Chocolate Spa: Cleansed by Chocolate

At the Chocolate Spa, Dharmawangsa Hotel in Jakarta, chocolate is not just a treat to eat but an innovative spa treatment, writes HARRIS GAFFIN.  An attractive young woman strolls into the spa at the five star Dharmawangsa Hotel, in Jakarta. She is a well-to-do lady and has been to spas all over Asia. She is here because there is one treatment she has never had and it can only be found here, at the exclusive club on the other side of the pool. 

This time, she will be covered from head to toe in the stuff that sends women into raptures – chocolate. 

This is neither a chocolate sauce treatment nor is it to be confused with chocolate bars. Chocolate, after all, comes from a plant. The seeds are dried, roasted and ground into a fine powder before they are mixed with cocoa butter. Apparently, chocolate has restorative properties and improves the texture and tone of the skin.

The chocolate massage is good for both skin and muscles. 

There are about 400 varieties and uses of the cocoa bean and the quality and texture varies considerably. Fine gourmet chocolate is the most refined and has the most intense flavour. Cocoa added to milk, ice cream, candy bars or used for baking each has a different composition. 
Now at the Dharmawangsa, they are chocolate crazy. Guests can order a chocolate martini at the bar. And there is a wide range of chocolate desserts at the different restaurants. 

The lady checks in at the spa and is ushered into the changing room where she disrobes. She heads for the hot steam sauna where heat will open her pores so the chocolate scrub will work better. 

While she is warming up, the masseuse is heating up the chocolate. These are rough granules with an almost sand-like texture. The ground cocoa beans are then mixed with oil. There is Rosewood-Mandarin for rejuvenation, Grapefruit-Clarysage for healing and Sandalwood-Ylang ylang for relaxing.

The client’s body is prepared in the following way. First, her lips are protected and softened up with balm. This adds moisture to dry skin. 

Next a white cream is applied generously over the entire body. This is the same cream used for massage and prevents chafing when strong hands are rubbed against soft skin. While the cream is medical in nature, it really looks like delicious whipped cream, especially now that the chocolate powder has been heated up and its aroma begins to fill the room. 

The masseuse next scoops out some chocolate and proceeds to smear it on the client’s back. She rubs it into the skin and this acts as a gentle and sensual scrub. But to the observer, it looks surprisingly like chocolate frosting being spread onto a cake. 

Once the body is covered, the massage begins. Not only is the body scrubbed, dry skin is simply rubbed away with the natural vitamins inherent in the chocolate. 

Muscles are also kneaded until they feel like they are turning into butter. The guest at this time is usually in a dreamlike state wondering why life can’t be like this all the time. Her senses have been heightened, yet at the same time, she is encouraged to relax under the expert hands working on her back, down her legs and her feet. 

The lady is scrubbed a second time, this time with a finer chocolate mixture. The entire process takes two hours and then it is time to wash it all off. The guest at this point looks like she has taken a mud bath. One big difference is the room smells like chocolate. It is decadent! 

The lady is handed a robe and taken to the Jacuzzi where a special mix of chocolate soap and skin conditioner has been prepared and poured into the swirling hot water. When every trace of chocolate is removed, the lady exits the Jacuzzi and perhaps finishes off with a cool shower to close her pores and get her ready once again for the world outside. 

The lip balm that is applied before the treatment starts. 

Her next stop will probably be to find some chocolate to eat. 
The journey from South America to the Dharmawangsa Hotel is a centuries-old story. The cocoa bean is native to Central and South America. It was first brought to Europe via Spain by Hernando Cortez in the 1500s. Jewish artisans then developed the bean into chocolate where it became a local specialty enjoyed by Spanish royalty. 

During the Spanish Inquisition of 1492, Jewish immigrants fled Spain with their lives, and their knowledge of making chocolate. First, they went to Portugal and a century or two later, found their way to France, particularly Bayonne-St Esprit where they were forced to live in a ghetto across the river from the city. 

The leaders of Bayonne high society considered chocolate-making a lowly craft so chocolate was barred. However, the region’s reputation reached chocolate connoisseurs across the continent. After the French Revolution in 1789, full citizenship was granted to people of all religions. Chocolate officially became an accepted part of city life. 

Today, Bayonne is still renowned for its chocolate. There is an Academie du Chocolat de Bayonne. And the city boasts a number of world-ranked chocolatiers. Now, virtually every city in the world offers a wide selection of chocolate products. 

Chocolate is grown in many tropical locations, particularly in Africa. The uses of chocolate, it is apparent is limited only by one’s imagination. And at the Dharmawangsa Hotel, they have found yet another use for it.

Dharmawangsa Hotel  
Jl. Brawijaya Raya 26  
62-21-725-8181  

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites