What is it?
The fat obtained from the seeds of Astrocaryum tucuma, one of several South American palms known as tucumã. Published analyses of tucumã kernel fat show it is mostly saturated fat, led by lauric and myristic acids, which makes it similar to babassu oil and murumuru butter and solid or semi-solid at room temperature. In cosmetics it is used as an emollient that softens and conditions the skin.
Key information
- Kernel fat from tucumã-do-Amazonas, a related tucumã palm, is 86 to 98 percent saturated fat, mainly lauric and myristic acids.
- The CIR Expert Panel has not assessed this ingredient itself, but it found murumuru butter, the seed fat of another palm in the same genus, safe as used.
- The EU cosmetic ingredient database lists it as an emollient and skin-conditioning ingredient with no restrictions.
More information
The name tucumã is used for several Astrocaryum palms, and a 2022 review notes that tucumã-do-Amazonas (Astrocaryum aculeatum) is often confused with Astrocaryum vulgare. The ingredient name Astrocaryum Tucuma Seed Butter refers to fat from the seeds of Astrocaryum tucuma. Published composition data are mainly for tucumã-do-Amazonas kernels, which contain 28 to 46 percent fat; cold pressing has been suggested as a practical way to extract it. That fat is 86 to 98 percent saturated, mainly lauric acid (52 to 58 percent) and myristic acid (23 to 27 percent). The kernels are usually discarded as waste after the fruit pulp is used.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel has not published a safety assessment of Astrocaryum Tucuma Seed Butter. In its review of 244 plant-derived fatty acid oils it did assess murumuru butter (Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter), a similar lauric-rich seed fat from another palm in the same genus, and found it safe in the present practices of use and concentration; lipsticks containing 4 percent murumuru butter did not irritate or sensitize skin in repeated patch tests. The EU cosmetic ingredient database lists tucumã seed butter as an emollient and skin-conditioning ingredient with no restrictions.
Evidence specific to tucumã seed butter is limited, so its safety profile rests largely on its similarity to well-studied plant fats. On labels, look for Astrocaryum Tucuma Seed Butter. Products sold as tucumã oil or butter can also be made from the fruit pulp, which gives a different oil that is richer in oleic acid.
Sources: European Commission CosIng: Astrocaryum Tucuma Seed Butter; Molecules (2022): Emerging lipids from Arecaceae palm fruits in Brazil; Cosmetic Ingredient Review: Plant-derived fatty acid oils, final report for Expert Panel review (March 2011)
