When it comes to warming the body and the senses on a cold winter’s day, a hot cup of cocoa is a favorite “go to.” But there is more to cocoa than its delicious, subtle soothing aroma. Cocoa butter is considered the “ultimate moisturizer.” It is naturally rich in Vitamin E -- as well as several other vitamins and minerals -- which helps to soothe, hydrate, and balance the skin. Vitamin E also assists in the production of collagen, so that it aids in diminishing wrinkles and other signs of aging as well.
Cocoa butter comes from the cacao bean, which is found in parts of Africa as well as the Caribbean and Latin America. They grow in pods that are located on trees in tropical areas. farmers extract the cocoa beans from the inside of a larger, fleshy cocoa fruit. The beans are cleaned, roasted, and pressed in hydraulic machinery to yield the cocoa butter. After the cocoa butter is removed, the remaining solids are processed into cocoa powder. [1]
Cocoa butter has been used in the manufacture of skin care products and toiletries, not to mention cocoa power and chocolate for years. Cocoa Butter also is a very stable, highly concentrated natural fat, and because it melts at body temperature, it easily absorbs into the skin. It not only helps to retain moisture; it helps protect sensitive skin against environmental conditions.
Here is a treatment for the holiday season to help reduce clients’ stress and pamper skin at the same time: Cinnamon Cocoa Delight. It starts with a cinnamon exfoliation and mud wrap followed by a finishing massage with BIOTONE Cocoa-Comfort Massage Lotion.
Ingredients
- Exfoli-Sea Salt Glow 2 ounces
- Black Baltic Body Mud 4 ounces
- Cocoa Comfort Massage Lotion 1 ounce
- Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil 10 drops
Supplies
- 3 Rubber Spa Bowls
- 10 Warm, moist hand towels
Instructions
- Mix 2 ounces of Exfoli-Sea Salt Glow with 4 drops of Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil in a rubber spa bowl.
- Mix 4 ounces of Black Baltic Body Mud with 6 drops of Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil in a rubber spa bowl.
- Apply an exfoliation treatment with the Exfoli-Sea Salt Glow following the BIOTONE protocol for exfoliation.
- Apply Black Baltic Body Mud in an even layer to each body part, following BIOTONE protocol for mud treatment, while quickly covering each area with plastic wrap. Cover the client with a towel to keep warm.
- While standing at the head of the table, pull up all layers of sheets, thermal wrap, and blanket, cocooning the client.
- Allow the client to rest wrapped for 20-25 minutes. This is an ideal time to incorporate a face or foot massage into the treatment.
- Remove plastic wrap, removing as much mud as possible with plastic sheet. Remove remaining mud with warm, moist towels. Be sure to cover exposed damp skin with a bath towel.
- Perform a finishing massage treatment with Cocoa Comfort Massage Lotion.
[1] Yoquinto, Luke, “The Truth About Cocoa Butter,” LiveScience, May 30, 2013. https://www.livescience.com/36626-cocoa-butter-chocolate-lotion-benefits.html