If you’ve been reading my blog or cookbooks, listening to me on radio interviews, or attending my cooking classes you know I like wholesome foods with the simplest and fewest ingredients as close to the way you’d find them in nature as possible. I prefer skin care products that fit the same description. So I was excited to try some of the recipes for homemade skin care products in the December/January 2009 issue of Herb Companion in the article, “Chocolate: Eat, Wear, Rub In” by Janice Cox, the author Natural Beauty at Home, Natural Beauty for all Seasons and Natural Beauty from the Garden. Click here for more about these books.
I was attracted to recipe for a facial mask because it sounded so much more interesting than the French Green Clay masks I’ve applied in the past. The ingredients sounded so much more appetizing (cocoa, coffee, milk…. or coconut milk vs. well, mud!) It comes out the consistency of chocolate frosting. It smells delicious and it makes my face feel incredibly soft and smooth.
Make a mask in minutes
Making your own facial mask is easy, inexpensive, and a great way to beautify your complexion. Antioxidents in the coffee and cocoa will work their magic in as little as 15 minutes. While your face is basking in the mocha mixture you can be cooking, cleaning, reading a good book, or catching up on emails.
I’ve made the recipe (below) at least half a dozen times and shared it with a few friends. I gave it to one of them as a gift, packed into a small jar with a ribbon and note. I’m thinking of making a monstrous batch to divvy up between my closest girlfriends for Christmas this year.
Savvy substitutions
I’m all about substitutions. Since I don’t keep cow’s milk in the house I’ve tried the recipe with almond milk, coconut milk, yogurt (which I occasionally buy), and more recently with plain coconut kefir.
Although you can substitute instant coffee (don’t forget to powder it in a coffee grinder or mortar before adding it the cocoa powder) I think freshly ground coffee produces more benefits and much better results, particularly if you get Nutri Café coffee beans made by EnerHealth Botanicals. These organic, fair trade coffee beans are infused with antioxidant-rich herbal extracts, including reishi mushroom. The coffee feels great on on my face and it also tastes great brewed like regular coffee and used in my popular Coffee Ice Dream Recipe, which you can view on YouTube. Marvelous mix-ins
I love taking a master recipe (whether for food for facials) and adding my own variations on the basic theme. To this recipe I’ve added dried, powdered rosemary (an exceptional anti-oxidant and very fresh if you dry it yourself), locally produced raw honey (antibacterial), oil of lavender (soothing and healing), black seed oil (a healing product with thousands of years of use as medicine).I rarely add all of these things at once, usually just one or two at a time. Check the variations below for suggested amounts.
To learn more about Black Seed Oil (not to be confused with flax seed oil!), you can check out the article I wrote for the Oct/Nov 2003 issue of Herb Companion, The Treasure of Black Cumin: One of Life’s Tiny Treasures.
Caution
When removing the mask, don’t rub. Place a washcloth saturated with warm water over your face to gently loosen the mask. Lift it off, and repeat several times. You can splash your face with water, then gently wipe away the remaining residue. Or, wash the mask off in the shower, then wipe down the walls with a cloth.
Frightened by cocoa face
The first time I made this mask, I frightened my kitten Sophie, now a full grown cat. I came out of the bathroom with my face covered in the coffee-cocoa paste. She was perched at the top of the staircase and gave me a surprised look when I met her face to face on my way downstairs. She recoiled in shock!
It took a minute for me to reassure her, “It’s me! It’s me, baby!” She came closer, curiously sniffed my face and then relaxed about it. Nearly 9 months later I’m still making and wearing the Mocha Mask. Sophie no longer frets when she she’s me in my mask. My second kitten, Lilley, would probably love to lick the frosting like mix off my face, but I don’t let her!
So here’s the recipe you’ve been waiting for.
Mocha Facial Mask
Yield: 4 to 6 applications*
Note: The recipe says it make 4 ounces, enough for 1 application; but I find it makes enough for at least 4 to 6 applications. I modified the instructions and added several variations to make the recipe dairy free for those who want that and to add additional herbs.
Facial masks are a great way to deep cleanse your skin so that it will work more efficiently. Plus, clean skin holds more moisture and looks brighter. The milk and espresso contain natural food acids that help rid your skin of surface debris and dead skin cells, while the chocolate or cocoa powder helps condition and soothe your complexion. Use weekly to wake up a dull complexion!
Ingredients
4 tablespoons finely ground espresso or coffee (I like Nutri Café by EnerHealth Botanicals)
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (sift if lumpy)
8 tablespoons whole milk (see dairy-free variations below)
1. Mix the finely ground coffee or espresso and cocoa powder in a small jar or ramekin until smooth. Made to this point this would make a great gift spooned into a pretty jar with a ribbon and a label or card attached with mixing instructions.
2. To make the mask, add the milk or milk alternative and mix to make a smooth paste. Note: If you don’t want to make the facial and apply it every day, you can mix 1/3 to 1/2 of the powder in a small custard cup, adding enough milk or milk alternative to make a smooth paste.Cover and refrigerate the unused portion. Allow it to come to room temp before applying on subsequent days.
3. Spread the paste over a clean face and neck, avoiding the eye and mouth area.
4. Let sit for 15 minutes and rinse well with warm water.
My variations:
* Dairy-Free Mocha Mask: Replaced whole milk with almond milk, premium coconut milk, plain coconut milk kefir, goat yogurt, and cow’s milk yogurt; if using yogurt use slightly less than the amount called for here, then add a little water to thin the mixture.
* Herbal additions: When adding the milk or milk alternative to the recipe above, for a full batch, add one or more of the following ingredients:
––1 teaspoon dried, powdered rosemary
––8 to 10 drops lavender essential oil
––2 teaspoons black seed oil (not to be confused with flax seed oil!)
––2 teaspoons raw honey
Note: If making a half batch, use half as much of any of these extra ingredients.
Source for the master recipe above: Janice Cox is the author of Natural Beauty at Home, Natural Beauty for All Seasons and Natural Beauty from the Garden, all published by Henry Holt and Company (New York). For more recipes and ideas, visit the author here.
For more cocoa-based recipes from Body & Soul: Chocolate Spa Treatments, click here. You’ll find a Hot Cocoa Bath, Cocoa Mint Foot Scrub, Chocolate Massage Butter, Chocolate Lip Balm, and more.
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