A 12-week study found that cacao powder meaningfully improved skin hydration and reduced wrinkles in people with aged skin. In lab tests, cacao's antioxidants boosted hyaluronic acid production (which helps skin hold moisture) and increased collagen while blocking an enzyme that causes wrinkles.

Researchers tested cacao powder both in lab-grown skin cells exposed to UV and oxidative damage, and in a real 12-week clinical trial with people who had aged skin.

Funding not disclosed in abstract