Tree started to have more standing value than felled after discovering the restorative potential of its natural butter.
Ucuuba is an endangered Amazon tree, much sought after by its light and light wood. Whoever knocks it down, however, does not see that its true value is in the seeds. They are the source of a natural butter, which promotes a deep repair in the skin.
The potential of Ucuuba was identified by Natura in 2004, during the mapping of several species for the development of oils and butters from raw materials found in the Amazon. But it was only in April of 2015 that the company launched the Ekos Ucuuba line, after a long process of research.
The great difference of the products is the dry touch that the butter provides, accompanied by a hydration of up to 48 hours, consequence of the high concentration of compounds that promote this prolonged effect. Ucuuba butter still stimulates the production of collagen and elastin.
Stimulating environmental preservation
By transforming the seed into an innovative product, Natura generated income for communities in the Amazon and stimulated environmental preservation. Only in 2016, an area equivalent to 150 football fields was conserved in the region with the use of Ucuuba in the cosmetic industry.
Among the products of the Ucuuba line are soaps that provide up to eight hours of hydration, which, according to researchers involved in its development, represents much more than other products available in the market.
Nature dictates the rules
Cintia Ferrari, scientific manager in the field of ingredient technology and a specialist in oils and fats, explains that a project like this brings with it a series of challenges, one of which is related to the variability of natural raw material characteristics.
"You may be the greatest expert on the subject, but when you go to nature, it is she who dictates the rules. If the weather is dry, change the characteristics, if it rains more, change the characteristics. The work is long because we have to try to get the maximum harvest and variables from these harvests to have a more robust specification, "he says.
Small producers
For this reason, it is essential to guarantee the quality of the seed and for this it is necessary to make small producers, cooperative supply partners, aware of their importance in the production chain.
"We need to show how seed quality impacts the product. There is no bad oil, there is bad seed. We must engage and empower these communities to show the importance of standardizing the quality of the raw material to maintain the quality of the final product, "says Cintia.
All the above products can be found on the Natura Network.
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