Stop the press! This is some of the best news we’ve heard in ages – chocolate is actually good for you.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean all the Creme Eggs you can eat! The benefits we’re talking about are enjoyed when you use chocolate as a beauty – rather than a dietary – aid. Sorry!
However, there are so many amazing hair, beauty and health benefits that using chocolate as part of your beauty regime is certainly not to be overlooked.
Chocolate for the Skin
Chocolate – or to be more specific, dark chocolate – is full of potent flavanol antioxidants which defend the skin against free radicals, keeping it soft, supple and juvenile for longer.
Whilst it won’t do your skin any favours if you just add a bar to every meal, there are a whole host of products and treatments which use chocolate to boost your skin. One of the best known cocoa-enhanced products on the market is Palmer’s Cocoa Butter range of skincare and haircare products. For something a little more luxurious, why not try Eminence Organic Skincare’s Chocolate Mousse Hydration Masque. This sweet smelling masque reduces the visible signs of ageing, leaving your skin appearing firmer and more radiant.
Chocolate also makes a proven skin buffer when mixed with caffeine. Try this Grounded Body Scrub which will leave you with soft, smooth and hydrated skin.
Chocolate for the Hair
Dark chocolate is a very popular ingredient within the hair care industry as it helps to boost blood circulation in the scalp, leading to an increased growth of luscious, healthy locks whilst also being very effective in reducing hair loss.
Try this Faith in Nature shampoo which is infused with sage and combines extracts of organic cocoa beans and vanilla for beautifully soft and sweet smelling hair.
Chocolate for your Health
Believe it or not, the amount of sugar in dark chocolate does not affect your body as much as milk chocolate or white chocolate as its glycemic index is quite low, so you are allowed to treat yourself every now and again.
Providing that the cocoa level is 70% or over, it’s also been proven that the antioxidants in dark chocolate reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) levels in the arteries and heart, and has been shown to help in curing anemia.
As well as being rich in minerals such as copper and magnesium which are responsible for maintaining a normal blood pressure it can also work as a mood improver. Dark chocolate increases the production of the endorphins produced by the brain, which in turn helps reduce stress and bad moods.
Eating dark chocolate also satisfies your craving sooner than milk chocolate, so you don’t have to eat as much of it to appease your sweet tooth. A guilt-free way to indulge? Wat more excuse do you need?!