If you want to try something a little different in your skin-softening regimen. consider black cocoa butter because it is softer and more readily malleable than the cream-colored type. Black cocoa butter is very easily absorbed by the skin, and a nice addition to soaps, lip balms and body butters. It is useful as a hot oil treatment to condition the hair. I purchase this from Shea Terra Organics, Inc., a supplier that buys oils and butters directly from African cooperatives.
Chocolate
Chocolate itself is a newer arrival onto the skin and hair-care scene. Chocolate is derived from the same parts of the cacao tree, but is processed adding in other ingredients, such as milk, which is also good for the hair and skin. This derivative of the cocoa pod contains flavonoids called catechins—very effective antioxidants. Dark chocolate, which has hardly any sugar, is preferred for health benefits taken internally or applied externally in a spa treatment or hair-care formula. Dark chocolate has 35 percent more of the brown paste of ground cocoa beans than other chocolate so it is a concentrated formula. Lactose acid in milk has been shown to help deter wrinkles as well as smooth and refine skin texture.
For hair, lactose acts as a good humectant that helps curly tops retain moisturizer. The protein in chocolate is boosted by the milk, making it good for “natural” (without chemical relaxers or permanent colorants) hair.
Antioxidant Benefits
Many of you are already familiar with the health benefits of green tea, and you may have noticed that it’s showing up in a growing number of hair and skin-care products. You might not be familiar with the fact that cocoa has more flavanoids, which means you are gaining a huge antioxidant boost from cacao-imbued products. In fact, chocolate may well be the best available source of flavanoid to use as a dietary ingredient, so just think of what that could do for your hair and skin.
What’s So Good In Chocolate?
Nutrients in chocolate include:
- Protein
- Riboflavin
- Vitamin A
- Thiamine
