Apply The Benefits Of Chocolate To Achieve Healthy Hair

Chocolate is a girl’s best friend. What, you thought it was diamonds? Well, you would be wrong since not every woman even wants one. Diamonds sparkle, they are pretty and (of course) are worth a lot but not everyone has access to one, and diamonds cannot do magical things like change our mood.

We can; however, get our hands on some sweet tasting, calming your nerves instantly, and turning a bad evening into a good one piece of chocolate. Yes, chocolate can put a smile on your face like no other.

The Origin

Chocolate actually comes from trees or a small tropical tree called the Theobrama cacao or more commonly “cacao” which is native to Central and South America. However, it is grown commercially throughout the tropics and about 70% of the world’s cacao is grown in Africa.

The beans or pods are harvested from the trees and then fermentation begins. After up to a week of fermentation (it depends on the type of bean) the beans are laid out to dry in the sun for a week. Once the beans are dry, they are then shipped off to factories to be turned into chocolate.

Benefits of Dark Chocolate

Now chocolate or cocoa powder has more benefits than just putting a smile on your face or calming a sweet tooth craving. The Cacao bean is referred to as cocoas once the beans have been cleaned and roasted. Once it has been turned into cocoa powder, it is a great resource to our heart and brain health.

Eating cacao foods several times a day has been shown to decrease the likelihood of having a heart attack or even a stroke according to clinical studies published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Now when consuming chocolate for its benefits, remember dark chocolate has health benefits not seen in other varieties. Make sure your dark chocolate has at least 70 percent cocoa content and is preferably unsweetened.

Dark Chocolate and our hair

Cocoa can reduce blood pressure and improve our cholesterol levels but did you know it can actually help address our hair loss issues? Cocoa is rich in magnesium*; a mineral that helps to combat hair loss.

It increases blood circulation to the scalp, which leads to better hair growth and gorgeous tresses. It is known to give the hair sheen and with all the anti-inflammatory properties, it can minimize the chances of scalp infections. Dark chocolate is full of minerals that aid in cell renewal like iron*, copper* and zinc*.

DIY Chocolate recipes for your hair

I know there are many in the natural hair community who are avid DIYers so this section is for you! If you would rather apply the benefits of the chocolate straight to your hair as opposed to eating it then you are in luck.

I have found a couple of recipes that you may want to try. Now I know all the mixtresses reading this have just had their interest piqued and rightfully so.

Chocolate Hair Mask (The Daily Frizz)

2 Tablespoons of Cocoa powder

1-1/2 Tablespoons of Hot Milk

1 Tablespoon Jojoba oil

1 Tablespoon Peach oil

1 Tablespoon Avocado Oil*

1 Tablespoon Coconut oil*

2 Vitamin E capsules (pieced)

2-3 drops of the following essential oils*: geranium, cedarwood, ylang ylang*, lemon, and lavender (or just choose one if you don’t have all or any of these on hand

Steps:

► First, mix the hot milk into the cocoa, gradually until it reaches a thick creamy consistency.

► Add all of the oils, Vitamin E capsules, and essential oils* and mix until well combined

► Apply to your hair immediately and wrap your head in a shower cap or saran wrap.

► Let sit for one hour (time for a good movie or a good book, here!)

► Wash off using your normal shampoo and condition as you typically do.

Chocolate Hair Smoothie (BGLH.com)

1 cup Greek yogurt of choice

1/4 cup raw cocoa powder

3 tbsp. coconut oil*

3 drops lavender oil*

5 drops rose hips seed oil

Optional: 1/4 cup conditioner of choice

► Mix all ingredients together and apply to freshly washed hair.

► Apply conditioning cap and allow to sit on hair for 30-45 minutes before rinsing. Hair should be soft and manageable.

► Follow up with usual detangling routine.

Final thoughts

I had no idea there was so much use for chocolate!  This sounds good to me and I LOVE products that smell yummy so of course I am tempted to work with some cocoa on my hair.

Perhaps using chocolate for our body and hair is not so surprising since there are plenty of products on the market that include chocolate as part of their formulation.

I am not a true fan of dark chocolate, but I think I am going to give it another try since the benefits are great. In fact, my FAVORITE pedicure is a green tea pedicure that includes hot stones rubbing dark chocolate into your legs. I cannot tell you how much better I feel after that!

So, now I ask you…has anyone tried cocoa powder as a haircare treatment or had you even heard of it before this?

Have a chocolate loving day ladies!