Why You Should Stay Away From The Dubai Chocolate Trend 

If you’re on social media, you’ve likely seen the Dubai chocolate trend in recent months, featuring indulgent chocolate bars with fillings of pistachio, kataifi and milk chocolate. 

These chocolates look irresistible, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t ultra-processed foods that we should only be consuming in small portions and in moderation. 

Regular consumption of these foods can have negative effects on your health causing skin issues and weight gain. 

Although social media paints these foods as trendy, it’s essential to make informed decisions about what you’re consuming for your well-being. 

What Is The Dubai Chocolate?

The Dubai chocolate is an ultra-indulgent chocolate bar that’s gone viral online for its signature creamy filling and toppings coming in variations such as lotus biscoff, pistachio and crispy katafia for texture. 

Unfortunately, these chocolate bars are packed full of ultra-processed ingredients like palm oil, sugar, hydrogenated fats and other artificial ingredients which are bad for our health. 

What Are Ultra-Processed Foods? 

Ultra-processed foods have been spoken about a lot recently, with more of us becoming aware of how bad these foods are for our health and what they have inside of them. 

These foods have been heavily modified from their original form using ingredients like emulsifiers, sweeteners, flavour enhancers, preservatives and other chemicals to make these foods taste better and last longer on the shelf.

Some examples of ultra-processed foods are the Dubai chocolate or sugary cereals. The issue with these foods is that they are low in nutrients and high in fat, sugar, and calories. 

Despite these foods being trendy, tasting good, and being convenient, if you eat them regularly, they can cause weight gain, Type 2 diabetes, poor heart health, and skin issues like acne. They also disrupt your gut microbe which can lead to all kinds of digestive issues and low energy/mood.

Ultra-Processed Foods List 

The list of UPFs can go on and on, but some well-known foods to avoid or consume only once in a while are – 

• Chocolate bars.
• Flavoured crisps.
• Instant noodles.
• Processed meats. 
• Energy drinks. 
• Sugary cereals. 

If you don’t recognise the ingredients on the package as natural, then it’s likely a UPF. For example, peanut butter should just be peanuts and salt, but some brands add hydrogenated vegetable oils, glucose syrup and other unneeded ingredients. 

Why Ultra-Processed Foods Are Bad For Our Skin 

What you regularly eat shows up on your skin. All the sugar and unhealthy fats in UPFs can make your skin conditions worse or even be the cause of them if your diet is poor. 

Whole foods like fruits, veggies, healthy fats and lean proteins can help you look and feel better. 

Some ways UPF’s can affect your skin are – 

• Glycation – This is when a high sugar diet can cause sugar molecules to attach to collagen and elastin which can speed up skin ageing. 
• Hormonal imbalances – Insulin spikes can increase sebum production and cause oily skin.
• Dehydration – These foods are high in salt and low in water, as well as nutrients like vitamins A and C.
• Inflammation – Processed fats and lots of sugar cause inflamed skin, exacerbating eczema or acne and other skin conditions.

The Danger Of Social Media Glamorising Dubai Chocolate

With platforms like Instagram and TikTok full of slow-motion chocolate drizzles and luxury Dubai chocolate packaging, it can be easy to look at this UPF as a harmless trend. 

However, it’s glamorising unhealthy food, which can be especially damaging to a younger population already struggling with obesity and poor health choices. 

These videos rarely mention how bad the ingredients are in these chocolate bars and how calorie-dense they are. They normalise daily indulgence with influencers consuming them frequently to make viral videos. 

Healthier Alternatives To Dubai Chocolate 

Just because you want to avoid UPFs for skin health or personal choice, doesn’t mean you can’t indulge more healthily.

Here are some skin-friendly healthy swaps to the Dubai chocolate – 

• Greek yoghurt with cacao and nuts. 
• Dark chocolate with pistachios. 
• Pistachio energy balls. 

Nourish Your Skin With Hannah London 

The best skin health starts with what you are consuming, we believe staying hydrated and reducing your consumption of UFPs can do wonders for your skin and health naturally.

At Hannah London, our skin doctors can help you identify the root cause of your skin issues and provide skin treatments to help you tackle them and reduce scarring in conjunction with lifestyle changes. 

Find out more about our skin treatments here for acne.