Chocolate for your skincare regimen

Find out the benefits of this sweet treat, which is rich in antioxidants, are aplenty

Who doesn’t love chocolates? Resisting chocolates is hard! 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 palate.

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, it can boost your skin’s moisture, protect from sun damage and diminish wrinkles.

In the high-end spas and salons, chocolate facials are premium treatments. It helps to nourish the skin and make it soft and smooth. Chocolate is also said to induce relaxation, which is an advantage in skin treatments.

Chocolate range used in home facials comprises scrub, cream and 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.

Chocolate waxing — done with a specially formulated wax, which contains cocoa beans or dark chocolate, is very high in antioxidants and helps prevent oxidation damage, boosts the skin’s cell renewal process and helps to soften and smoothen the skin.

Chocolate waxing reduces inflammation and there is less redness and pain. The effects are also longer-lasting. Its delicious aroma is said to calm the mind and provide a “feel-good” mental state.

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. Here are a few chocolate masks which you can mix at home:

• Mix together three teaspoons cocoa powder and 2 teaspoons oats with egg white and one teaspoon each honey and curd. Make a thick paste. For dry skin, add egg yolk, instead of egg white. First cleanse the skin and then apply the mask, avoiding the lips and area around eyes. Wash it off after 20 to 30 minutes with plain water.
• For an oily skin, mix cocoa powder or chocolate with Fuller’s Earth (multani mitti), egg white and rose water. Apply on the face and wash it off when it is dry. In fact, fruit pulp can also be added to this pack. Ripe papaya would be ideal as it helps 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. After cleansing, apply your homemade scrub. Leave it on for a few minutes. Then, moisten with water and rub gently on the skin with small circular movements. Wash off with water.
• A chocolate nourishing cream can be used to massage the face with a little cold water, using outward and slightly upward movements. Massage with creams suits normal to dry skin. Wipe off with moist cotton wool.
• After the massage, give the skin cold compress with chilled rose water and cotton wool pads. Then, apply your chocolate face pack, avoiding the lips and area around eyes. After 20 to 30 minutes, moisten with milk and then wash off with water.

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