula contain sunscreen? 

As already answered, Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula contains SPF 15 or 50 and so has sunscreen. Most of Palmer’s products containing the Cocoa Butter Formula have ingredients like oxybenzone, Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, or benzophenone-3 which act as a sunscreen. 

Does Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula have a fragrance? 

Yes. You will find fragrance (parfum) noted as one of the ingredients in almost all of Palmer’s products containing the Cocoa Butter Formula. SkinSAFE has also reviewed and claimed that Palmer’s products containing the Cocoa Butter Formula have fragrances. 

But there are a couple of products with the Cocoa Butter Formula that are unscented. So, you may choose from this if you want to avoid artificial fragrances. 

Does Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula have parabens?

No! Palmer’s products containing the Cocoa Butter Formula do not have parabens. This has been reviewed and certified by SkinSAFE. 

Does Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula have petroleum? 

Yes. Palmer’s skincare products containing the Cocoa Butter Formula have the by-products of petroleum such as petrolatum and mineral oil. As already mentioned in the ingredients list, mineral oil is the solvent in cocoa butter products. Petrolatum is also added as a moisturizing agent. 

Petrolatum, if properly refined, has no known health concerns. White petrolatum is completely refined and safe to use. But when petrolatum is not fully refined, it can get contaminated with a group of toxic chemicals called Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) which are carcinogenic.

Does Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula have alcohol? 

Yes. Many of Palmer’s products containing the Cocoa Butter Formula have alcohols like Benzyl, Stearyl, Myristyl, Cetyl, and Cetearyl alcohols. These fatty alcohols are emollients that give the skin a nice, soft, plump feel and also give volume to the skincare products. 

Does Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula contain hydroquinone?

No. The generic names of hydroquinone are Eldoquin, Epiquin Micro, Lustra, and Melanex. We did not find these names mentioned in the ingredients list of Palmer’s cocoa butter products. 

Hydroquinone is a substance that lightens dark spots and blemishes on the skin. It is particularly helpful for curing different types of hyperpigmentation. 

Does Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula contain palm oil? 

Yes. One of the most common ingredients in Palmer’s products containing the Cocoa Butter Formula is palm oil. The lip balms, body lotions, and body creams all contain palm oil. 

Palm oil is very nutritious for your skin as it rejuvenates the skin, lightens dark spots, reduces the fine lines and wrinkles, soothes minor burns and rashes, and also protects the skin from the harmful UV radiation of the sun.

But we understand it’s a controversial ingredient that you may want to avoid. 

Does Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula contain nuts? 

No. We did not find any nuts mentioned in the list of ingredients of Palmer’s products infused with the Cocoa Butter Formula. So, if you have a nut allergy, you don’t need to worry about that while using Palmer’s cocoa butter products.

But having said that, we are not absolutely sure if all of Palmer’s products are manufactured in a facility that does not process nuts. So, there is a small chance that your Palmer’s products contain traces of nuts in them.

Does Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula contain lanolin?

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula does not contain lanolin. Although lanolin is generally a safe ingredient, there is a growing incidence of lanolin allergy among people. So if you are one of the affected people, you may rest assured knowing that Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula products do not contain lanolin.

References:

  1. https://www.palmers.com/66-cocoa-butter-formula-products
  2. https://www.skinsafeproducts.com/palmer-s-cocoa-butter-formula-jar
Anand Srinivasan
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