Chocolate cosmetics. "delicious" beauty treatments with chocolate

His positive influence on the body, its excellent antidepressant properties. Due to its main component - cocoa butter - chocolate has become an indispensable product in the human diet.

But very recently chocolate gained popularity not only delicious and useful product, but also as an excellent cosmetic product. Now chocolate is widely used in cosmetology, on its basis they make shampoos and hair masks, masks and scrubs for the face and body, and chocolate massages not only enrich the skin useful substances but will lift your spirits.

Why is chocolate so widely used in cosmetology?

I have already introduced you to its effect on the body, so now more specifically Consider the effects of chocolate specifically on the skin.

As we have already said, chocolate in its composition has a substance that is simply unique in all respects - cocoa butter, thanks to which chocolate has earned such popularity. Cocoa butter is rich in antioxidants that neutralize free radicals, remove toxins from the body, thereby tightening and toning the skin.

Cocoa butter contains fatty acid- stearic, palmitic, oleic and others, which not only contribute to the restoration of the cell membrane, but also contribute to the rapid healing of small wounds and skin defects.

Incoming caffeine and tannin in chocolate stimulate blood circulation, normalize lymph outflow, thereby helping to reduce skin swelling, and provide a light lifting effect. Besides, caffeine activates the process of fat breakdown, helping to get rid of cellulite.

Substances such as theobromine and theophylline found in chocolate contribute to the improvement of biochemical processes in the skin, and accelerate metabolic processes in the body, which, naturally, improves appearance skin.

Chocolate also contains vitamins A, B, D and F that contribute strengthening hair and nails, and help fight cellulite.

It is also worth mentioning that chocolate rich in such trace elements like magnesium, iron, sodium, potassium, calcium and others that improve general well-being, enrich the body and skin with the nutrition it needs.

How is chocolate used in cosmetology?

Have been widely used face masks prepared on the basis chocolate powder, to which fruits, algae, clay, or other substances beneficial to the skin are added. After the first procedure the skin looks tightened, elastic, its fatigue decreases. The skin is moisturized and saturated with useful substances. Such masks help to reduce acne and age spots, smooth mimic wrinkles well.

Body masks based on chocolate contribute to the burning of subcutaneous fat, and thereby cellulite reduction, cell regeneration increases and metabolism accelerates.

By the way, such masks can be made not only in the beauty salon, but also Houses There is also a great opportunity to pamper your skin.

You just need to remember that in cosmetology they use special chocolate without additives, in which cocoa content not less than 50%. At home, you can use tiles bitter chocolate. It should be melted in a water bath, you can add salt, a little olive oil and cool to body temperature. Then apply on cleansed skin thin layer and wash off after 15 minutes.

Lately in beauty salons gaining more and more popularity chocolate wrap in which the entire body is covered chocolate mask and a thin film, in order to raise the temperature and prevent the chocolate from drying out quickly. With this procedure, in 30 minutes you will have beautiful skin without edema, toned and elastic, besides with a golden hue, as if after a light solarium.

“Two minutes on the tongue, two hours in the stomach and a lifetime on the waist” - these contemptuous words intended for sweets no longer apply to chocolate. Chocolate has been honorably rehabilitated by nutritionists and is considered a valuable source of antioxidants, essential amino acids and, most importantly, healthy way life - Have a good mood. But today chocolate has found another purpose for itself - beauties now use it in cosmetic purposes. Earlier, MirSovet.ru told readers about. Today, the object of our attention is chocolate.

How chocolate is used in cosmetology

Alas, chocolate diet with all its advantages refers only to natural dark chocolate, made without the addition of milk fat, sweetened only to a minimum degree and eaten strictly moderate amount. However, chocolate can be used in cosmetics without any dietary restrictions.

Useful properties of chocolate

Dark chocolate in Lately has become one of the most fashionable cosmetic ingredients. In fact: cocoa mass contains a unique set of antioxidants that are even more effective than antioxidants. Valuable oil cocoa nourishes, softens and moisturizes the skin no worse than exotic oil shea tree. We should not forget about the invigorating "chocolate" alkaloids, mainly theobromine, which penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin and improve blood circulation in small vessels.

