Does a wafting of vanilla make you weak in the knees? Does the mention of chocolate raise your blood temperature? Do you salivate for banana cream pies and sugary sweet treats? Don't worry about the diet - you CAN indulge recklessly when you use these delicious ingredients for the beauty of your skin!

Unfortunately, giving in to your craving for sugary treats too often will not give you the lift you're looking for, but learning how these sinful ingredients can improve the quality and tone of your skin means you can have dessert anytime you want - guilt free.

What can these delightful ingredients do for your skin? Use this guide and create your own home made moisturizers, scrubs and face masks, or look for these ingredients in store bought preparations.

SUGAR

Sugar makes an effective and sweet body scrub. Brown sugar mixed with a small amount of liquid glycerin or massage oil can be used all over the body. Apply the mixture using small, circular motions to rub it on. The sugar grains will gently remove dry, dead skin while the glycerin or massage oil will ease the application and keep skin soft and supple.

You can intensify the sweetness of your body scrub by adding a few drops of essential oils, like vanilla, for a luxurious and relaxing indulgence.

HONEY

Honey is a natural anti-bacterial agent. You can add a small amount of liquid soap or glycerin to a few tablespoons of honey for a gentle cleanser that kills bacteria and helps heal scarring. This is great for sensitive skin that's prone to breakouts.

Honey also makes an excellent base for a mask and can be used with all of these other ingredients to provide healing and cleansing properties to the formulations. A simple honey and oat cleanser (using fine ground or powdered oats) will both exfoliate and moisturize your skin.

CHOCOLATE

Chocolate in it's sugary form may not be great for you but real, dark cocoa is an excellent source of antioxidants that fight free radicals which can cause cancer. The caffeine in chocolate is also useful in de-toxifying skin and has been used to fight cellulite as well as purify skin.

Cocoa butter is a fantastic moisturizer and by adding a few drops of vanilla and cherry essential oils you can safely indulge while the aromatherapy effects can actually curb your cravings!

VANILLA

Vanilla is one of the most popular scents for bathing products. It's wonderfully rich aroma is relaxing while also being studied for it's ability to curb cravings for sweets.

Vanilla blends well with most other scents including the sweet offerings listed here as well as other popular scents such as lavender and rose. Adding the essential oils of vanilla to your bath, a moisturizer or scrub will intensify the aromatherapy effects and leave you feeling restful and happy.

BANANA

Bananas are naturally rich in vitamins, potassium and other skin-pleasing nutrients. Nothing could be simpler (or cheaper) than mashing a banana and applying as a mask for soft, smooth skin. Choose a banana that's ripened and soft (but not with black spots).

Adding plain yogurt and honey will soothe sunburned skin and kill germs. If you are allergic to bananas you should apply a test patch on your skin before applying to the entire face.

So go ransack the cupboards - binge all evening - these delicious beauty treatments will have you feeling cleansed and soothed like no banana split or chocolate layer cake ever could!