Wine related articles
By PAIGE HERMAN and MARIE KUECHEL
newbeauty.com
07-FEB-06
Chocolate is the ultimate indulgence, and come Valentine's Day it becomes a gift between lovers. But could this little indulgence bring more than the glow of amour to your image?
Chocolate Dream
Cornell University food scientists found that cocoa powder has nearly twice the antioxidants of red wine and up to three times the amount found in green tea. Cocoa has higher concentrations of the anti-aging polyphenol antioxidants found in blueberries and green tea, so it's possible that incorporating dark chocolate into your diet may alleviate the signs of aging.
Even better news: Research has demonstrated that the antioxidants in cocoa are highly stable and easily metabolized, which means the body can readily use them. So what does that mean for your beauty? While it may not strip years from your appearance, the sheer joy and sweetness of a little chocolate, plus its reported health benefits make for a beautiful little indulgence.
Chocolate Glow
If you would rather not experience the calories of chocolate, there are beauty products with the benefits of cocoa. Derived from the cocoa plant, cocoa butter has long been used to soothe the skin and has even been purported to diminish the appearance of stretch marks.
The antioxidant properties of cocoa extract have a toning and rebalancing effect on the skin in Payot Creme de Choc ($48; call 800-450-9564 for retail locations). You'll also get a dose of vitamins A, C and E, along with green tea, ginseng and royal jelly to boost cellular renewal and protect against environmental aggressors.
Chocolate Dip
For a little at-home indulgence, try this recipe for beauty from the Spa at the Hotel Hershey: Mix 1/8 cup Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder with 1/3 instant nonfat dry milk and add to your bath water while the tub is filling. Then add 1/2 cup of unscented bubble bath, step in, soak and indulge!
Cheers!
As much as chocolate is a symbol of love, wine is love's elixir. And it too has its beauty benefits. Grapes are high in polyphenols, which have many health benefits, including the prevention of heart disease and cancer. Applied topically, resveratrol, an antioxidant found in grapes and red wines, decreases the effects of UVB exposure and helps protect skin cells from cancer. The result: preventing or reversing sun damage.
Ones to try: Caudalie Crushed Cabernet Scrub ($45; sephora.com) can lift away dead cells, provide anti-aging benefits and lessen the signs of sun damage. The Derma-New Facial Rejuvenation System ($80; dermanew.com) is an at-home facial rejuvenation cream that includes wine extracts to diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Good for sensitive and normal skin, DermaNew claims to relieve stress and smooth and refine the skin.
But like chocolate, the beauty benefits of resveratrol are not limited to topical treatment. The antioxidant benefits of resveratrol may also work by the moderate consumption of grapes and red wine. So indulge in wine and chocolate _ the gifts of love, and beauty!
(Paige Herman and Marie Kuechel are editors of New Beauty, a semi-annual magazine about cosmetic)
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