Chocolate - the delicious skin care ingredient

The French company has built up a portfolio of cocoa-based products in the space of the last year marketed on the antioxidant and nourishing effects of the ingredient on the skin and is now set to launch three further products.

The range is sold at the 150 Spa and Beauty Institutes throughout France, as well as the flagship Galleries Lafayette store in Paris.

Sensation Chocolat co-founder Salomon Melki says he is now looking to extend distribution of the product range to the rest of Europe and North America and is currently looking for retailers and distributors.

First launched on the market at the end of 2005, the range was developed in response to other chocolate-based product lines, which Melki says did not fulfill the criteria for a chocolate-based product.

The new additions to the company's extensive and increasingly renowned product portfolio include Le Fondant O Chocolat face cream, La Mousee O Chocolat facial mask and Le Granit O Chocolat body scrub.

Le Fondant O Chocolat is a face cream that is said to provide nourishing and protective properties to the skin thanks to cocoa butter.

Formulated for normal to dry skin, the natural formula also combines hydrating effects with the addition of virgin sesame oil and vitamin E, which is easily absorbed by the skin, the company says.

Le Mousse O Chocolat comes in both a mousse and mask form of treatment that is said to bring about a 'new skin'.

It contains apricot stone micro granules to exfoliate the skin, combined with cocoa butter and Aloe Vera to provide nourishment and hydration.

Le Granité O Chocolat is a cream exfoliant for the body. As well as cocoa butter, it contains micor contains apricot stone micro granules that help to regenerate new skin cells as well as exfoliating dead ones.

The company says that the treatment helps to eliminate skin purities, leaving the skin clean, supple and smoothe.

Targeted at the premium end of the market the products are not inexpensive. The new products start off at €29 for a 50ml pot of Le Granité O Chocolat and go up to €63 for a 200ml pot of Mousse O Chocolat.

Other products that already exist in the range include Fondant O Chocolat soap and the Delices O Chocolat shower gel range in six different fragrances, as well as a number of Chocolate-themed personal care gift packages.

Extracted from the dried seeds of Asian and South American cocoa seeds, cocoa butter is commonly used in a variety of cosmetic products and has become particularly important in a range of skin care products because of its ability to soften and lubricate the skin.

It is also said to have strong anti-oxidant properties, which can help to maintain the skin's general health as well as to prevent visible signs of ageing such as wrinkling.

Likewise cocoa butter taps into growing consumer demands for natural-based products. This makes the ingredient part of a worldwide market that is currently estimated to be valued at $10bn and has been experiencing double digit growth rates year-on-year.