Give your wrinkles a chocolate filling

On the ever-changing list of curatives said to smooth fine lines and revitalise tired skin, chocolate is not a cosmetic remedy often cited by skincare brands. Indeed, a sticky application of Cadbury’s over dark circles is unlikely to do much by way of lending vibrancy to your visage. 

However, recent research conducted by Korean dermatologists at Seoul National University has found that, when ingested in its purest form, a little choc treatment can undo years of epidermic damage. In a trial where participants consumed 12g of phenol-rich cacao a day, the substance was found to reverse harm done to skin by ultraviolet radiation, known as photoageing. Over the course of 24 weeks, they recorded a 3 per cent increase in skin elasticity, while the depth of study subjects’ wrinkles also decreased slightly. 
​
By contrast, a placebo group saw skin elasticity decrease by 8 per cent and depth of wrinkles increase by the same amount. So, shake up your morning grooming regime and prep your skin for the dangers of summer sun to come by taking your skincare plan to a different cabinet – mix 12g of cacao nibs with banana, peanut butter, raw honey, cinnamon and milk. Let’s call it the chocolate fountain of youth.

​This article was originally published on Men's Health