The beneficial effects of chocolate on the skin

In cosmetology, dark chocolate serves several purposes at once. First of all, due to the content of cocoa butter, cosmetics based on it quickly and effectively moisturize the skin. Secondly, the antioxidants of dark chocolate help smooth out small mimic wrinkles and prevent the appearance of new ones, as well as increase skin resistance to solar ultraviolet radiation. Thirdly, amino acids and vegetable oils chocolate nourish the skin "outside", and alkaloids promote better blood circulation and rejuvenation "from the inside". All this makes chocolate extremely useful in summer. cosmetics<: на открытом воздухе, особенно на юге, кожа чаще подвергается воздействию стрессовых факторов внешней среды. Однако шоколадное обертывание и другие спа-процедуры могут быть полезны круглый год, особенно для зрелой и увядающей кожи.

How to choose chocolate for beauty treatments

When choosing chocolate for home cosmetic procedures, you need to carefully read the labels. At a young age, when the skin needs light care, it is permissible to choose chocolate with a cocoa content of 35-40%, giving preference to varieties with natural cocoa butter. In some cosmetic stores, you can buy pure cocoa butter, which can be added to your favorite face cream, homemade mask, used in its pure form to treat reddened and flaky skin.

For mature skin, the content of antioxidants is much more important, so it is better to choose chocolate with 50-80% cocoa content. It is important that such chocolate does not contain milk fats, which greatly reduce the antioxidant properties of cocoa. Organic chocolate brands are best suited for mature skin: they usually contain a lot of natural cocoa, very little sugar, and are made using traditional cocoa butter technology. With dark chocolate, you should be careful with very sensitive skin prone to the appearance of vascular "asterisks", in this case it is better to test the cosmetic product first on the inner bend of the elbow.

Recipes for chocolate face masks

To prepare a homemade nourishing and moisturizing mask, chocolate must be dissolved in a water bath and give it a more plastic texture. This can be done by adding to 100 gr. chocolate olive, peach or almond oil (1-3 tablespoons, depending on the type of chocolate), liquid honey (up to 2 tablespoons), for normal and oily skin - orange juice or aloe juice (2 tablespoons . per 100 gr.). To get a scrub mask, you can mix 2 tbsp into the chocolate-honey mixture. finely ground oatmeal, then heat the mixture again in a water bath for 5 minutes.

In a nourishing mask for mature skin, it is better to add pharmacy vitamin E and a little more cosmetic oil, peach or almond (up to 4 tablespoons per 100 g of chocolate).

Homemade chocolate masks can also be made using cocoa powder. For such a mask, 2 tbsp. cocoa powder must be thoroughly mixed with 1 tbsp. cosmetic vegetable oil and warm in a water bath, this must be done because many beneficial substances of cocoa do not dissolve in water. Later, “water” components can be added to this mixture: citrus juice, aloe, honey.

Chocolate wrap at home

Quite often, chocolate is used as an effective remedy for. Chocolate wrapping at home is best done on the basis of cocoa powder using the same technology: heat cocoa with cosmetic oil and add the rest of the components. Spread the chocolate mass over the body area, wrap with cling film and relax in warmth for 30 minutes, then remove the rest of the mask with a napkin and take a shower. Such a mask is good for those parts of the body that are open in summer and therefore need more intensive care: arms, legs,.

It is better to store the chocolate mask in the refrigerator, and warm it up in a water bath before use to get a pleasantly warm mass of plastic texture.

Ryabova Elena Borisovna

the article was prepared specifically for MirSovet.ru -

Chocolate is a universal product. Due to its unique composition, it has a comprehensive positive effect on a person both from the inside and outside. What are the properties of chocolate cosmetics and what can be expected after its regular use?

