I don’t know too many people who aren’t diehard fans of dark chocolate. Just thinking about having a piece of some of that rich chocolatey goodness has me close to salivating. Hmph, now that I think about it, the only thing that’s better than its taste is all of the health benefits that come from eating it.
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What? You didn’t know? For starters, dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants that fight off free radicals and keep your immune system strong. Dark chocolate also contains a pretty impressive variety of vitamins and minerals including iron, fiber, magnesium, potassium and zinc (just to name a few”>. Because of how nutritious dark chocolate is, there are studies that support the fact that it’s good for eye, oral and heart health while being a great energy and libido booster too.
And since dark chocolate is so good for your body, doesn’t it make perfect sense that it would be good for your hair as well? In fact, something else that dark chocolate contains a good amount of is copper; hair-wise, that can keep premature greying at bay. In order for its benefits to be the most effective, it’s important to both eat and use the kind that is no less than 65 percent cocoa and contains no sugar.
Now that you know that dark chocolate works just as well on the outside as it does within, here are some of my favorite DIY dark chocolate hair recipes. They will have you looking, feeling and even smelling totally delicious. I can promise you that!
Special note: Not all dark chocolate cocoa powers are created equal. My recommendation would be to either try Kiva Raw Organic Cacao Powder or Anthony’s Organic Cocoa Powder. Here are five of the absolute best dark chocolate hair recipes!
1. Dark Chocolate Hair Mask
There are plenty of videos out in cyberspace that sing the praises of bentonite clay. Not only is it an awesome detoxifier, but it has an amazing way of elongating even the tightest of natural curls. If you’ve got the 4a-c texture hair and you want to add some length to it, this is a hair mask that you’ve just got to try.
- 3/4 cup of bentonite clay
- 1/3 cup of cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup of coconut oil
- 1/4 cup of Aloe Vera Juice
- 2 tbsp of raw honey
- 3-5 drops of peppermint oil
- 2-3 cups of semi-boiling water
Step 1: Pull out a medium-size bowl and put the cocoa powder and bentonite clay in it.
Step 2: Make sure your coconut oil is room temperature (so that you can easily mix it in with the other ingredients”> and add it to the powder and clay.
Step 3: Pour the hot water into the bowl and blend everything with a wooden spoon (metal tends to upset the effectiveness of the clay”>. Keep mixing until the texture of the “batter” is super smooth. Allow the batter to cool for 2-3 minutes or so. Now you’re ready to apply.
On clean damp hair, apply the hair mask. If you don’t want to get the mask all over your hands, using gloves and/or a hair dye brush is perfectly fine. Once it’s on your hair, from roots to tips, put a plastic bag on your head and let it sit for an hour. Then rinse thoroughly with warm water, apply a deep conditioner, rinse again and watch how awesome your hair will look and feel!
2. Dark Chocolate Hair Smoothie
Aside from the dark chocolate, two of the best things about this recipe is the Greek yogurt and rosehip seed oil. Greek yogurt contains vitamins B5 and D that help to nourish your locks and reduce hair fall. Rosehip seed? It’s the kind of oil that does everything from fight signs of aging and soften the appearance of stretch marks to deeply moisturize hair and heal any scalp ailments you might have.
- 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup of raw cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp of coconut oil
- 3 drops of lavender oil
- 5 drops of rosehip seed oil
- Totally up to you: 1/4 cup of hair conditioner
This one is super-easy to make. All you need to do is mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and stir until smooth. Put the smoothie on to your freshly-washed hair, then put a plastic cap over it. Let the smoothie remain on your tresses for 30 minutes, then rinse. If you have a detangling routine for wash day, it’s a good idea to follow this up with that.
3. Dark Chocolate Dry Shampoo
If you’re looking for a quick and chemical-free way to remove excess product from your hair while adding volume, texture and shine (and even preventing premature greying”>, dry shampoo has totally got your back. Not that it should totally replace your wash routine, but it is a great alternative if you want to shampoo less or you’re going to be on the road with no time to have a traditional wash day.
- 1/4 cup of organic cornstarch
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 5-7 drops of lavender oil (although you can use whatever kind you wish”>
- An old make-up brush
This hair recipe is easy too. Mix the cornstarch, cocoa and lavender oil together. Blend everything with a spoon and store in a small jar. Then use your make-up brush to apply the dry shampoo to the roots or the parts of your hair where there’s a lot of residue. Use a comb to remove any excess and style as usual. (That’s it? That’s it!”>
4. Dark Chocolate Hair Conditioner
If your curls are particularly damaged and brittle, a little bit of coconut cream is all that they need. This kind of cream also has a great reputation for nourishing hair follicles and deep conditioning hair, so of course, it makes the cut as far as being a dark chocolate conditioner ingredient.
- 3/4 cup of coconut cream
- 1/3 cup of cocoa powder
- Mix the coconut cream and dark chocolate cocoa powder together. Apply it to your hair right after shampooing it. Let it sit for 15 minutes and wash and style like usual. Your hair will feel A-MAZ-ING!
5. Dark Chocolate Flaxseed Hair Gel
If you want your curls (or baby hairs”> to have some extra definition, DIY your own hair gel. Just make sure that it contains flaxseeds because they are the kind of seeds that are packed with omega-3 fatty acids that will protect your hair follicles and shaft (soooo much better than the alcohol that’s in a lot of commercial hair gel brands!”>.
- 3/4 cup of distilled water
- 1 tablespoon plus 1.5 teaspoons flax seeds
- 1 tsp of cocoa powder
- 1 tsp of Aloe Vera
- 20 drops of your favorite essential oil
Step 1: Pour the water and seeds into a pot, put them on a burner set to medium and allow them to boil.
Step 2: Reduce the heat to low and allow the seeds to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Step 3: Add the cocoa powder and Aloe Vera.
Step 4: Line a mesh sieve with cheesecloth.
Step 5: Remove the pot from the stove and pour the liquid onto the cheesecloth.
Step 6: Allow the cloth to cool a bit. Then pull the corners of it together, making sure none of the seeds fall out.
Step 7: When you look at sieve, you should notice a gel-like consistency in it. Squeeze whatever gel is remaining on the cheesecloth (use thongs if you need any assistance doing this part”>.
Step 8: Let the gel cool for 30 minutes, then add your favorite essential oil.
Step 9: Put the gel into an airtight container and place it into your refrigerator. It should keep for about 10 days.
Special note: If you’re more a video learner, you can watch a video (sans some of the ingredients”> here.
Enjoy your chocolate-rich hair, y’all! And let us know which one you’d like to try in the comments.
