Cocoa bean

Cocoa, the star of cosmetics

For a long time accused of being the cause of excess weight or of promoting acne, chocolate is now taking its revenge. A real nugget for our cosmetics, the cocoa bean has many virtues. Anti-ageing, anti-celluliteCocoa could have been a star if chocolate had not stolen the show. A nutritionist doctor at the Royan thalasso, Dr Bulidon offers chocolate wraps and for him, "the raw material of our treatments is cocoa!

We talk about chocolate skincare because the imaginative power is much stronger, "it's more promising" admits the doctor. An opinion shared by James Frerebau, co-founder of the Sensation Chocolat brand: "Chocolate is above all marketing, it does not bring anything to the skin in terms of cosmetic virtues. It is the richness of cocoa that has a benefit for our skin".

Cocoa is a good anti-ageing agent. Extremely rich in polyphenols, "it has 50 times more than grape seed, which is already considered one of the heavyweights of polyphenols", explains James Frerebau. Dr Bulidon points out that "cocoa is an antioxidant that has a strong effect on free radicals and therefore indirectly on cell ageing".

In addition to slowing down the appearance of the first signs of ageing, cocoa could also have an effect on our figure and in particular on cellulite. "In the shell of the cocoa bean, we find caffeine, which tones the tissues and slows down the effects of the skin relaxing" explains the co-founder of Sensation Chocolat.

More than a marketing effect, the so-called chocolate treatments are becoming increasingly popular thanks to their anti-ageing and anti-cellulite properties, but also for their gourmand and relaxing aspect.

A chocolate mask, scrub or body wrap would not only enhance our beauty but also improve our well-being. The only requirement, according to James Frerebau, is that "cocoa butter must be one of the three main components, otherwise there's no point... I advise consumers to buy natural skin care products, but not necessarily organic. If they are careful about methylparaben and propylparaben preservatives, organic is not a must.

And as for the risk of allergies or acne, Dr Bulidon and James Frerebau are unanimous: "There is no risk of allergies with cocoa, even if it is applied to the skin. And no study confirms the role of chocolate in the appearance of acne," explains the nutritionist.