Ingredient

THEOBROMA CACAO SEED EXTRACT

Name of the plant

Chocolate Tree; Cocoa Tree; Cocoa

Used plant parts

Seeds (kernels)

Type of preparation

Extract (solvent extract)

Function(s) of this ingredient in cosmetic products

ANTIOXIDANT

Inhibits reactions promoted by oxygen, thus avoiding oxidation and deterioration of ingredients

Origin

plant

Occurrence in cosmetics

Stick products, eg lipcare sticks, body butter, soap bases, decorative cosmetics

Occurrence in other products

Foodstuffs, eg chocolate

Background information on use in cosmetics

The cocoa tree (theobroma cacao) is part of the genus theobroma in the mallow family (previously genus sterculia). It can only be cultivated under certain climatic conditions and requires good soils, enough water and only bears fruit between 20 degrees north and 20 degrees south of the equator. The countries in which the tree is excellently flourishing are, for instance, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria, Brazil, Cameroon and others. The plant parts of the cocoa tree (theobroma cacao) used are, for instance, the peels, the fruits, the seeds or the leaves. Depending on the plant part or the extraction or processing methods (pressing, alcoholic, oily and aqueous extracts, drying and pulverisation of the peel), the different constituents of the plant are used for different purposes in cosmetics.

Belongs to the following substance groups

Antioxidants

Regulating cosmetics

Cosmetics Ingredients are subject to regulation. Please note, different regulations may apply to cosmetic ingredients outside the EU.

Understanding your cosmetics

How are cosmetics kept safe in Europe?

Strict laws make sure that cosmetics and personal care products sold in the European Union are safe for people to use. Companies, national and European regulatory authorities share the responsibility of keeping cosmetic products safe.

What should I know about endocrine disruptors?

Some ingredients used in cosmetic products have been claimed to be ‘endocrine disruptors’ because they have the potential to mimic some of the properties of our hormones. Just because something has the potential to mimic a hormone does not mean it will disrupt our endocrine system. Many substances, including natural ones, mimic hormones but very few, and these are mostly potent medicines, have ever been shown to cause disruption of the endocrine system. The rigorous product safety assessments by qualified, scientific experts that companies are legally obliged to carry out cover all potential risks, including potential endocrine disruption.

Are cosmetics tested on animals? No!

In the European Union, testing cosmetics on animals has been fully banned since 2013. Over the last 30 years, long before a ban was in place, the cosmetics and personal care industry has invested in research and development to pioneer alternatives to animal testing tools to assess the safety of cosmetics ingredients and products.

What about allergens in cosmetics?

Many substances, natural or man-made, have the potential to cause an allergic reaction. An allergic reaction occurs when a person’s immune system reacts to substances that are harmless to most people. A substance that causes an allergic reaction is called an allergen. Cosmetics and personal care products may contain ingredients that can be allergenic for some people. This does not mean that the product is not safe for others to use.

Database

Cosmetics matter to people and play an important role in our everyday life. On average European consumers use over seven different cosmetics daily. You too? It’s only natural that you want to know more about the ingredients in those products.

In the digital world we live in, there’s a deluge of information on cosmetics. However, it can be difficult to know which sources are reliable. COSMILE Europe is a European cosmetic ingredient database that offers reliable, verified and scientifically supported information on almost 30,000 ingredients used in cosmetics.

This database will help you understand why certain ingredients are in your cosmetic products; which properties they have and much more. The database is currently available in fourteen languages with more to come.

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