How to Make a Chocolate Facial Mask
Chocolate facials are all the rage these days. But why shell out wads of cash for a treatment at a spa when you have all the ingredients to make a chocolate face mask at home? With a few easy-to-find ingredients and a half hour, you can have the chocolate spa experience in the comfort of your own home. Read on for a great chocolate facial recipe.
Chocolate is high in antioxidants. There are a few studies that show some anti-aging benefits from the topical application of chocolate, though there are far more that show the benefits of eating it. The darker the chocolate, the more antioxidants it contains, which means it’s better for you. Many chocolates include shea butter or cocoa butter as well, which are great moisturizers, skin softeners and often reduce inflammation. But the biggest benefit of a chocolate facial is the delicious, luxurious smell, and the simple fun of it.
What You'll Need
1/3 cup of dark cocoa powder
3 T. of heavy cream
¼ cup of raw honey, the darker the better because it contains less water
2 T. of powdered oatmeal. If you don’t have powdered oatmeal, try grinding your oatmeal with a mortar and pestle.
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. You can mix them together with a fork or, if you’ve got it, use a stand mixer. A stand mixer will give you an even finer grain, which will result in a smoother mask. Slather this mixture onto your face and neck, but be careful to avoid the eye area.
Let the mask sit on your face for about fifteen minutes. Sip a glass of red wine slowly, page through your favorite magazine or book of poetry, or just listen to your favorite three or four songs. Just make sure you really sit back and relax. Once the fifteen minutes are up, gently remove the mask with warm water. Try rubbing your washcloth in a circular motion to get the most exfoliation out of the process. When you’ve removed all the chocolate, rinse your face thoroughly.
Variations on the Recipe
A variation on this recipe is to replace the cream and oatmeal with 1/3 cup of plain yogurt. Yogurt has lactic acid in it, which does a great job of sloughing off dead skin cells. The mask might be a bit less delicious if you ‘accidentally’ get a little bit of it in your mouth or on the tip of your tongue, but the end result will be a cleaner, clearer face. Let this mixture sit for the fifteen minutes, and remove as described above.
Buying a Chocolate Facial Mask
If you don’t feel like mixing up your own chocolate facial mask, you can buy a chocolate facial from Lush, which is a vegan cosmetic company based in London. The Cupcake Mask, which costs about $7, includes refreshing spearmint. You can find Lush products at some Macy’s department stores, or in a number of freestanding shops across the country. Visit Lush.com for a list of locations.
