Chocolate Indulgence Home Spa Treatment

This one hour fifteen minute Bon-Bon of a treatment can be consumed even by those on the strictest diet! You may ask yourself, "Why should I put chocolate on my body, not in my body?" This ultra-indulgent treatment actually opens the endorphins in your brain, making you not just a transmitter of love, but a receiver, too. So, if you think you could use a little more love in your life then this treatment is not an indulgence, but a necessity!

In this guide, I'll share a full treatment routine and all the home-made spa recipes to indulge yourself. After all, if you can have a professional spa treatment at home - and at a fraction of the cost - why deny yourself the luxury?

The Ritual (75 minutes)

• Begin with a foot scrub using the Chocolate Covered Strawberries Foot Exfoliant. Then, soak of both feet in a shallow bowl with warm water and kosher salts. 5 min.
• Cleanse the skin. Apply the Chocolate Almond Body Scrub with circular motions. When half dry, peel off the scrub from the body. 30 min.
• With a big brush, apply the Chocolate Honey Body Mask all over the body. Cover up with a sarong and let the mask dry. 20 min.
• Soak in a hot bath using the Foaming Hot Chocolate Milk Bath. 15 min.
• Towel dry and apply Peppermint Lotion Water. 5 min.
• Finish the treatment with serving a cup of Hot Chocolate.

The Recipes

Chocolate Covered Strawberries Foot Exfoliant

Fresh fruits and nourishing oils are pure, potent sources of vitamins, antioxidants and moisture. "Strawberries are as good on your body as they are in bowl," says cookbook author Linda West Eckhardt. The ripe berries we used in our Strawberry Foot Exfoliant contain not only vitamin C but also salicylic acid, which helps to slough off rough, dead skin.

Strawberries contain a lot of water, so overblending will make this exfoliant too liquid. To use, massage into feet, rinse and dry off.

· 8 strawberries, lightly mashed
· 3 tablespoons kosher salt
· 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
· 2 tablespoons olive oil

Make the exfoliant: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix until just combined. Use immediately.

Chocolate Almond Body Scrub

This is an excellent recipe for an Almond Body Scrub to gently and thoroughly exfoliate the top layer of dead skin cells. Body scrubs feel wonderful and relieve the itch of flaking skin.

· 2/3 cup ground almonds
· 1/3 cup oatmeal
· 1/2 teaspoon of herbs (lavender, chamomile, etc) (optional)
· Plain yogurt, milk, or buttermilk, sufficient to make a paste
· 3 tablespoons cocoa powder

Combine the dry ingredients in a blender or food processor until they are reduced to a coarse meal. Keep this "scrub base" in a glass jar with a screw top in a cool, dry space until ready to use.

When you want to use the scrub base, scoop out 1/4 cup into a small bowl, and stir in enough of the liquid ingredients (vary it by what you have on hand - yogurt and milk are best, but water works just as well) to make a paste. Yogurt and milk are natural exfoliates known as alpha hydroxy acids, and they will slough off dead skin cells even without the scrub. Scoop up the paste with your hands or a washcloth, and rub over the body to exfoliate skin. Rinse thoroughly.

Chocolate Honey Body Mask

· 5 tablespoons pure clove honey
· 15 tablespoons cocoa powder

Mix just before use. Heat the honey gently in the microwave or in a pot of boiling water, so that it is smooth but not quite runny. Measure the honey into a shallow bowl and add the cocoa powder. Heat for another 10-15 seconds, and blend thoroughly.

To use, spread an even, thin layer over the body while it is warm but not hot. Allow to cool completely, drying for about 10 minutes. Soak it off in the tub.

Foaming Hot Chocolate Milk Bath

The ingredients in our Foaming Hot Chocolate Milk Bath are packed with skin softeners like lactic acid, found in powdered milk. Soak in this rich milk bath to soothe and soften your skin.

Heat 3 tablespoons of dry bath mix with 1/2 cup water and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan and bring to a boil. Add the hot mixture to bathwater while the tub is filling.

· 1 cup instant nonfat dry milk
· 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
· 1 cup baking soda
· 2 tablespoons cornstarch
· 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
· 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Make the milk bath: Combine all ingredients in a jar, cover and store. Keeps for up to 6 months.

Peppermint Lotion Water
· 1/2 cup water
· 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
· 3-4 drops peppermint oil

Oil of eucalyputs or cade can be used in place of peppermint, if you prefer.

Pour the water and alcohol into a bottle, then add the oil. Cap and shake well.
Apply to the skin with a clean cloth.