The Basics of Body Wraps

Body wraps incorporate natural ingredients such as mud, herbs, clay, lotions and even seaweed for a variety of skincare and health benefits. Learn about these various types of treatments and how they work.

What to expect

Administered by an esthetician, massage therapist or another qualified practitioner, a body wrap is typically a two-part process that includes a specialized treatment applied to the skin, followed by the actual wrap.

Here are the specifics:

• To start, the specialist preps the skin with an exfoliating body scrub, which loosens dead, dry skin and revs up blood flow, increasing the efficacy of the actual wrap.
• After exfoliation, the specialist applies a body mask — usually a purifying substance such as mud, clay or seaweed — to the skin.
• Then, she uses plastic, Mylar, bandages, elastic cloths or other snug-fitting materials to tightly wrap the body (including the neck, torso, arms and legs), trapping the ingredients close to the skin and keeping it warm.
• Depending on the type of wrap, you may or may not be lying down during the treatment. For instance, you might wear some body wraps while exercising or even in a sauna.
• After a set amount of time, which varies depending upon the treatment, you'll either rinse off in the shower or the specialist will use a hand-held shower nozzle. Another option is the Vichy shower, which includes five to seven shower heads that pour water onto your skin while you're lying down comfortably.
• Once the skin is dry, the specialist applies emollient body lotions to seal in moisture and keep skin smooth and silky.

Treatment types

You’ll find a variety of body wraps in today’s salons. Here’s just a sampling of body wraps that aim to:

• Detoxify
  • A seaweed, algae, mud or clay body wrap can help to remove environmental toxins from the skin, reduce stress, increase circulation and normalize over-active oil glands.
  • The plastic or gauze material used to wrap the body also has detoxifying benefits. The tightness of the binding, combined with heat from the body causes sweating, which also releases toxins.
  • Skin should feel softer and look firmer. You also might notice relief from redness or acne after one treatment.
  • To maintain these benefits between treatments, keep L’Occitane Grape Warming Body Wrap on hand. This unique self-warming gel detoxifies and hydrates the body with a blend of red vine leaf extract, organic grape juice and grape seed oil.
• Slim down
  • Many spas offer wraps that claim to trim inches, but do they work? Proponents say yes — but, the results are temporary.
  • Slimming treatments often use elastic cloths or bandages to promote sweating and absorb excess fluids and toxins that cause the body to appear smaller. Advocates of these body wraps believe that toxins trapped in the skin can lead to cellulite, and many slimming body wraps are designed with this thought in mind.
  • Other slimming treatments temporarily trim inches in other ways, using such substances as caffeine. A diuretic, caffeine prevents water retention, which can lead to a perception of weight loss — though, in reality, it’s only water loss.
  • Other popular ingredients include sea water, paraffin wax or mud to compress fatty tissue and stimulate the metabolism.
• Manage pain
  • Body wraps also target pain, including muscle soreness, joint pain and aches from arthritis.
  • Some spas are even taking this process one step further by incorporating homeopathic or naturopathic elements into their body wraps to help with the accompanying side effects of pain, such as insomnia. But, it’s uncertain whether these treatments actually work.
• Hydrate
  • These body wraps target dry and sensitive skin by cocooning the skin with deeply hydrating agents, such as shea butter.
  • They also aim to help specific skin conditions, including psoriasis and eczema.
  • Not all dry skin conditions will benefit from a body wrap, however. For instance, extreme heat can aggravate rosacea, a condition that leaves the skin with dry patches.

Considerations

• Although body wraps may seem harmless enough, there are several significant concerns, including the risk of overheating, dehydration and circulation issues, dermatologist Joel Schlessinger, president of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery, tells The Seattle Times.
• Many mainstream doctors also believe that the body doesn’t need detoxifying, because our kidneys and liver eliminate toxins on a regular basis, according to The Seattle Times.
• If you’re claustrophobic, avoid body wraps, because having your entire body wrapped up may make you very uncomfortable.