Why Body Treatments...

What's up with Body Treatments?

Body treatments are an under-rated spa service because people tend to think they can do it themselves at home.  Of course you can, but it won't be as thorough, effective or relaxing.  Esthetician use better ingredients and better, safer techniques.

Benefits of Body Treatments

Body treatments are known to help prevent wrinkles, decrease cellulite, and slow physical signs of aging, leaving your skin looking fresher and younger.  Seaweed, salt, mud, charcoal, and mineral wraps are also excellent ingredients to exfoliate your skin and remove toxins.  As with other spa services, body treatments help with your mental health also as they reduce stress, soothe tired muscles, and relax both your body and mind.  Even experienced spa-goers don't understand body wraps.  Different body wraps serve different purposes, and it's important to understand the difference between detox, hydrating and slimming wraps so you get the experience you want.

Body wrap treatments are sometimes called a body cocoon or body mask. Body wraps often make an appearance in signature spa treatments, which might start with a scrub, move on to a wrap, and finish with a hydration treatment

Differents Treatments and Combinations

The basic body scrub exfoliates your outermost, dead skin cells with a salt scrub (rougher), a sugar scrub (gentler) or some other exfoliant, like coffee grounds or fruit enzymes that gently loosen the inter-cellular bonds. It is usually followed by a shower and an application of lotion.

A body scrub can be a stand-alone treatment, but it is often combined with a body wrap that is either hydrating (adding moisture to the skin) or detoxifying  (anything with clay, mud or seaweed).

Once you've been exfoliated and rinsed off the salt or sugar, you may lay down so the cream, clay, mud or seaweed can be applied.  Then you're wrapped up and kept warm for about 20 minutes, hopefully getting a head massage at the same time.

If it's a hydrating treatment, you don't want to rinse off the cream.  If it's clay, mud or seaweed, you are rinsed again, then come have an application of lotion.

Body scrubs and wraps often show up in longer treatments called rituals or signature treatments. Body treatments are essentially a facial for your whole body and leave your skin feeling velvety smooth and soft. The idea behind a body treatment is that it is just as important to cleanse, exfoliate, and hydrate the skin on your body as it is the skin of your face. This holistic procedure is good for your body no matter what time of year, but it can especially be helpful in the winter as it moisturizes skin when it is typically dry and flaky.

Body Scrubs/Polishes

The most popular body treatment is a body scrub, sometimes called a body polish, salt glow or sea-salt scrub. This is an exfoliating treatment that takes place on a table covered with a sheet and a large, thin piece of plastic. As you lay on your stomach, the massage therapist rubs a mixture of sea salt, oil, and aromatics (like lemon) into your skin. This exfoliates the skin and leaves it feeling fresh and soft.

Once your whole body is scrubbed, it is removed, leaving fresh skin.   Then lotion is applied.  It's an invigorating treatment, and it's a good idea to get your scrub before your wrap if you choose to have both.

Darling Esthetics performs a Kur fine sea salt polish.

Differences Between Body Masks and Wraps

First, both body wraps and masks always start with some kind of exfoliation.  At the very least, there will be a dry body brushing.  However, a dry body brushing is not nearly so effective as a body scrub.
Because you want the product they put on your skin to be able to penetrate the skin as deeply as possible, splurge on the body wrap includes a body scrub first. 

If you're slathered with mud, algae, or seaweed and wrapped in a thermal blanket, it's a "detoxifying" treatment that stimulates your metabolic system, speeding its ability to carry away waste products. A body wrap can also be a wrapping treatment used to treat cellulite. It sometimes has a diuretic effect that aids in temporary weight reduction.

If the product is cream or lotion, it's a "hydrating" treatment.

Different types of wraps

Detoxing and remineralizing body wraps

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.  Then you are wrapped in plastic and covered with a blanket for about 20 minutes, which is the body wrap.  These products work by stimulating your circulation, drawing out impurities, and giving your body minerals it might be missing.  Afterwards, the body mask is washed off and you may get an application of lotion.

Who should get a detox body wrap:  Save this for when you really are making changes in your diet and trying to reduce your toxic load.

These clays, muds and seaweeds may be natural, but they are effective....and expensive!   Don't have a detox wrap and then go eat a T-bone and four martinis.  It will make you feel worse rather than better, and you've wasted your money.

Darling Esthetics Wraps

Hydrating body wraps use creams and gels to soften, soothe and hydrate the skin.

Usually the spa will use a super-luxurious body cream from its line. You don't want to wash it off.

Who should get a hydrating body wrap:  You're out on the ski slopes.  It's the middle of winter.  You take off your jeans and watch the white flakes fly.  It's time to exfoliate and hydrate! Or can they can also help your skin recover from too much time in the sun.

Slimming wraps

Slimming wraps are a labor-intensive specialty that aren't found everywhere.   For a slimming wrap, each limb is tightly wrapped after being covered in a high-concentration mineral solution to detox and remineralize the body.   Some spas such as Darling Esthetics will use Micro current or Radio Frequency followed with cellulite lotions.

What Happens During A Body Wrap?

A body wrap should begin with exfoliation, and a salt scrub or body polish is much superior to dry brushing.  You lie down on whatever you will eventually be wrapped in – often plastic or mylar, but sometimes towels or sheets.

Once the product is on, you’re wrapped to stay warm, usually for 20 minutes.

When the time is up, you’re unwrapped and the body mask has to come off.  You might either jump in a shower or the therapist will rinse you off with a handheld shower or hot towels that feel absolutely fabulous. Then you are dried off, and there’s usually an application of lotion to moisturize your skin.

Things To Watch Out For With a Body Wrap

* Don’t expect a body wrap to be a massage.  You esthetician may give an incredible lotion application but it is not classified as a massage.

*Look for signature treatments that include scrub and body wrap

* If you have claustrophobia, this may not be the right treatment for you.

* You might be left alone during the treatment. If that bothers you, ask before you book the service.

*If you have allergies such as selfish be careful which treatment you choose ( definitely not a seaweed wrap)

Care After a Body Treatment

Your skin may be a bit tender after a body treatment—especially if it involved a deep body scrub. However, it is perfectly fine to shower after a body treatment as long as you remember to lather your body with soap then gently rub your washcloth or loofah in circles to remove any dead skin or leftover lotion.  However, since specialty lotion is usually the finishing touch, washing soon after is not recommended.