Before you indulge in Valentines Day chocolates, let us fill you in on a few things that will have you eager to finish the whole box. Chocolate, and more specifically dark chocolate, actually contains quite a lot of health benefits for your skin. So ditch all of those misconceptions about chocolate being bad for you that you learned as a child, and lets get into the many great effects that chocolate can have on the look and feel of your skin.

Perhaps the most important effect that dark chocolate has on your skin is actually an indirect benefit that stems from its core ingredient: Cocoa. Cocoa is a natural stress reliever that temporarily inhibits the amount of stress hormones you produce, giving your skin a break from the harmful effects of stress. Stress has a direct effect on the rate at which the collagen in your skin breaks down, leaving you with more fine lines and wrinkles. So really anything you can do to minimize your stress level, including eating chocolate, can keep your skin healthy and firm.

Besides the important indirect benefits that chocolate has on your skin’s health, there are several positive effects that are directly caused by the ingredients of your classic heart-shaped box of chocolates. For instance, dark chocolate is extremely rich in antioxidants which, as we have discussed in more specifically in the past, aide in protecting your skin from harmful free radicals. Keeping a diet that features an abundance of antioxidants is important to skin health since it replenishes the natural functions that prevent the collagen degradation in your skin. That means indulging in some dark chocolate and a glass of red wine Valentines Day (or any day) will taste that much better with the knowledge that it’s helping your skin.

Another incredible effect that dark chocolate has in its arsenal comes from a specific type of antioxidant called flavonols. Flavonols help to protect your skin against the damaging effects of UV rays from the sun. At the same time, flavonols increase blood flow which will, among other positive effects, replenish the processes your skin needs to keep healthy.

So not only will dark chocolate calm you down and fight wrinkles, it will also help protect you against skin diseases caused by solar radiation! Not bad for something sitting at the top of the food pyramid next to a bowl of ice-cream. Unfortunately enough, a strict regimen of dark chocolate is probably not enough to keep your skin in top condition. To supplement your health-conscious sweet-tooth, try some of the amazingly effective and diverse lines of professional skin care products at liraclinical.co.uk! For a limited time get the Valentine’s Gift Set and surprise the special person in your life with the gift of radiant skin!