Body Wraps For Weight Loss – What Is It?
A body wrap is basically a linen/plastic sheet or a blanket that is wrapped around your body or at specific areas of the body on top of a layer of herbal or natural ingredients. It helps you sweat without moving an inch, which, in turn, helps flush out toxins and reduce inches from that wrapped area. Decades ago, linen was the most widely used wrap, but these days, plastic or blanket is the most preferred wrap. Though the main principle of body wraps is similar to that of sauna treatment, body wraps are said to be more effective (2). But you cannot just put on any wrap and expect good results. You must follow our guidelines to make your body wrap do its work brilliantly. Here’s what you should know.
How To Make Homemade Body Wraps More Effective?
1. Keep Yourself Hydrated
The body wraps will make you sweat, thereby helping you shrink the fat cells and flush the toxins out. So, it’s important that you keep yourself well hydrated. Drink about 750 ml – 1000 ml water before wrapping your body. You can also keep a cup of water near you so that you can take a sip whenever you want while you are in the wrap. Add cucumber, berries, lemon, mint, etc. to fortify the water with nutrients and make it look more exciting.
2. Best Ingredients
Use the best organic ingredients to make the body pack/mask to get the best results. Many packaged body packs/masks are available in the market but they will not be as effective as the organic ones. So, buy organic ingredients and follow our instructions on how much of each ingredient you should use to get the best results. Nothing can beat organic and natural products when it comes to weight loss and healing.
3. Prep Your Body
Before you apply the body pack/mask, you must take a shower and then use a homemade scrub to exfoliate the dead skin. This will help your skin to absorb the goodness of the body pack, which will help you lose a few inches and flush out the toxins. You can make homemade scrub by mixing 2 tablespoons of orange peel powder, 2 tablespoons of rice flour, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of gram flour, and 6-7 tablespoons of water.
4. Be Consistent
If you really want to lose weight, and not just get ready for a special occasion, then you must get the wrap treatment twice a week. You can try different body packs/masks or wraps each time to keep yourself excited and motivated. The results that you get will be unmatched.
5. Do Not Overdo It
You may think that if you do this wrap treatment every day, you will get skinny like a supermodel. I am afraid to say that you will not lose weight this way. You will harm your body if you do it on a daily basis. So, make sure not to get the body wrap treatment done more than twice every week. Now, let me take you through the wrapping process, step-by-step.
How To Use Body Wraps For Weight Loss ?
Lalitha Bhowani-Mcsorley, a physiotherapist, says, “Before you wrap your stomach, it is important to take the necessary preparatory measures. You should start by exfoliating your skin with a scrub or a brush to remove any dead skin cells or impurities that might impede the effectiveness of the wrap. This will also ensure that the wrap adheres better and produces better results.” Let’s take a look at the steps: Step 1 – Take a shower before taking the homemade body wrap treatment. Bathing will help remove all the dust and dirt from your skin and will allow better absorption of the goodness of the body mask. Step 2 – The second step is to exfoliate your skin with the help of a homemade scrub. Here’s how you can make the perfect scrub easily at home.
Homemade Scrub Recipe
Ingredients
2 tablespoon coconut oil 1 teaspoon fine sugar 1-2 drops of lemon essential oil
Directions
Step 3 – Apply the body mask in the target areas. Make sure to apply only a thin layer of the mixture because the body mask is very effective and you don’t need a lot to lose inches. Here’s a super effective body mask recipe that you can make at home.
Homemade Body Mask Recipe
Ingredients
1-2 tablespoons of Dead sea clay/ natural clay 1 tablespoon aloe vera gel 1 teaspoon Epsom salt 2-3 drops of lavender essential oil 1 teaspoon honey 2-3 tablespoon rose water
Directions
Step 4 – Wrap the areas with plastic. Plastic wraps are not only more effective but also do not require to be washed like the cloth bandages. Make sure you wrap the plastic sheets not too tightly as that may scar your skin. If you want to wrap your chin and neck, first wear a shower cap and then wrap your chin and neck by bringing the plastic wrap over your head, down to your chin and jawline. You can also wrap your upper body on day 1 and then wrap your lower body on day 2 to make the process more convenient. For spot treatments, you can wrap the affected area, like thighs or tummy. Step 5 – Now, all you have to do is relax and let the wrap do its work. You can lie down or sit, watch a movie, talk to your friends, listen to music etc. And by this time, the wrap will start to make the target area sweat, which is what you need. You can cover the wrapped area with a towel. Keep the wrap on for 60 minutes. Step 6 – After an hour, you can unwrap it. Remove the plastic wrap cautiously and then take a shower to wash off the body mask. Step 7 – The last step of the wrap is to moisturize your skin with a good moisturizer. You can also apply coconut oil or stretch mark reducing creams or moisturizers. There you go, an easy way to wrap your body using a homemade body mask in the comfort of your home. And to make your body wrap treatment at home more exciting, here are a few more body wrap recipes for you. Take a look.