At the mention of cosmetics with a chocolate base, associations immediately arise with the usual delicacy in the form of a dark bar. However, cosmetic chocolate has nothing to do with traditional sweets. The cosmetic chocolate product is created exclusively on the basis of the fruits of the cocoa tree.

What is the secret of chocolate-based cosmetics?

Main active ingredients

The secret of the beneficial effect of cocoa cosmetics on our body lies in the unique components that make up cocoa beans.

• Cocoa butter, very viscous in its structure, is rich in vitamin F and various fatty acids (linoleic, stearic, palmitic and oleic). It has a pronounced rejuvenating and moisturizing effect.
• Polyphenols, which are considered the strongest natural antioxidants.
• Caffeine is a naturally occurring energy drink. It has a stimulating effect on the upper layers of the skin, accelerating the metabolic processes in it.
• Alkaloids of natural origin - theophylline and theobromine - have a clear lifting effect, giving the skin a fresh look and making it elastic.
• A set of important trace elements - iron, magnesium, copper enhance the effect of caffeine and cocoa butter.

Expected effect from the use of chocolate-based cosmetics

Cosmetics manufacturers produce products with chocolate for a variety of applications - for the face and body, hair and nails. Whole chocolate complexes are aimed at toning and protecting the skin, tightening and activating metabolism at the cellular level.

Hair after chocolate shampoos, which strengthen the structure of the hair, acquire a healthy shine. But it is important to know that chocolate-based cosmetics do not have to have a chocolate color. Cocoa butter, caffeine and beneficial trace elements are colorless. Therefore, a rich chocolate shade should cause caution when buying such cosmetics.

Only scrubs with the addition of ground coffee as an exfoliating agent can have a justified pronounced chocolate tint. In other cases, the dark color of cosmetics indicates the presence of dyes in it.

Homemade chocolate cosmetics

Do not consider it necessary to spend money on finished products? You can create your own chocolate homemade cosmetics. Few can doubt its naturalness. Only it should be prepared immediately before use and used immediately and without residue. Due to the lack of preservatives in it, home cosmetics cannot be stored for a long time and is a perishable product.

chocolate bath recipe

Pure cocoa powder - without sugar and other additives - in the amount of 100-200 grams is diluted with a liter of hot, but not boiling water. It cools to the temperature of the human body and pours into a filled bath. Fifteen to twenty minutes - and you are again refreshed and rejuvenated.

How to organize a chocolate wrap yourself?

An effective remedy against excess fat and "orange peel" - chocolate wrap. Cocoa powder, as in the first recipe, is diluted with hot water. Only the proportions are slightly different, so that the consistency is more viscous - 100-200 g per 0.5 l. The resulting composition is applied to problem areas and wrapped for half an hour with cling film. At the end of the procedure, the chocolate mass is washed off under the shower.

Ways to use pure cocoa butter

By diluting cocoa butter with other equally healthy oils (jojoba or wheat germ oil), you get an excellent massage tool, for example, anti-cellulite.

In small quantities, cocoa butter can be added to the usual day cream, enhancing its effectiveness. For dry and brittle hair, a mask containing two tablespoons of cocoa butter and one tablespoon of cognac will come in handy.

Whatever chocolate cosmetics you choose - ready-made or homemade, whatever goals you pursue, in addition to the expected effect, you are always guaranteed a great mood.

Chocolate has long ceased to be just a tasty and healthy delicacy, it has long been effectively used for cosmetic purposes as chocolate cosmetics. It contains substances that provide a complex cosmetic effect.

There are several types of chocolate-based cosmetics: masks, body wraps, baths. Chocolate cosmetics is made from cocoa beans, contains a large number of vitamins and other nutrients that nourish the skin. It is important to remember that chocolate cosmetics are not suitable for eating, they contain too much cocoa, and other cosmetic substances are often added to them. Chocolate wraps are used both to combat the manifestations of cellulite and to prevent its appearance.

