“You have the softest skin…” He said, his thumb circling the top of my hand.

Ever since I can remember I have been obsessed with the way my skin feels. Perhaps it’s that my mother has always had beautiful skin. Perhaps it’s that I’ve succumbed to the endless marketing about what women should look and feel. Either way, I have spent a great deal of my adulthood on improving the quality of my skin.

During spring break in 2019, my family traveled to some locations in Latin America where I was able to secure pure 100% cocoa butter. I was very excited. I thought that I would be able to use it straight out of the bottle. Wrong.

Cocoa butter is very thick and hard. There is no way that it can be practically used without mixing with some other oil medium. I mixed one part cocoa butter with two parts coconut oil.

The homemade concoction has proven successful. My skin is soft. I use it on those special evenings when I take a bath. It has become a luxurious part of my special self-care routine.