Who doesn’t love chocolates? Resisting chocolates is hard, no doubt! Well, it’s not just the perfect treat to lift your mood, but a great ingredient for the skin too, because your skin loves chocolates as much as your taste buds.
The good news is that chocolate facials suit almost every skin type. Pure dark chocolate and cacao are rich in antioxidants, which help support optimised functions in our skin.
Rich in vitamins A, B1, C, D and E, plus iron and calcium, chocolate can boost your skin’s moisture, protect from sun damage and diminish wrinkles. Dark chocolates are nutritious and have beauty benefits.
As tasty as a chocolate is, of late, this sweet treat is being revered for everything it can do for your skin. Here’s all you need to know about this luxurious facial and its benefits:
In the high-end spas and salons, chocolate facials are premium treatments. It also helps to nourish the skin and make it soft and smooth. Chocolate is said to induce relaxation, which is an advantage in skin treatments.
Chocolates used in home facials comprise a scrub, a cream and a mask. The scrub for exfoliation contains coffee beans along with cocoa powder. These products also contain plant ingredients and oils, like walnut, aloe vera, almond oil, grapefruit, rose etc. The facial softens the skin, calms the senses and imparts a glow.
The anti-oxidant properties of chocolate also help rejuvenate the skin and preserve its youthful properties.
To derive the benefits of chocolate skin care, chocolate face packs can be made at home, using chocolate or cocoa powder along with some kitchen ingredients. Plain chocolate can be powdered and used in the pack.
Now, chocolate waxing has caught on. It is done with a specially formulated wax, which contains cocoa beans or dark chocolate. Research has revealed that dark chocolate benefits the skin due to its cocoa content. It is said to be high in antioxidants, which help to prevent oxidation damage by free radicals. It also boosts the skin’s cell renewal process.
As far as chocolate wax is concerned, it offers all the benefits of applying chocolate to the skin. Cocoa beans are also anti-inflammatory. In this respect, chocolate waxing reduces inflammation, and there is less redness and even pain.
Chocolate has aromatherapy benefits because its delicious aroma is most appealing and helps to induce relaxation. This helps the entire waxing process.
Here are a few chocolate masks which you can mix at home:
Mix three teaspoons of cocoa powder and two teaspoons of oats with egg white and one teaspoon each of honey and curd. Adjust the ingredients so that it is a thick paste, which does not drip. If it is too thin, add more cocoa powder.
To make it thinner, add more curd or milk. For dry skin, add egg yolk instead of egg white. First, cleanse the skin and then apply the mask, avoiding the lips and areas around the eyes. Wash it off after 20-30 minutes with plain water.
For oily skin, mix cocoa powder or chocolate with Fuller’s Earth or “multani mitti”, egg white and rose water. Apply to the face and wash it off when it is dry. Fruit pulp can also be added to this pack. Ripe papaya would be ideal. It contains enzymes and helps remove dead cells. It also helps to remove tan. Mashed banana can also be added to the pack as it helps to tighten the skin.
You can also make a chocolate scrub at home. Mix cocoa powder with coffee powder, ground almond or walnut powder and curd. You can have a luxury treatment at home, using chocolate formulations.
After cleansing, apply your homemade scrub and leave it on for a few minutes. Then, moisten the skin with water and gently rub it in small circular movements. Wash off with water. Exfoliation with scrubs helps remove dead skin cells and brighten the skin.
A nourishing chocolate cream can be used to massage the face with a little cold water, using outward and slightly upward movements. Massage with a cream for normal to dry skin. Wipe off with moist cotton wool.
After the massage, give the skin a cold compress with chilled rose water and cotton wool pads. Then, apply your chocolate face pack, avoiding the lips and areas around the eyes. After 20-30 minutes, moisten with milk and then wash off with water.
Banner image by Samer Daboul: https://www.pexels.com/photo/selective-photo-of-brown-powder-on-stainless-spoon-1212845/
