If you’re anything like me and get major chocolate cravings on an hourly basis, then you’re going to absolutely love this next treatment – the chocolate facial.
Yes you read correctly; rich, sumptuous, heavenly chocolate is used in this treatment which is ideal for dry, flaky or irritable skin. Chocolate, apart from being so moreish and delicious in every sense, has quite a few amazing qualities and is full of anti-oxidants vital for healthy skin. Chocolate Skin Treatments are becoming increasingly popular in salons internationally and thanks to Akina Beauty Clinic in Dublin’s Temple Bar you too can get in on the guilt-free chocolate action.
Arriving at the Akina clinic, I was greeted by my lovely host Eavanna who directed me to my treatment room. She started off with a gentle but deep cleansing of my skin. Then it was chocolate time and she applied the first of my chocolate masks. This mask contained raw cacao powder (what all chocolate originates from), mixed with turmeric and French clay and acts as a gentle exfoliant. You can only imagine the smell of these three mixed together – a genuine thrill for the senses. I got that warm, cosy feeling every chocoholic knows so well. I was quite literally in chocolate heaven and the gentle massage that followed nearly sent me to sleep. But there was oh-so much more chocolate goodness still to come.
Next, my second chocolate mask was applied. Consisting of 70% coco powder, oatmeal, honey and cream, it’s full of nature’s goodness. Coco powder is one of the most powerful anti-oxidants there is and has great anti-inflammatory properties which help calm the skin down in the case of high colouring or redness. The cream provides lactic acid which contains a gentle exfoliant. The honey, to my surprise, acts as a humectant which draws moisture to the surface and keeps it in the skin. Finally the oatmeal is fantastic for dry, flaky skin and according to Eavanna is great for people who suffer with psoriasis or eczema.
Left to relax for about 15 minutes, the mask worked its magic. When it was removed, my skin felt revitalized and appeared more radiant (if I do say so myself!). Apart from the fantastic benefits for your skin, this treatment is very much a sensory experience – the touch, the smell and the sensation of the chocolate promotes those feel-good endorphins. All the pleasure without the calories or guilt from eating it!
The Chocolate Facial is available at Akina Beauty in Dublin, lasts 60 minutes and is priced at €80. Tel: (01) 6708794
WIN a scrumptious chocolate facial here.