Easy Homemade Body Wrap Recipes
1. Body Wrap For Detoxification
Ingredients
½ cup Epsom salt 1 cup natural clay 4 tablespoon almond oil 2 drops lavender essential oil (optional) 2 cups warm water
Directions
2. Body Wrap For Melting Fat
Ingredients
1 cup white clay ½ cup apple cider vinegar 3 tablespoon neem powder 2 drops grapefruit essential oil
Directions
3. Body Wrap For Cellulite
Ingredients
1 cup Epsom salt 1 cup white clay 50 ml olive oil 2 cups warm water 3 drops rosemary essential oil
Directions
4. Body Wrap For Rejuvenating Skin
Ingredients
10 strawberries 10 grapes ½ cup papaya 2 drops lemon essential oil
Directions
5. Body Wrap For Skin Tightening
Ingredients
1 cup white clay ½ cup Bengal gram flour 2 tablespoon yogurt ½ cup water 3 drops orange essential oil
Directions
So, these were the 5 amazing homemade body wrap recipes that will help you shed a few inches quickly. But how can you make your wrap treatment more spa-like? Here’s how!
Simple Steps To Get Spa-Like Body Wrap At Home
So you see, getting a spa-like body wrap treatment at home if not that tough at all! But the question is, do body wraps really work? Find out in the next section.
Do Body Wraps Really Aid Weight Loss?
Body wraps do work, but the results vary from person to person. It is a short-term weight loss solution that can take 1-2 inches off. The weight loss also depends on the type of bandage used, how much water your body retains, and how long you keep the body wrap on (some people feel comfortable keeping the body wrap for a longer duration). Do not expect to lose 10 pounds in just an hour! Plus, you should also avoid overdoing it as that may seriously damage your circulation and skin. You can also measure your weight loss. Want to know how? Find out next.
How To Measure Homemade Body Wrap Weight Loss ?
You can measure it with measuring tape and also take visual cues. Here’s how you should do it.
Take a measuring tape and measure your problem area girth. Write it down in a notepad. Now, take pictures of your problem area from different angles (if it’s your whole body, ask your friend to take pics for you). Now, get your wrap treatment. After completing the wrap treatment, measure the girth of your problem area and take pics in the same angles that you did before taking the wrap treatment.
As we come to the end of this article, here’s what you must remember.
Points To Remember
Always follow the recommended steps, i.e., take a shower and exfoliate before applying the body mask. Before wrapping yourself in plastic or linen, do a spot test by wrapping a small part of your body to find out if you are sensitive to the wrap or not. Try to use a freshly prepared body mask. We recommend using plastic wraps, but you can also use linen bandages. Do not wrap the bandages too tight or too loose. Make sure to cover the problem areas properly. If you have heart problems or any other medical issue, please talk to your doctor before trying this homemade wrap treatment for weight loss. Avoid it if you are pregnant or lactating. Children should not be given body wrap treatment for weight loss. Rinse off the body mask immediately if you feel itchy or uncomfortable.
Can you use body wraps every day? Check out the infographic below to know the tips you need to follow while using homemade body wraps for maximum benefits. “No, it is not recommended that you use body wraps every day. The skin needs time to breathe and rest, so if you are using body wraps for weight loss as part of your daily routine, it should be done no more than twice a week. Additionally, the ingredients used in homemade body wraps can be drying or irritating to the skin,” says Lalitha Bhowani-Mcsorley. Do heat wraps work for weight loss? According to Lalitha, “When it comes to the idea of using heat wraps to promote weight loss, there is no scientific evidence to support such a claim. While many people may see a short-term decrease in their weight after using one, this is primarily due to the body losing water weight and not actual fat. When individuals hydrate themselves and resume eating normally, the weight will come back. With that being said, heat wraps can be an effective short-term solution to cut weight through water loss. What are the different types of body wraps? Lalitha Bhowani-Mcsorley says,” There is a wide variety available in the market, including detox wraps, mineral wraps, and herbal wraps. Each type of wrap offers its own unique benefits, and it is important to discuss the specific needs and concerns with your physician prior to beginning any type of body wrapping therapy.” Do body wraps tighten loose skin? Yes, temporarily. Wrapping the body helps to eliminate the water content, which may give your loose skin the appearance of being more firm. Are body wraps safe? Yes, but ensure that you are adequately hydrated. However, don’t overdo it with body wraps to tone your body.
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