ingredient: chocolate

words. Alexey Nilov
photography. Mascha Dahan Feldman
issue 1 – in love with Switzerland 

To date, there is a mass of scientific research on the beneficial effects of chocolate on the brain and mood. Dark chocolate without additives and impurities have a lot of useful properties. Ukrainian geneticist and scientist Oleksandr Kolyada justifies this phenomenon as follows: “The mood improves due to the amino acid tryptophan, which is abundant in this product. Depression, of course, cannot be cured with chocolate, but you can still influence your brain. If by malnutrition we have created a deficiency of tryptophan, from which the pleasure neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin are obtained, then a situation may arise that these substances simply have nothing to synthesize from. This is where chocolate comes in handy. Any sweetness provides the body with glucose, increasing energy reserves. When these reserves in the body abound, they are distributed to fat cells”.

The use of chocolate in the beauty industry is a long-established trend. Masks, massages, peelings, body wraps are quite popular procedures in clinics and salons, which is again due to the arsenal of useful elements in cocoa. In addition, in hot summers, eating dark chocolate can improve skin protection from harmful solar ultraviolet radiation and affect its natural hydration due to flavonoids. Collagen Chocolate by Depuravita is ideal for this. It is 100% natural chocolate, a ¨beauty product ¨that helps to strengthen the protective barrier of the skin and nourishes it from the inside, making it firmer and more elastic. The product contains 78% natural cocoa, is bio-certified and suitable for
vegans.

Manufacturers of body care products are actively using all the benefits of cocoa, using it in new products. In 2022, Navitus Parfums, a perfume brand from the UAE, made a real gift to gourmets – the Chocolate Queen fragrance. In the top notes of the novelty, a chord of dark chocolate and hazelnuts is clearly audible. The heart is softer – here chocolate fudge, caramel, bitter almonds, and Irish cream. This entire pyramid of gourmand’s rests on a matching base of vanilla absolute, praline, amber and sandalwood. The fragrance is presented in the most persistent version – extrait de parfum.

Cocoa Body Exfoliant by Fresh not only looks and smells like cake batter! With a rich, velvety texture and a delicious scent, this skin-softening, natural cocoa-based exfoliant is on the bestseller list for good reason. Crushed cocoa and coconut shell smooth out any rough areas of the dermis, while cocoa butter and coconut oil restore elasticity to dry skin.

Hillary Epilage White Chocolate Hair Removal Granules are a new generation of skin care products. Film wax of medium density in granules, highly plastic, thanks to which it perfectly grasps every hair. The advanced formula the appearance of so-called cobwebs that appear during application. The product is completely natural and not tested on animals, produced in Ukraine.

Italian brand Allwaves has introduced a mask with cocoa extract and keratin, which is suitable for brittle and thin hair. The purpose of the product is to restore curls. The mask is enriched with keratin and natural cocoa extract. Keratin fills damaged areas of hair and strengthens the structure. Cocoa extract can give hair volume and shine. Moreover, it is also beneficial for the scalp by preventing infections.

Chocolate has always been a delicious guilty pleasure, but as we have rediscovered in recent years it is also one of the best ingredients to improve our wellbeing. So, no matter if it is by biting a Swiss chocolate bar or applying a face mask with chocolate as an ingredient, let yourself indulge in this millenary ingredient.