Do you remember the day you found out that eating chocolate was associated with acne and breakouts? It was almost as disappointing as the day you found out Santa wasn’t real 😅

But we have a solution (and dare I might say it’s a little controversial, but hear us out…)

Studies show chocolate IS actually good for your skin!

🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

We know. We bet you never thought you’d hear that, but this week we wanted to bring to you a topic that we don’t feel is spoken about enough 😉

We're talking about the holy grail superfood that is ceremonial cacao and its incredible benefits for your skin! So loves, grab your warm mug of chocolatey goodness, cosy up, and let's explore how indulging in chocolate can actually work its magic on your skin and leave you ✨ glowing. ✨

First things first, let's talk about our good-for-you chocolate and what sets it apart from your average chocolate bar. Unlike its sugar-filled, processed counterparts ceremonial cacao is the purest form of chocolate - cold pressed, minimally processed cacao beans that are jam packed with potent antioxidants, minerals, and nutrients which leaves it being a DELICIOUS elixir for both the body and soul.

Milk chocolate on the other hand is what wreaks havoc on your skin.
As the name might suggest - milk chocolate is diluted with cream, milk powder or solids, emulsifiers and sugar with only 30% of cocoa solids (sometimes less) 🤢. 

Okay, so now we know the two cannot be compared, let’s dive in!
How is chocolate actually good for the skin?

In a world filled with beauty standards and skincare trends, we believe that true radiance starts from within.

According to BM Chemistry, cacao contains powerful antioxidant compounds called catechins, polyphenols, and flavanols, which according to the study shows that cacao contains more antioxidants than any other fruits - pretty cool huh 😍🍫

- Improving skin hydration levels & boost blood flow

- Protecting skin from UV damage

- Reduce signs of ageing

- Improve skin appearance and texture 

When your body is stressed, you release stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) which is one of the main causes of collagen breakdown and wrinkles. Too much caffeine has also been shown to have a negative impact on our adrenals (where our stress hormones are produced). This right here is another reason why we love cacao - because it is much lower in caffeine than coffee which means your adrenals finally have a chance to rest and recover as opposed to working in overdrive! 🤍

(You can read about how cacao helps to fight stress levels here - https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/pr900607v )

Cacao can also manage and improve the symptoms of atopic dermatitis. Studies have found that the polyphenols (antioxidants) found in cacao have an anti-inflammatory effect and can soothe symptoms related to some skin conditions.
(If you love to geek out like we did, you can read the study here! - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814616311748 )

And while fancy 5 step skincare routines, serums and beauty standards have their place, we believe that true radiance begins with the foods you choose to put in your body - and with high quality products like ceremonial cacao by your side, you have everything you need to radiate ✨ health ✨ from the inside out!

If you didn’t already have a reason (or five) why you should be consuming chocolate, now you do!

So go ahead, indulge in a warm cup of ceremonial cacao, and let your skin drink in the nourishing benefits that your mind, body & soul will thank you for! 🍫✨

In gratitude & warm choccy hugs,

Cacao Collective x