The Maca Vitality Scrub give your skin a good dose of vitamins and antioxidants with this exfoliating blend of maca and cocoa.

Maca Vitality Scrub made with five ingredients maca powder, coconut flour, kaolin clay, granulated sugar, cocoa/cacao powder.

Applied topically, these South American superfoods are high in regenerative essential fatty acids, protein, vitamins and minerals, which help improve the tone and texture of your skin.

Step-by-step Instructions to Maca Vitality Scrub

Benefits of Maca Vitality Scrub

1. Maca

The fact is that Maca is rich in vitamins that help keep the skin looking plump and glowing.

Rich in nutrients, maca consists mainly of carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals — and a little bit of protein. The Cleveland Clinic notes that maca powder, which is the form of maca many people use, is an excellent source of calcium, potassium, iron, iodine and B vitamins.¹

Maca contains a lot of vitamin C, and it boosts your collagen and fights free radicals that can cause everything from skin damage to inflammation.

It also contains vitamins D and E, which also regulate collagen production.

Maca can even help you look younger! According to a 2012 review in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, maca use appears to help protect the skin from ultraviolet radiation.

A 2011 study in the International Journal of Dermatology found that when maca leaf extract was used on the skin of rats, it helped prevent sunburn and other skin-damaging effects from UVB radiation.²

2. Coconut

Coconut is being used in many natural beauty products for good reason. Inexpensive and works wonders, coconut can be perfect to help ward off the onslaughts of harsh winters.

Coconut can be used as a natural moisturizer and will hydrate the skin and nourish it throughout the day. Using coconut directly or adding it to your daily moisturizer will make your skin ready to go out.

Coconut not only softens your skin but also acts as a natural toner. The fat present in coconut shrinks the pores which attract all the dirt and bacteria and protect the skin from getting damaged.

The toning property of coconut helps in preventing acne by reducing the pores of the skin.

Coconut can be used as a makeup remover and it will remove all the excess oil leaving your skin soft and smooth.

3. Cocoa/cacao powder

The sooner you start reaping the many benefits of cocoa/cacao powder, the sooner you will start to see an improvement in your skin. Those benefits include a more youthful, glowing appearance with fewer wrinkles.

For one, cocoa/cacao powder is an incredibly strong antioxidant. A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry showed that cocoa has more phenolic phytochemicals and higher antioxidant capacity than black tea and green tea!³

Because they limit the production of free radicals that can damage skin cells, helping to restore the healthy appearance of the skin and reduce the signs of aging.

The cacao plant contains vitamin C and magnesium, both of which help keep the skin healthy and protected.

Cocoa/cacao powder is rich in antioxidant flavonoids, called flavanols. Antioxidants help repair damage to your skin cells by environmental toxins, free radicals from car exhaust, ultraviolet light, household chemicals and cigarette smoke.

Study has shown that flavanols helps to repair skin damaged by UV sunlight and environmental toxins. As reported in the Journal of Nutrition, many researchers have looked at cocoa’s bioactive compounds and their effects on skin health. There is also a growing body of evidence that validates the use of cocoa-derived phytochemicals as an effective approach to skin protection.⁴

Using a cocoa powder face mask to increase blood flow to the skin and deliver antioxidant power and many benefits for skin health. The increased blood flow results in a healthier, more radiant complexion while helping to repair damage caused by frequent UV exposure.

Using a cocoa powder face mask to increase blood flow will help hydrate the skin and reduce the cellular breakdown that typically comes with aging.

The cocoa/cacao powder is that it contains high amounts of vitamin E, which is known to promote collagen production. Collagen is what keeps the skin firm and gives skin its elasticity. The aging process reduces collagen levels, and the skin begins to lose elasticity, resulting in wrinkles. Vitamin E helps stimulate the body’s natural collagen production, giving you smoother, younger-looking skin.

4. Granulated sugar

Granulated sugar is a natural humectant, which means it draws moisture from the environment and locks it into the skin. Applying products containing sugar or sugar derivatives keeps the skin moisturized and smooth.

