Body Wraps: Do the DIY options work?
There are times when you just don’t feel like leaving the house, but you’d still like to enjoy the wellness benefits of a spa service. DIY spa techniques can be an enjoyable way to pamper yourself without leaving the comfort of your home, but how effective they are can be a slightly different story. This is not to say we are against a DIY spa day, at home facials and body scrubs can be divine! However, we frequently find that treatments delivered in a salon or spa environment are more effective because they are either administered by a professional, or the product/equipment is only available for purchase by professionals.
In case you haven’t noticed, we love body wraps and spa treatments. Taking the time to research everything spa related is important to us. So, we dug a bit deeper to answer some frequently asked questions and find out if DIY body wraps work!
Homemade Body Wrap FAQ
Can a DIY body wrap help me lose weight?
We want to say yes, but that’s not exactly true. Tightly wrapping your body with a homemade mix and some cellophane or ace bandages may help you get rid of water weight temporarily. This could be useful for a date night or one day event, however when you consume food and water those inches will return. If you’re serious about weight loss, making healthy lifestyle changes, getting your heart rate up and sweating regularly is the way to go.
What are the steps?
The first step of a do it yourself body wrap is often exfoliation, removing dead skin can help with opening the pores, promote sweating and prepare the body to be wrapped. Next comes the application of a topical product to areas of the body that will be wrapped. Common at home products include essential oils, seaweed, clay, caffeine, cayenne powder, salt, coconut oil and olive oil. Once you’ve mixed up your concoction and applied it to the body the last step is wrapping the body in a compression style before waiting an hour or so to remove it.
Are there side effects?
It’s always a great idea to do your research on the ingredients. Some common ingredients of a DIY body wrap may create a tingling, itching or burning sensation. Another possible issue, wrapping the body too tight. Compression can be great, but it’s important to ensure proper circulation even if you’re looking for toning and tightening effects.
Can I use homemade body wraps to improve my skin?
You can, especially if you have a skin care goal you’re working towards or you’re doing a girl’s night in. Don’t get us wrong, some DIY treatments include awesome ingredients and can assist with moisturizing or improving the appearance of the skin. The results you most likely will not see include: lasting weight or inch loss, cellulite reduction, skin tightening, detoxification, pain relief and relaxation.
Final verdict? DIY body wraps can get a little messy, require someone else to wrap you and they do not produce lasting results. Think of it this way, if you tightly wrap and compress your body, it might appear thinner… until the compression wears off. If you’re looking for more lasting results they may be achieved with an infrared body wrap because infrared heat can penetrate the body about 1.5 inches. This penetration allows for the breaking up fats and toxins, pain relief, improving the skin and providing relaxation. These benefits and the use of infrared heat make infrared body wrap results different than traditional, or not so traditional body wraps. Just because they are different doesn’t mean your homemade body wrap recipe needs to be tossed out, in fact, using a combination of different wraps may be extremely effective for your body. So keep calm and wrap on!