Kokum butter

Kokum butter suppliers and sourcing guide

Kokum butter is the fat from the seeds of the kokum fruit, Garcinia indica, a tree of India's western coast. The seeds are dried and the kernels are pressed or solvent-extracted, and the fat is usually refined. It is one of the hardest plant butters, pale and brittle, with stearic and oleic acids as its main fatty acids. Brands buy it for lip balms, lotion bars and other cosmetics, and it is also used in cocoa butter equivalent blends.

See suppliers What to ask for on the COA

Category: Oils and fats
Also known as: Garcinia indica seed butter · Kokum fat · Kokum kernel butter
Facts checked: November 2026

Forms and grades of kokum butter

Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.

Refined
Refined, bleached and deodorized butter, pale and nearly odorless, the usual cosmetic grade.
Unrefined
Crude or lightly filtered butter with more color and odor.
Organic
Butter from certified organic seed.
Flakes or pastilles
Butter supplied in small pieces that are easier to weigh and melt than blocks.

What to check on the COA

Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.

Fatty acid profile: Fatty acids by GC as methyl esters, compared with the expected range for the oil; the main check against blending with cheaper oils.
Free fatty acids and peroxide value: Free fatty acids (or acid value) by titration and peroxide value (for example AOCS Ca 5a-40 and Cd 8b-90); both rise as the oil ages or is handled poorly.
Melting point: Slip melting point, which confirms the hard, high-melting character of kokum butter.
Residual hexane: Hexane by headspace GC for solvent-extracted grades.
Microbiology: Total aerobic count and yeast and mold, often with specified organisms absent, mainly requested for cosmetic and topical use.

Storage, lots and expiry

Storage and shelf life

Store sealed in a cool, dry place away from light; kokum butter is stable and stays solid at room temperature. Shelf life is set by the supplier specification, with free fatty acids and peroxide value retested on aged stock.

Lots and expiry dates

Record grade and extraction method for each lot. Supply follows the seasonal kokum harvest, so color and free fatty acids can vary between crop years.

Regulatory status

Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.

Health Canada's Natural Health Products Ingredients Database lists Garcinia indica seed butter, from the seed of Garcinia indica, as a non-medicinal skin-conditioning (occlusive) ingredient for topical use only.
Source: webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca (opens in a new tab)

This is general information, not regulatory advice. Status differs by country and by how the ingredient is used, so check the rules for your product and market.

Kokum butter suppliers

Manufacturers and distributors whose own websites say they sell it.

We are checking kokum butter suppliers now

Every listing is checked against the supplier’s own website before it goes live, so this list fills in over the coming weeks. The specs and COA checklist above are ready today.

Sell kokum butter? Request a listing

Frequently asked questions

What forms of kokum butter can brands buy?

Common forms include refined, unrefined, organic and flakes or pastilles. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.

What should the COA for kokum butter include?

Expect fatty acid profile, free fatty acids and peroxide value, melting point, residual hexane and microbiology, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.

How should kokum butter be stored?

What is the regulatory status of kokum butter?

Health Canada's Natural Health Products Ingredients Database lists Garcinia indica seed butter, from the seed of Garcinia indica, as a non-medicinal skin-conditioning (occlusive) ingredient for topical use only.

More oils and fats

All 61 oils and fats

Sell ingredients to brands?

Request a free listing for the ingredients you make or distribute. No paid placement.

Request a listing