Cocoa and Coffee Facials

Caught your attention, didn't I?  Is there anything better that go together like coffee, chocolate and a facial?  I love trying new recipes, new ideas and products. This crazy idea of mine was inspired by my 8-year-old daughter and her friend when they had a sleepover the other night.  They wanted to do facials and since I didn't have any store-bought facial stuff, I had to look up recipes that would be good for young skin.  You can read the story here.  So as I was looking up recipes, I found one that cocoa and coffee were the main ingredients.  Caught my attention, too.  Of course, I had to try this when my husband wasn't around.

So, cocoa is actually good for your skin.  The recipe I found said to use unsweetened cocoa but doesn't specifically mention to use dark cocoa.  I've read articles that it has to be real, dark chocolate because milk chocolate is not the same.  Dark chocolate smooths and hydrates the skin and because it contains antioxidants, it helps with sun sensitivity, too.  Milk chocolate doesn't.  Sorry if you're a milk chocolate fan.

Coffee, glorious coffee, takes away puffiness and brightens the skin (hello, caffeine!).  Need I say more?

I will say that this facial mask smells divine!  It really should be used in the mornings.  What better way to start the day with a coffee aroma on your face and chocolate?????  Hello!

Coffee & Cocoa Facial Mask

4 TB finely ground coffee or espresso (instant will work too)
4 TB unsweetened cocoa powder (I recommend the dark chocolate powder)
8 TB dairy product (whole milk, unflavored yogurt, almond or soy milk or heavy cream)
2 TB honey if you have dry skin or lemon juice if you have oily skin.

Mix coffee and cocoa together.
Add dairy product.  I only used 6 TB of almond milk.  I would only use 5 TB next time for a bit thicker consistency.
Mix well.
Add 2 TB of honey or lemon juice
Mix well.
Apply and let dry.  Then wash off with warm water or wash cloth.

This recipe makes a lot!  You can easily half this recipe or invite a few friends over to try together.  You can refrigerate for a few days.

I was surprised that this mask dried just like a regular facial mask.  It felt amazing and felt cooling on my skin.    Be gentle when applying on face.  The coffee grinds act like an exfoliant.  I used some on my hands as well!

This picture just proves that I can have a sense of humor about myself.  I had to talk myself several times into doing this.....

Now, I know what you're thinking.  I thought it too AFTER I applied the mask and thought, oh crap!  What have I done????  Chocolate and coffee are very staining substances! No need to worry.  It didn't stain at all....


I never post photos of me unless I've Photoshopped them.  Yeah, it's a sickness of mine.  I wish I could permanently Photoshop my face for real.  Here's a picture of me before and after this facial.

Before...

After...

You really can't tell a difference in the pictures.  After I used this mask, my skin looked brighter and my hideous acne scars were lessened.  My skin felt smoother and I smelled really good!  :)  Even the pouches under my eyes were almost gone.

I guess the real test will be what my skin will look like in the morning.  If you try this, let me know what you think!


Sources:

About.com
Realage.com