Body chocolate
April 23, 2005 | 12:00am
So this is how a marshmallow must feel when covered with chocolate fondue, I mused with eyes closed. When the fragrant scent of chocolate reached my nose, I knew I was a goner. And, indeed, like a marshmallow, I melted into a soft, gooey mass, and got lost in Willy Wonka’s world, all the while humming "Come with me… to a world of pure imagination…"
Only this time, it wasn’t at all a figment of my wildest fantasy. I was really there, on that bed, having a most relaxing chocolate bath. Yep, that’s right – a chocolate bath where you get yourself all covered up with this dark potion from your neck up to your toes, your front and your back. The good thing about this is that I didn’t have to go all the way to Hershey (the town that chocolate built) in Pennsylvania to indulge in this wickedly pleasant treat. Just hail a cab and ask to be taken to Pinnacle Health Pointe at Felina Parkplace in Libis where all this chocolatey goodness happens. Not that it’s the only spa to offer this treat; it’s just that Pinnacle seems to have established a reputation for such sweet offerings.
Aptly referred to as the Chocolate Lovers’ Body Wrap, this treatment, says spa consultant Gigi Serania, nourishes the skin and gives you that nice glow. Apart from having hydroxy acid which benefits aging skin, chocolate also has flavonoids and serotonin. A powerful anti-oxidant, flavonoids are said to "repair damage and shield the body from environmental toxins," according to studies done by the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center. This property is also found in cranberries, apples, peanuts, onion, tea and red wine. Serotonin, meanwhile, is a neurotransmitter and is known as an anti-depressant. It’s also said to stimulate the secretion of endorphins – the feel-good enzyme that gives you a certain high, the good and happy kind. As if these weren’t enough, studies have shown that chocolate – the unadulterated, unsweetened kind, that is – has more than 300 chemicals, which includes nutrients such as potassium and magnesium, as well as vitamins B1, B2, D and E. Imagine all this being applied to your body and getting absorbed by the skin and into your bloodstream. Now, chocolate junkies can get all the chocolate they want without worrying about the calories.
"We use real Hershey’s cocoa powder here," Gigi assures me just before the treatment begins. What they do is mix the powder in warm water to achieve the right, smooth consistency to apply to the skin. The treatment takes about an hour and a half and can be tedious if you don’t let go and enjoy the process. Prudes beware: this is a treatment where you’ll be asked to strip naked (well, okay, you can leave the disposable underwear on), although you will be decently covered by towels.
Having a shower is a must before any stuff is applied to your body so I scooted over to the cubicle and couldn’t help but think of that shower scene from Psycho for a reason: Did you know that chocolate syrup was used in that chilling murder scene? Since the movie was in black and white, nobody would know, right? Very clever, indeed.
After you’ve taken that hot shower, you’ll be asked to lie face down. The therapist will then proceed to give you a dry brushing using a pair of exfoliating gloves, which improves blood circulation.
Next comes the exfoliation using all-natural ingredients – crushed walnuts and olive oil applied all over the body. This is to take away dead skin and open up the pores so the chocolate can easily penetrate the skin. It’s a strange feeling, like you’re a lettuce being dressed with nuts and oil. You’d half-expect and half-wonder whether the attendant would be drizzling you with balsamic vinegar as well.
After the oil has been sponged off, the therapist then prepares the chocolate spread (hmm, why does that sound like a sandwich filling?). By this time also, you’re a step towards that dreamy state between wakefulness and unconsciousness, where you’re only conscious of the chocolate scent wafting in the air, filling your mind with a mandala of swirling thick, earthy concoctions. Before you know it, the therapist starts spreading the gooey stuff on your skin. It’s cold, you wonder, so unlike the hot cup of tsokolate-e or tableas your grandmother used to give you for breakfast, and which you’re now imagining drinking. But the therapist goes on, applying chocolate on your elbows, shoulder blades, back and sides, down to your toes. Why, it’s like having those Dead Sea mud wraps, only this time the mud’s edible. Well, to a certain extent. I tasted the stuff, now drying on my skin. It’s dark chocolate all right, and slightly bitter. My curiosity satisfied, I relaxed and enjoyed the moment.
The spreading done, the therapist, still going by the all-natural theme, will then cover you with banana leaves, then another layer of blanket. This is to make you sweat, releasing the toxins, perhaps, and also locking in the moisture. Call it a mini-steam or sauna; I call it spring roll. For the next 20 minutes, you’ll be left alone to allow the chocolate to work its magic on your skin. You can do what you like – snooze, do a mental head count of your stocks, worry whether you are allergic to chocolates or banana leaves. Or you could imagine your significant other mixing a homemade version of chocolate syrup and nuts and rubbing it all over you as a prelude to you-know-what. See what thoughts could come while covered in chocolate? As for me, I immediately went straight to Willy Wonka land for my power nap as soon as the therapist dimmed the light.
The next thing I knew, the therapist was waking me up so that she could unwrap the leaves and sponge off the now-dried chocolate. You’ve probably seen how bakers dust a cake with chocolate powder. Well, I felt like one of those cakes all covered up with this powdery dark-brown stuff. After rinsing off the rest of the chocolate in the shower – no soap – I was directed to step into the rose petal-filled Jacuzzi for the final step – a skim-milk soak. This is for the whitening part, I was told.
I was expecting an all-milk bath but, hey, you can’t have it all. It’s a mix of water and skim milk plus some essential oils. What a pampered life. First you get to be washed and marinated in nuts and oil, then coated with rich dark chocolate, then steamed like that very tender and moist baked clay chicken in China, then immersed in milk. It’s the ultimate recipe for having silky soft, glowing skin – without the greasy after-feel, that is.
Unfortunately, Gigi warns us that people suffering from claustrophobia , serious heart conditions and those who have open wounds or broken skin are better off with other body treatments. At Pinnacle, they’ll check your medical history and profile and ask you to sign a waiver. Not surprisingly, there are more women availing themselves of this treatment than men. "We have a few male clients who got curious, or who have wives who coaxed them into trying this. Most of them, however, think it’s more for feminine tastes," says Gigi. She adds, however, that the chocolate spa is becoming popular for soon-to-be-wed couples and this is why they have provided couple’s rooms so they can have the same enriching experience together.
The men’s alternatives, then? The coffee bean treatment, which is said to be a great way to stimulate blood circulation, exfoliate and cleanse the skin, is a popular choice, apart from the various massages and body treatments Pinnacle also offers. Otherwise, they’ll just wait for their partners by working out at the Pinnacle Health Pointe Gym, also located within the building.
Perhaps never in Aztec leader Montezuma’s dreams did his precious "chocolatl," which he offered Spanish conquistador Cortez, one day become food for a tired body, literally. I’m not really a chocoholic but I did enjoy the experience. My skin felt smooth and I couldn’t help but get a faint whiff of chocolate. This food for the gods has become a food for the goddess… this goddess (harhar).
Lady Godiva must be turning in her grave. She probably would have preferred being covered in chocolate in all her naked glory, instead of having those lusciously sweet treats named after her. But tough luck. Maybe next lifetime, m’lady?
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