Useful ingredients of chocolate cosmetics

Caffeine, which is part of chocolate cosmetics, improves blood circulation and lymph outflow, relieves and prevents swelling. Caffeine also promotes the active breakdown of fats and the removal of excess fluid from the body. Thanks to this, chocolate cosmetics are used to combat cellulite. Chocolate wrap also perfectly relieves stress and gives a good mood.

The aroma and color of chocolate comes from cocoa butter. It contains a large amount of vitamin F, stearic, oleic, palmitic, linolenic acids. These substances restore the skin and moisturize it. The polyphenols contained in cocoa butter are antioxidants, thanks to which chocolate cosmetics prevent the appearance of wrinkles and fight stress.

Theophylline and theobromine activate biochemical reactions in the skin, improving its elasticity and tightening it. In addition, chocolate contains a large number of trace elements that are important for the health of the skin and the body as a whole:

• Iron
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Sodium
• Calcium

Due to the large amount of nutrients, chocolate is an indispensable cosmetic product. The effect of its use is noticeable after the first procedure: wrinkles are smoothed out. Edema is reduced. It acts not only on individual parts of the body, but also on the whole organism as a whole.

Application of chocolate cosmetics

Chocolate removes toxins from the body, gives the skin elasticity. Using chocolate cosmetics, the procedure can be carried out without leaving home. One of the most popular procedures is the chocolate body wrap. This is not only a great way to deal with excesses, but also a good way to relax.

Before wrapping it is necessary to clean the skin. To do this, you can use a chocolate scrub. Exfoliating the skin is essential to open up the pores. Cleansed skin absorbs beneficial substances from the wrap much more efficiently. The chocolate composition is applied completely to the body or to problem areas. After that, it is recommended to wrap yourself in a special film, you can use cling film. After 30-40 minutes, the wrapping can be washed off. After that, it is recommended to massage with cocoa butter or anti-cellulite cream to enhance the effect of the procedure.

As a result of the procedure, the skin acquires a golden hue, smoothness and elasticity. For a full effect, it is necessary to conduct a course of several wraps, two to three times a week.

Chocolate scrubs not only effectively cleanse the skin and give it a delicate aroma, but also actively fight subcutaneous fat deposits, which in turn helps in the fight against cellulite. Chocolate cosmetics is considered one of the most effective natural remedies in the fight against cellulite. Chocolate face masks promote skin rejuvenation, give it a healthy look, and improve blood flow. By itself, chocolate, having a pleasant aroma, helps to improve mood.

Chocolate can now not only bring excess weight, but also remove it. One of the most luxurious beauty treatments is becoming more and more popular and widely used. Now you can use chocolate cosmetics not only in salons, but also at home. This procedure differs primarily in that it has a complex effect on the entire body as a whole.

Chocolate cosmetics attracts modern fashionistas not only with their unique effect, but also with a pleasant seductive aroma that involuntarily cheers up and sets you up for relaxation. You can only dream of such cosmetics, and it is not at all necessary to buy it in expensive boutiques or salons - you are quite capable of creating and using it yourself at home.

The benefits of chocolate for the skin

Natural chocolate is a source of a huge number of useful substances: vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. All of them, to one degree or another, affect the condition of the skin, having the following effect:

• skin toning and nutrition;
• smoothing wrinkles due to the activation of collagen production, increasing skin elasticity;
• strengthening problem areas (buttocks, inner side of the arms, abdomen, chest, hips);
• reduction of body fat due to the activation and normalization of metabolic processes inside the skin;
• increased blood circulation and blood saturation with useful substances;
• removal of toxins from the skin layers, activation of lymph movement - elimination of excess fluid from the body;
• fight against problematic manifestations in the form of acne, inflammation and age spots;
• tightening effect for mature and aged skin;
• anti-cellulite action, especially in combination with massage;
• giving a light tanned skin tone;
• strengthening and strengthening of an existing tan;
• strengthening the protective functions of the skin and the fight against free radicals before and during tanning in the open sun and solariums;
• softening of the skin, their hydration for a long time;
• prevention of skin peeling;
• strengthening hair and nails.

