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Culinary

What is a Seaweed Wrap?

Diane Goettel
By
Updated May 17, 2024
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A seaweed wrap is a spa treatment during which the entire body is covered in a paste made primarily of seaweed. Once the paste is applied, the body is wrapped in warm towels or blankets and the client is left to relax for up to an hour. At the end of the treatment, the client rinses off the paste in a shower at the spa. Seaweed wraps are meant to cleanse and nourish the skin, leaving it smooth and supple. Some beauty specialists assert that seaweed wraps can help with weight loss and can reduce the visibility of cellulite.

Seaweed wraps, much like massages, are intended to remove toxins from the skin and the body. In order to aid with the flushing out of toxins, health and beauty experts often advise drinking extra water the days before and after having a seaweed wrap as well as the day of. Four to six extra glasses of water on each of these days is usually the advised quantity.

While most spas offer a seaweed wrap that covers the entire body, it is possible to receive a treatment that targets specific areas such as the arms or legs. This option is often more appealing to people who are uncomfortable having a spa therapist slather their entire bodies. It is also appealing to those who are most concerned with a certain body area and don't want to pay for a full body wrap.

Having a seaweed wrap at a spa is not an inexpensive treat. Many spas price this treatment at $100 USD (US Dollars) or more. Furthermore, to fully appreciate the benefits of this treatment, many beauty experts advise having a seaweed wrap once a week for six to eight weeks. Following this advice to the letter, it is possible to find oneself spending quite a large sum of money.

It is possible to enjoy the benefits of a seaweed wrap at home. The paste required for the wrap can be purchase pre-made for between $20 USD and $30 USD for a container with enough product for 2-4 treatments. It can be also made at home. Recipes for the paste can be easily found by conducting a quick Internet search. After applying the paste, simply lie down on a bed that has been covered with towels and wrap up in a cotton sheet or thin blanket. Keep the room temperature warm and take an hour to relax before bathing.

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Diane Goettel
By Diane Goettel
In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane Goettel serves as the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. Over the course, she has edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter “Sapling,” and The Adirondack Review. Diane holds a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.
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Discussion Comments

By bythewell — On Apr 03, 2013

@pastanaga - I wish there was an independent company that tested all these sorts of things scientifically and published them so everyone could see what these treatments actually do. Because I really think that it's all speculation until you get some hard scientific evidence.

Unfortunately, most of the time you either get anecdotal evidence or biased studies conducted by the company that's selling the cure, neither of which inspire me with confidence.

By pastanaga — On Apr 03, 2013

@indigomoth - Well, I always thought you literally take the seaweed sheets and wrap them around your body, not use a paste, so it shows what I know!

But I do think it can probably do something. The skin isn't an inert organ, it does lose toxins through sweat and it can help to regulate how bloated you feel. Possibly this might help with scarring and cellulite, since I know that creams with vitamins in them can help with that, so why shouldn't this paste?

I don't think it's a miracle cure and I don't think I'm going to spend $100 a week on it, but I would probably give a home seaweed wrap a try.

By indigomoth — On Apr 02, 2013

I have to say I'm quite skeptical about these sorts of spa wrap treatments. I just can't imagine that many toxins leaving the body through the skin like that.

I mean, I can see that they could have a temporary effect on skin, or maybe even a long term effect if they end up putting some vitamins into it. But toxins are supposed to be eliminated from the body in other ways and wrapping yourself in seaweed and towels isn't going to change basic biology.

Diane Goettel

Diane Goettel

In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane Goettel serves as the executive editor of Black...
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