Americas - Cocoa

According to Aztec legend, the Cocoa tree was given to man by the god Quetzalcoatl, in tribute to a princess who was sacrificed for refusing to betray her husband. From the young woman’s blood, the god created a tree whose fruit, Cocoa pods, contained a wealth of precious seeds, Cocoa Beans—as bitter as pain, as strong as virtue, and as red as blood. To be suitable for consumption, Cocoa Beans must go through a series of processing steps: fermentation, drying, and roasting. They are then de-hulled to extract the kernels from which Cocoa pulp is derived. Both Cocoa butter and Cocoa powder are obtained from this pulp.

In cosmetics, Cocoa butter and Cocoa extract nourish the skin and help protect it from dehydration. Cocoa powder extract has soothing and anti-free radical properties. Clarins Laboratories use organic Cocoa butter.