Today, a body wrap is one of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to reduce cellulite at home. A body wrap is the process of wrapping your body using either plastic or rubber. The main purpose of a body wrap is to stimulate your body to release excess fluids, melt down fat, promote waste removal, and increase your blood circulation to reduce cellulite. These have shown temporary success by achieving weight loss and loss of cellulite. The results are temporary and once your back on your normal routine, the cellulite returns.
Benefits of Body Wraps
Quick results to improve your appearance – People are looking for a fast solution to drop weight or improve skin conditions for an upcoming event like a wedding or a class reunion. The results may be pleasing initially with tightened skin and loss of a few pounds but knowing this is only temporary you’ll be back to where you started after the event.
Well Moisturized Skin – Regardless of what kind of body wrap you choose the end result will reflect a nice and healthy looking moisturized body. Your skin will feel luxurious and supple and this should make the process worth while. Having skin as soft as a baby’s bottom is an amazing feeling.
Detoxification of the Skin – it’s been said by many in the field that certain ingredients and natural plants like seaweed and algae excretes toxins from the body and enhances purification of the skin. This is extremely beneficial for acne issues.
Quality Time to Relax – Although most body wraps are short periods of 30 minute or more, this is when we can relax and enjoy the quiet solitude in a relaxing atmosphere without any distractions in our life. Someone once asked if anyone can truly spend quality time alone… If we can’t relax during a body wrap, when can we?
Preparing Your Body for an Herbal Body Wrap
About two weeks prior to starting any body wrap you should prepare your body for the procedure. The preparation will detoxify your body so the wrap will take action faster. The preparation is the most important part of a successful wrap, however it also requires more discipline. The first and foremost important change in the two week period is to eliminate all alcohol, high fat content foods, sugar including sugar substitutes, and any artificial flavored foods and drinks. Begin eating very healthy by including at least 5 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, lean meats and fish, and at least 2 liters or more of water. During this two week period try to exercise at least 20 minutes a day and concentrate your efforts on the problem areas. Purchase a dry skin brush and start bushing your body a few minutes daily on and around the troubled areas. Always brush your body towards the heart for better results. Prior to your wrap take a hot bath in Epson Salt for about 20 minutes to loosen the skin, detox your body and open up the pores.
About Herbals
The herbal body wraps have a more permanent reaction depending on the herbs used in the procedure. The herbs are used to draw out toxins and increase capillary function and to affect the lymphatic system. It is important to know that a herbal body wrap will effectively decrease your water weight immediately. Be careful not to get dehydrated during or after a home procedure.
There are different types of body wraps that can be created from items found in your home or cheaply purchased at a local market or natural health store. With all the different concoctions that the medical field has prescribed for cellulite removal, the herbs and oils are most popular when creating a body wrap treatment. The preparation of a herbal body wrap is important to understand and follow prior to any application.
Popular Herbal Body Wraps
The following are just a few of the hundreds of herbal mixtures used in body wraps today.
The Herbal Clay Wrap – the herbal mixture uses bentonite that removes toxins, arnica and coffee grounds that is known for stimulation of the lymphatic system, and kelp that softens and tightens the skin. The coffee is known to breakdown fat deposits and both the bentonite and arnica will stimulate blood flow. The process requires 1 package of dried kelp (found in any natural food store), a ½ cup of Bentonite clay, ¼ cup coffee grounds, ¼ cup arnica gel (all found in your local natural food stores). Add 2 to 4 cups of water to the kelp to soften. Add remaining ingredients slowly to create a paste that is smooth enough to stick to your body. Wrap each troubled area with plastic wrap for about 30 minutes.
Olive Oil with Coffee Wrap – Uses about ½ cup caffeinated coffee grounds with ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil. The mixture needs to be heated up in the microwave for about 30 seconds and applied to the troubled areas and wrapped with plastic wrap. This should be on your skin for about a half hour before removing and washing.
