Body Wrap and Exfoliation

Facials address need to exfoliate dead skin cells on the face. But just because other parts of your body may be under wrap, don’t ignore them. Exfoliating everywhere is an important step toward healthier smoother skin.

Daily bathing usually get rid of a lot of the dead cells; so does shaving (that’s why men seem to age more slowly than woman- constant facial exfoliation). But if you use a natural sea sponge or a loofah to scrub your skin, you’ll do a more thorough job.

Not only is exfoliating good for your skin, it also feels pretty nice. If your shower is fitted with a fancy shower head, here’s your chance to use the different settings. Even if your shower head is army issue, let the water beat down on tense body parts, such as neck, shoulders and lower back. If the head is attached to a hose, take advantage of it and spray the soles of your feet.

The basic rules of exfoliating are (1) use a mild abrasive, such as a loofah combined with a grainy paste and (2) replace the moisture you took away with a good moisturizer. Try these homemade solutions.

Loofah Body Polish

• Start a hot shower running to let the bathroom get good and steamy, while you mix two cups of mineral salts, sea salts (fine) or Epsom salts, with one-half cup of avocado oil, olive oil or light body lotion to make a thin paste.


• Standing in the shower, apply a handful of paste to your skin, legs, over the buttocks, stomach, arms and chest, paying special attention to rough spots on knees, elbows and heels. (Do not use on face or other sensitive areas.)


• Rinse off in warm shower and pat dry.


• Apply your favorite body lotion or avocado lotion to seal in moisture and protect the skin.

Herbal Body Wrap

Herbal wraps detoxify the body by causing you to sweat out impurities. Some spas continue the wrap for an hour, but that’s too debilitating when doing it on your own. Try 20 minutes.

Start by filling a sink with hot herbal tea – enough to thoroughly soak an old sheet. (because of the heat, you may need to wear rubber gloves to get your hands in there.) Wring out the tea and wrap the hot sheet around your body mummy-style, leaving head and arms out. Wrap a length of plastic wrap around the sheet. Lie down on a towel, and wrap it around you as well.

Lie back and relax with a cool compress on your forehead, taking sips of cold water. After 20 minutes (set an egg timer if you think you might fall asleep), unfurl your layers and follow up with a warm shower.

Mud Spa

One of the newest trends in spa therapies is really among the oldest. As early as 120 B.C., the Romans mined the curative powers of mud from glacial lake beds. Renaissance physicians praised its healing properties, and today it still does wonders for rheumatism and a number of skin conditions such as eczema. Buttering nutrient-rich mud all over your body, or sinking into a tub full of primordial ooze does two things: first, the hot temperature gets you sweating and softens your pores; then the centuries-old organic matter draws out moisture and toxins as it dries. For the reason, mud is particularly good at absorbing oils from greasy skin. However, you can use mud as a hydrating mask by keeping the goop goopy. Preventing it from drying seals the moisture in.

Mud used in spa treatments, which geologically speaking is actually clay, is chock-full of plant extracts, inorganic substances such as salicylic acid, organic substances such as pectin, tannin and cellulose, as well as trace elements of silver, copper, gold and number of vitamins. Clay is the product of thousands of years of erosion- ultra-fine rocks particles that settle in layers. This molecular structure allows the clay-based mud to absorb your skin’s water, oil and any impurities therein like a sponge.

Sitting in a mud bath is the ultimate in relaxation- it’s a rare opportunity to lounge without aggravating any pressure points. More common are mud facials or body masks, where the mud is slathered all over your body, left to dry, then blasted off with a high power hose. At home you can try a number of mud products gleaned from mud supplies all over the world.

You can find mud facials in cosmetic sections. (Follow manufacturers’ instructions.) But don’t try your garden-variety dirt. Studies have shown that some mud can breed infection or, at the very least, skin irritation.