For Valentine's, a chocolate-coated you

YOU HAVE to be stoic to resist the allure of chocolate, and that goes for having it rubbed all over your body too. This is the month of love, after all, so why not extend the sweetness to spa treatments, as is currently the case at the Okura Prestige Bangkok.

And no more complaining about chocolate being unhealthy!

Eating dark chocolate can help stave off cardiovascular disorders and reduce the risk of stroke. It curtails stress hormones too. The two-hour “Chocolate Lover Ritual” is designed to hydrate, smooth, nurture and shine up the skin – and it leaves you smelling heavenly too.

The actual beauty benefits are quite amazing. Dark chocolate is skin-friendly and will alleviate flaws and give it a healthy glow. It comes from cacao beans, so it’s packed with potent antioxidants that can protect the skin from the damages of free radicals. It also shields against the sun’s harmful UV rays, a boon in preventing not just sunburn but cancer.

The “ritual” at the Okura Spa starts with a cleansing chocolate rub. Dark chocolate mixed with fine scrub beads gently exfoliates the skin, eliminating dead cells. The beads are tiny enough to allow for fairly heavy scrubbing without causing irritation, if you’re okay to try it. The chocolate itself will reduce inflammation. 

Next up is the wrap. Once rinsed down, the therapist slathers you in a neck-to-toe cocoon of thick, delicious-smelling dark chocolate. You’re then wrapped in a massive sheet of cling-film to keep the wrap warm and soft so the beneficial ingredients can penetrate for the next 20 minutes. 

You can sense that your skin is suppler, smoother and firmer almost immediately. Neither of the initial treatments feels the least bit uncomfortable or greasy. The chocolate chases off any stress you have and the heavenly smell really elevates the mood, even to the point of feeling a little giddy!

And now the real pampering begins – an hour’s massage to restore your mental and physical balance. Using only palms and thumbs, the therapist uses long, lingering strokes and moderate kneading to work out the tension and soreness, leaving you totally relaxed and calm. 

What’s ideal about this massage is that you can choose how strong you want it – from lulling delicacy to lazily moderate to vigorous and heavy, and the massage motion doesn’t change at all.

The Okura Gateway massage oil is a mixture of white tea, sandalwood, ylang-ylang and lavender, all great for reducing stress and adding an extra moisture seal to your skin. 

 

BE YUMMY!

>>> The Chocolate Lover Ritual, on offer all this month, costs Bt6,500.

>>> The Okura Spa is on the 25th floor of the Okura Prestige Bangkok next to the Ploenchit BTS stop. It’s open daily from 10 to 10.

>>> Reservations are recommended at (02) 687 9000 or www.OkuraBangkok.com.