What Are Body Wraps?

Part of the Spabreaks.com Spa Treatment Guides

Slimming, detoxifying, relaxing, nourishing - body wraps are some of the most intensely therapeutic spa treatments on the market. Wraps are often preferred by those who have been to a spa before, but there’s no reason a first time spa goer shouldn’t have a body wrap either. Usually at least an hour long, they are a wonderful way to relax and unwind. It is advised that you drink lots of water and herbal teas after your treatment to continue the detox process and stay hydrated. It is also recommended that you use spa facilities before the treatment, especially the thermal experiences, to help boost circulation and prepare the skin to encourage spa products to work.

There’s a wide variety of body wraps available to choose from, and each spa puts its own variation on treatments, so this is not an exhaustive list, but a guide to some of the broad categories that body wraps can fall into:

Seaweed wrap: seaweed wraps are especially good for helping with water retention, detox and cellulite. Seaweed from the Hebrides is especially popular in these treatments.

Algae wrap: using warm algae mud, algae wraps help to get rid of dead skin cells and soften the skin. The algae is filled with vitamins and nutrients and the serum nourishes and protects it – it’s really good for hydrating the skin.

Hydrating wrap: hydrating and moisturising wraps can come in lots of different forms with a variety of hero ingredients. Using rich oils and creams, they help to hydrate the skin, support deep relaxation, restore skin elasticity and are excellent for post holiday!

Chocolate body wrap: chocolate body wraps have a wonderful sense of indulgence about them and usually use nourishing cocoa butter, soy and/caffeine elements as part of the treatment, which are good for metabolism, moisturising and relaxing.

Slimming body wrap: it’s important to understand that body wraps will not help you to lose weight long term, but they can help with water retention and toning the skin. Because of the detox element, they can be helpful and encouraging as part of a healthy diet. Effective essential oil ingredients include things like grapefruit, which is skin-toning and detoxifying, ginger and pepper can have a warming effect which helps to activate circulation, caffeine is sometimes present and helps flush toxins from the body, while the combination can help to reduce fatty deposits and cellulite.

Mud wrap: mud treatments draw on some of the most traditional elements of the spa experience. Tailored to personal needs, they are typically slimming and detoxifying and also help to improve circulation. They can also be moisturising, help to de-stress and ease muscular aches and pains as well as being an anti-inflammatory.

Paraffin body wrap: this is where heated wax is brushed over the body to soothe the muscles, draw out dirt, remove dead skin and leave skin feeling clean and soft. Essentially, the ultimate steam - Champneys do it brilliantly.

Thalasso body wrap: Thalassotherapy forms a variety of spa experiences based on the healing powers of sea water. Thalasso wraps incorporate elements of that, including seawater and seaweed, which help to slim, tone and hydrate the body.

What to wear/not wear during a body wrap is one of the most common questions when it comes to this kind of full body treatment. Usually the spa will provide you with paper underwear so that products do not get onto your clothing, and you will be asked to take your gown off, put on the underwear and settle under a towel before the therapist comes into the room. However, you can also choose to wear your own underwear or bikini bottoms during the treatment. Your therapist will only ever uncover the area of your body that they are working on and if you have any questions feel free to ask your therapist at any time.