Honey, Lime Juice and Green Clay Wrap – Mix these ingredients with hot water to make a smooth paste that will stick to your body. This require a little rubbing into the troubled areas for best results. Wrap the area with plastic wrap and leave on for about a half hour. This has been known to be very effective if performed regularly.
Caffeinated Herbal Tea Wrap – This requires a tea solution in a larger bowl to dip towels to apply. Use 1 cup of natural herbal tea in water and soak a towel or a sheet cut into strips into the solution. Wrap the towel or strips around the troubled areas for about 10 to 15 minutes. This wrap can also be performed with lavender, ginger, or chamomile instead of the herbal tea. All are available at your local health store.
Salt and Clay Wrap – This requires you to dissolve a cup of salt and mix 3 cups of clay into a bowl large enough to soak a towel or added sheet strips for application. The mix should be a thicker paste when ready and should be applied using the towel or sheet strips on the troubled areas for about 30 minutes.
Herbal Cocoa Wrap – The ingredients include a 1/3 cup of honey, ½ cup of milk, 1 cup of cocoa powder. This is applied using a brush and left on your body for at least 30 minutes. Rinse afterwords with warm water.
Slimming Body Wraps
A slimming body wrap is an older technique that wraps the body using ace bandages very tight to cause quick weight loss through vasodilation. The bandages are usually soaked in an electrolyte solution. These are offered to also improve arthritis and for people with skin ailments. During a slimming wrap you will be required to perform exercises on a treadmill or elliptical machine while being wrapped. These slimming body wraps are offered today at various spas and are primarily for temporary weight loss treatments that may result in a temporary reduction of cellulite.
BioSlimming – this program that originated from France has shown a 67% effective rate on reducing fat deposits and cellulite. The program consists of 3 gels and a cream applied in 2 separate steps. It starts out with a detox base, an active slim gel, and an active slim cream. The active ingredients provide enhanced weigh loss and helps on the appearance of varicose veins and stretch marks. This is a 40 minute period before the next step is performed. The next step is a 20 minute period with an Ultra Slim Effect gel used for slimming and cellulite. The test result have shown a 98% success rate for reduced cellulite and 100% success rate in weight loss.
Spa Treatments
A spa body wrap treatment will pamper you from start to end and most women want them on regular basis. Most spa treatments consist of a rub down of a natural herb cream to start the detoxification. You are placed in a lightly lit room with soft music in the background that truly enhances the relaxed atmosphere. Most spa treatments are performed in stages starting with a specialized herb either rubbed on or soaked in towels for the first application. Usually every 15 minutes another application is added throughout the treatment until complete. These usually take from 1 hour to 3 hours depending on the selections. Prices range from $50 all they up to hundreds depending on choices and selections. Bottom line, you will look and feel amazing after a spa wrap but remember, these are temporary results and require constant treatments to continue with the results.
*The 3 Day Detox Plan
For an effective and faster detoxification of your body there is a 3 day plan that has shown excellent success. This may take the place of the 2 week plan reflected above however, the 2 week will provide better results. Before starting any detox plan please consult your physician.
Day 1 – Water only (8 glasses) – this is the first day to start flushing your system and extracting those toxins from your body. Experts encourage room temperature water over cold or hot to start the detox of the body the correct way.
Day 2 & 3 – Drink at least 8 glasses of water throughout the day. Your meals must consist of 4 servings of uncooked fruit, vegetables, and at least 1 cup of whole grains with every meal.
Avoid: sugar, alcohol, cheese, milk, chocolate, eggs, meats, and anything with preservatives. Try to not smoke during this period if possible.
Conclusion
Body wraps are useful for quick weight loss and temporary cellulite reductions and are very popular among women that love to be pampered. Home wraps can be messy and cumbersome but they still have that same relaxing ambiance found at the spas. Herbal wraps are known for longer lasting result if they are followed with proper diet and exercise. There is truly no known cure for cellulite that does not include proper nutrition and fitness. If your interested in a spa treatment for the first time make sure you look for reputable establishments to avoid an unhealthy experience. Best of Luck and remember to relax and enjoy the experience.
Dan Ripa
