Obviously chocolate tastes delicious, and we usually buy it to eat it, but there are many non-edible and yet still satisfying ways to use it! If you’ve been reading these blog posts for a while, you should know by now that chocolate is created from cacao pods, a large, natural seed that grows on trees in southern climates around the equator. The beans have many natural benefits (even before being made into a delicious treat!)
- Soaps and Lotions – Look ten years younger not by eating chocolate, but by using it for your face! Well, not literally, but cocoa has anti-aging properties thanks to the nutrients and antioxidants in the natural pod. Studies show that the cocoa butter, which is extracted from the pods, heals the skin, hair and nails.
- Fake Blood – If you’re a fan of movie trivia, you probably know that the first movie to show blood on screen was the 1960 film Psycho, and that the “blood” they used was actually chocolate syrup. The consistency of it, along with the shade it showed up as in black and white, made it a perfect substitute for the real thing. Today’s commercial syrup doesn’t actually contain chocolate, but it’s easy to make it from scratch at home.
- Fertilizer – A long term study shows that cocoa powder, especially when mixed with coffee grounds, is a natural, humane “pesticide” that protects your plants when sprinkled around. If you add the mix to your soil, it also makes a great fertilizer! Do some research beforehand on which plants react to different types of fertilizers, and watch your garden thrive! Keep your canine friends away from this mulch as it can make them sick if ingested.
- Currency – Well, yes, you may have used chocolate as currency in elementary school, but historically speaking, chocolate was actually a long-term currency among the Mayans, along with other ancient cultures. Pure cocoa beans were used to pay taxes and trade for goods and services around 1900 B.C. Since it was rare at the time, and locally sourced, it served multiple purposes and kept the civilization thriving, almost like a chocolate cycle. Historians suggest that the downfall of the Mayan civilization began when chocolate was discovered and distributed worldwide.
- Hair Dye – Want a safe and natural way to dye your hair a very specific shade of brown? Well, using just food and cocoa powder, you can create a brunette hair dye that brings out the rich, deep brown colors in your hair. Find one that’s safe for you and see how it turns out!