To this list, you can add the excellent anti-stress effect of chocolate due to the aroma, as well as due to the vitaminization of the blood flow, and, consequently, the whole body. Regular chocolate procedures can be an excellent prevention of seasonal depression and unpleasant manifestations on the surface of the skin, both on the face and throughout the body.

Chocolate for beauty treatments: features

Before you try out the unique properties of chocolate cosmetics, it is worth noting that for the procedures you need not ordinary chocolate, which is littered with counters at the checkout, but pure, that is, bitter natural with a cocoa bean content of at least 60%. The best option for mixing the cosmetic composition would be natural cocoa powder. Another important condition is the absence, in both cases, of sugar, milk and other additives.

Cosmetic chocolate is a rich source of antioxidants that preserve the youthfulness of our skin, making it more resistant to negative environmental factors, including city dust and direct sunlight. In addition, antioxidants play an important role in the prevention of skin cancers.

Caffeine is a miracle substance that is involved in the process of breaking down excess body fat, helping to get rid of cellulite and unwanted volumes in the most problematic substances. In combination with the substances theobromine and theophylline, caffeine also fights sagging skin, wrinkles, strengthening the skin structure and providing a lifting effect.

Chocolate SPA at home: masks, body wraps, baths

Before using cosmetics with chocolate, you should prepare your skin for these procedures. To do this, it should be well cleaned with a soft scrub and washed in the shower to remove the remnants of dirt, sebum, old skin. Before directly applying the product, the skin should be blotted dry with a clean towel.

Next, you need to prepare a fresh chocolate mixture for application. To do this, you can use cocoa powder: 200-300 grams of the product should be well mixed in 500 grams of hot water to a thick consistency, then let it cool to a temperature acceptable to your skin.

Using dark chocolate to create a mixture, take two tiles, melt them in a water bath and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Before direct application, also cool to a comfortable temperature.

Of course, if you like professional products, then you can purchase special salon cosmetics that are convenient to use at home.

Chocolate masks

Having chosen the right mixture, chocolate can be used as a mask on the face, neck and décolleté, hands or feet, as well as on the hair. To do this, in addition to olive oil, you can add any other vegetable oil to the composition, as well as herbal extracts to enhance the effect. In the case of hair, for shine and softness, you can add a spoonful of cognac.

Chocolate wraps

Spending them at home is more difficult than just putting on a mask. For a full wrap, you may need cling film, a regular sheet and a warm blanket. You can apply the mixture in two ways, or combine them.

The first chocolate wrap method is to simply spread the chocolate mixture all over your body and wrap yourself in a sheet, then lie under the covers and relax for about 15-45 minutes, depending on the desired result and skin sensitivity.

The second way is to apply the product thickly on a thick sheet, then wrap yourself in it and also get under the covers.

Local wraps can be carried out using cling film. The chocolate mixture should be evenly applied to the problem area, then cover this place with a film and wrap it with a cloth. Leave for 15-20 minutes.

Chocolate baths

This procedure is both one of the simplest and one of the most expensive. Of course, you do not need to completely fill the bath with melted chocolate, but you will need more chocolate or cocoa powder than for a wrap.

Having made the mixture according to the above methods, it must be added to a hot bath and immersed in it for 20-30 minutes.

Precautions

Chocolate is a product with a high degree of allergenicity, therefore, when choosing chocolate cosmetic procedures, you should exercise some caution. Be sure to make sure that your skin does not have a negative reaction to chocolate, even if you have not noticed anything like this before. Also, do not use chocolate cosmetics too often, as this product contains a large amount of nutritional components that can provoke a glut of certain substances in the skin, causing irritation, redness and pigmentation on its surface.

When using vegetable oils, including essential oils, herbal extracts and other additives, in combination with chocolate, also be sure to make sure that they are suitable for you. In combination with chocolate, they can provoke a stronger allergic reaction.