Most people love chocolate and the cocoa bean from which it is derived is no doubt nutritional gold. It’s loaded with iron, potassium and magnesium. It’s an antioxidant powerhouse and it contains significant polyphenols, similar to those found in tea and red wine.
Recently it’s been discovered that the constituents of the cocoa bean may confer protection from skin cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, there are over 68,000 confirmed cases of skin malignancy every year and both basal and squamous cell carcinomas can be triggered by energy-induced mutations, following exposure to solar rays.
It’s thought that the nutritional compounds in cocoa, particularly the polyphenol molecules, with a dramatic capacity for absorbing energy, may help reduce the damaging effects of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. That’s not all. Cocoa extract, both applied topically and ingested orally, can help improve the health of skin tissue and improve its appearance.
Experiments with high polyphenol versions of extracts of the therapeutic bean (technically a seed of the cacao tree’s fruit) have produced increases in skin tonicity, elasticity and firmness, as well as wrinkle reduction. It was even shown to be an effective skin lightener.
If you want to make your own cocoa anti-aging skin toner, get some cocoa extract, readily available on the internet, add a dropper full or so to four ounces of aloe vera and apply with a cotton ball or cosmetic round three or four times a week. The skin health treatment is edible too and you can ingest a teaspoonful of your blend to maximize your beauty benefits.
