Kokum (Garcinia indica Choisy) is known for its pharmaceutical, nutraceutical uses. Kokum contains three major chemical constituents including garcinol, hydroxycitric acid and anthocyanin pigment. The anthocyanins found in kokum are known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic activity.1

Kokum oil or kokum butter has nutritive, demulcent, smoothening, softening, astringent, and emollient effects. Ointment prepared from kokum butter can be used for local application for treating ulcers, fissures, cracks/cuts, etc. Kokum butter has a soothing effect on burns, chaffed skin and scalds. It exhibits excellent emollient properties and high oxidative stability. Garcinol has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Owing to its emollient property, kokum is used as a natural moisturizer to keep the skin supple and silky smooth and is therefore effective for treatment for severely dry skin.1 Kokum butter is also used to treat wounds and sores associated with inflammation.2 It can reduce degeneration of the skin cells and restore elasticity.3

Kokum butter is a highly effective therapeutic intervention for dry, chapped, sensitive, irritated or burnt skin and is gaining popularity over cocoa butter as an intensive skin moisturizer. It has soothing and healing properties and is applied directly to wounds and infected areas on the skin. It, therefore, has potential efficacy in skin rashes, infections and wound healing.4

Considering its emollient, moisturizing and healing effects on dry, irritated and cracked skin, kokum butter seems to be a promising remedy for dry, sore and cracked nipples.

References

1. Swami SB, Thakor NJ, Patil SC. Kokum (Garcinia Indica) and its Many Functional Components as Related to the Human Health: A Review. Journal of Food Research and Technology2014;2(4):130-42.
2. Nadkarni KM (Ed). Dr. K. M. Nadkarnis Indian Materia Volume 1. 1996; Bombay, India. Available from: https://books.google.co.in/books/about/Indian_materia_medica_Dr_K_M_Nadkarni_s.html?id=RA4Npohz4CEC.
3. Padhye S, Ahmad A, Oswal N, Sarkar FH. Emerging role of Garcinol, the antioxidant chalcone from Garcinia indica Choisy and its synthetic analogs. Journal of Hematology & Oncology 2009;2:38.
4. Braganza M, Shirodkar A, Bhat DJ, Krishnan S (Eds). Western Ghats Kokum Foundation’s Resource Book on Kokum (Garcinia indica Choisy). 2012; Goa, India. Available from: http://ofai.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Resource-book-on-Kokum.pdf.