What Is a Body Wrap?
When body wraps were first offered decades ago, linen sheets were used. The wraps were then mostly called herbal wraps. "'Body wraps' is a term that came to mean more than herbal wraps, they became popular in the 1980s and '90s. Eventually, plastic or thermal blankets replaced the linen sheets.
Although the service varies from spa to spa, body wraps are often done in a darkened room with flickering candles, soft music, and a massage table.
Benefits of Body Wraps
Body wraps are all the rage at spas these days
The "slimming" wrap treatment is only the tip of the body-wrap iceberg. They're offered to improve arthritis, skin ailments and cellulite. "Detox" wraps draw toxins out of your body.
Detox wraps use a variety of products such as algae, seaweed, mud, clay, or gel to help rid the body of toxins. When the product is applied to the body, it's called a body mask. After the product is applied, you are wrapped in plastic and covered with a blanket for about 20 minutes.
During this body wrap, you lie on a massage table and get rubbed down with an exfoliating scrub. After this the therapist applies the wrap ingredients consisting mostly of mud(seaweed, clay or an herbal or fruit product, may also be used) to your body, covering it with a layer of plastic wrap. When you're all wrapped up, you might be further covered with sheets, towels and thermal blankets. And then you'll be left alone to relax -- and sweat -- for about 30 minutes.
As long as you're not expecting to permanently lose 10 pounds and 3 inches off your waist, there are some benefits to body wraps. No one will argue that it feels pretty cozy to be wrapped up and left to relax in a dimly lit room for a half-hour or so. Your skin will most likely feel soft and supple after being slathered in moisturizers. And you could lose some water weight and see improvement in your cellulite -- but just be prepared for the results to diminish after a couple of days.
Benefits of body wraps
Quick Cellulite and Weight Fix
Many people who sign up for weight-loss or cellulite-elimination body wraps are trying to improve their appearance for a special occasion, like a wedding or a beach vacation. And they might be the perfect customers for these treatments: The wrap could very well make your skin look tighter or cause you to lose a few pounds of water weight.
Exfoliation
If you select a body wrap treatment that includes a scrub before the wrap, your skin is going to be exfoliated. Whether the exfoliating agent is sea salt, pumice, sugar or some other natural ingredient, it will scrub away dead cells on the surface of your skin, which will set the stage for the next step in the wrap: moisturization.
Moisturization
No matter what kind of body wrap you get, your skin will end up nice and moisturized. Wrap solutions, regardless of their exact ingredients, are always super-moisturizing -- so wrapping them against your body and adding heat will only intensify those effects. Plus, the therapist will usually apply lotion after the solution is rinsed off. You might not end up 20 pounds lighter, but your skin will be soft as a baby's bottom.
Skin Detoxification
This one is a little bit controversial. Many aestheticians claim that certain materials, when used in a body wrap (like clay, mud, seaweed and algae) will "pull" toxins out of your body. But while there's no scientific evidence to support the idea of a full-body detox, you could have some luck with skin purification and improvement of acne.
Relaxation
Relaxation is probably the one body-wrap benefit that anyone would be hard-pressed to dispute. Regardless of what might or might not be happening with your skin and cellulite, you're spending quality time alone, listening to calming music in a sweet-smelling, low-lit room. Of course, if you're totally claustrophobic it would definitely not be pleasant to be wrapped up like a mummy and left in a dark room for a half-hour.
Copyright 2019 © Relaxing Touch (Pty) Ltd
site design by X3 Design Studio
