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Body wraps are a necessity, ladies! OK, maybe not a necessity, but they are luxurious and can seem like a mini-vacation. Some body wraps actually do what they say and provide great results. Whether you want to slim that vivacious body of yours, or you want to infuse it with moisture, a body wrap may just be what you need.
Benefits
Radiant skin seems to be an absolute must-have; "People's" Most Beautiful Woman in the World, Jennifer Lopez, is known for her glow. Amber Natale, a consultant at Smarthinking Inc. who is helping to develop The Cove, an extended-stay spa in Idaho, says that body wraps can help you maintain glowing skin all year long. They add nutrients and minerals back into the skin. Body-slimming wraps can reduce water retention in the body and help achieve a slimming, more toned look. Wraps offer other benefits for the body such as helping aging and sagging skin, lightening pigmentation, effective exfoliation, increasing elasticity, helping increase micro-circulation, and nourishing and repairing the skin. Jennifer Jaeger of Le Posh Salon in Los Angeles says that a heated red clay wrap can even remove toxins from the skin, leaving the skin looking and feeling softer and healthier.
Process
Getting a body wrap can be a luxurious day spent at the spa. Erica Goodman, lead trainer and massage therapist of Spa Gregorie's Day Spa and Salon in Southern California, says that the process begins with a light exfoliation from head to toe to take off any dead skin. Active aromessance oils are rubbed onto the body to help relax or get rid of toxins. Then the main product is applied. It can be a sauna mask, detox pack, mud and even parafango, which is a combination of mud and paraffin wax. A wrap usually comes with a neck, scalp and back massage. The body is wrapped in two sheets and cocooned by a warm heated blanket for about 20 minutes. When the wrap process is over, it's time to get washed up. While you're laying down, the waterfall showers cleanse all the products off of your skin. Then the therapist dabs you dry and moisturizes your entire body. Fab-you-lous!
Warning
Body wraps can help refine your skin. However, if you don't drink a lot of water and rest after a wrap, it can both minimize the benefits as well as cause headaches, nausea and stomachaches, according to Zuly Gonzalez, lead esthetician at The Spa at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens. The water flushes out the toxins, and if there isn't water in your system, the toxins can settle in your head or stomach, making you feel sick.
Who Shouldn't Use Body Wraps
Some people should stay away from body wraps, especially those who are claustrophobic. You are wrapped, and although not tightly, you are confined with your arms to your sides for up to 20 minutes. Pregnant women, diabetics or women with heart disease or circulatory problems should also skip body wraps. And, if you suffer from certain allergies, especially fruits, flowers, nuts, iodine or plants, you should check with your doctor before getting a body wrap. But don't fret, allergy-driven ladies, there may be alternative products the salon can use.