Sugar is a natural source of glycolic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that penetrates the deepest layers of the skin, breaking down the “glue” that binds skin cells together. It stimulates cell regeneration and encourages new skin cells and thus younger looking skin. Glycolic acid can be used to treat sun damaged and aging skin.

As well as making an excellent exfoliant, sugar’s glycolic and alpha-hydroxy acid content helps keep the skin’s balance—it won’t be too dry or too oily, so you’re left with a naturally radiant glow. Huh!

Essentially, a Granulated sugar can be a better option for exfoliating the skin and removing the top layers of dead skin cells. It also provides complete hydration to your skin and gives a radiant glow to your skin.

5. Kaolin clay

Kaolin clay is commonly used in skin care products because of its ability to absorb oil and smooth skin.

It absorbs sebum and prevents clogging of pores. The Kaolin clay is used to draw out impurities and toxins from the pores. Cleanses the skin of excess oil, dirt and pollution without causing any redness or irritation.

Kaolin clay has soothing properties that can soothe your irritated skin due to insect bites or any skin rashes. It has mild healing properties that help to soothe any kind of irritation and redness on your skin.

It stimulates your skin cells and makes your skin even. If you use it regularly, you can see a noticeable change in your skin tone.

This clay is a great exfoliator. It can remove even the tiniest amount of dirt, pollutants and bacteria from your skin, thereby keeping your acne problem at bay.

It may provide mild anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and healing benefits, according to Blair Murphy-Rose, MD, FAAD, a New York-based board-certified dermatologist.

Due to its anti-inflammatory benefits, kaolin clay may be beneficial in treating rashes and burns, but more research is needed to prove its effectiveness.⁵

Kaolin clay has cleansing properties that can remove dirt and impurities from the skin pores leading to acne breakouts. It is gentle to use on your skin, and cleanses without making your skin dry and dull.⁶

For sensitive skin types, it is always best to do a patch test on your neck or on the inside of your wrist to see how your skin reacts before applying it to your face.

Kaolin clay is gentle enough and safe to use on sensitive skin. Still, it should not be used if you have dry skin.

1. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/15-HHB-1480-Macca-Infographic_FNL.pdf[↩]
2. Int J Dermatol. 2011 Aug;50(8):928-38. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-4632.2010.04793.x. Photoprotection against the UVB-induced oxidative stress and epidermal damage in mice using leaves of three different varieties of Lepidium meyenii (maca). Cynthia Gonzales-Castañeda, Valery Rivera, Ana Lucía Chirinos, Pablo Evelson, Gustavo Francisco Gonzales. Available here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21781063[↩]
3. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2003, 51, 25, 7292–7295. October 30, 2003. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/jf0344385. Cocoa Has More Phenolic Phytochemicals and a Higher Antioxidant Capacity than Teas and Red Wine. Ki Won Lee, Young Jun Kim, Hyong Joo Lee, and Chang Yong Lee. Available here: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf0344385[↩]
4. Nutrients. 2014 Aug; 6(8): 3202–3213. doi: 10.3390/nu6083202. PMCID: PMC4145303. PMID: 25116848. Cocoa Bioactive Compounds: Significance and Potential for the Maintenance of Skin Health. Giovanni Scapagnini, Sergio Davinelli, Laura Di Renzo, Antonino De Lorenzo, Hector Hugo Olarte, Giuseppe Micali, Arrigo F. Cicero, and Salvador Gonzalez. Available here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4145303/[↩]
5. Int Geol Rev. 2010 Jul 1; 52(7/8): 745–770. doi: 10.1080/00206811003679737. Evaluation of the medicinal use of clay minerals as antibacterial agents. Lynda B. Williams and Shelley E. Haydel. PMID: 20640226. NIHMSID: NIHMS188948. PMCID: PMC2904249. Available here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2904249/[↩]
6. January 2016. Revista de Ciencias Farmaceuticas Basica e Aplicada 37(1). Characterization and Short-Term clinical study of clay facial mask. Maria Valéria Robles Velasco, Vivian Zague, Michelli Dario, Deborah O. Nishikawa, Claudineia Pinto, Mariana Mandelli de Almeida, Gustavo Trossini, Antonio Vieira-Coelho, André Rolim Baby.[↩]