One of the main ingredients in body wraps is oil; especially in herbal ones. However, homemade herbal wrap recipes are sometimes more dangerous than they seem; they are often filled with oils that are not good for your skin. Two such oils to watch out for are canola and soybean. Canola oil is problematic because it can clog your blood vessels. Soybean oil is problematic because it has absolutely no nutritional value and it is linked to thyroid issues and heart problems. You should also be wary of normal store bought oil as it will usually be stripped of nutrients. Look for virgin, extra virgin, cold pressed or unprocessed oils for your body wraps. The best place to look is in health food stores. Remember, what you put into your skin also goes into your body, so treat it well!
Going cheap on your homemade body wraps will not do anything good for you. Many of the budget homemade body wrap recipes calls for things like canola oil. While canola oil has bee called healthy oil, in truth, it is actually quite bad for you. Canola oil is linked to clotting blood cells which in turn causes heart problems and anemia in many people. Canola oil also does very little for your skin overall. However, because it is cheap and currently popular, many homemade recipes for body wraps call for it. Avoid these. Instead, use virgin, extra virgin, unprocessed or cold pressed olive oil or fish oil; these oils will actually help your skin without damaging the body underneath. Remember, your skin is the pathway to the rest of your body and if you damage it, you damage yourself.
Soybean oil is oil with a reputation that it does not deserve. Contrary to popular belief, soy is not a health food or even a food at all. Like clover, it was originally grown it put nutrients back into soil, not for consumption. However, it has taken off as an ideal health food, much to the chagrin of many nutritionists. Soybean oil is also seen in body wraps which are equally damaging. Soy is problematic because it can cause thyroid issues, cognitive problems, and heart problems. Soybean oil has very little benefit for your skin; all it will do is use your skin as a doorway to the rest of your body and the problems found therein. When you are researching possible homemade body wraps, make sure that any recipes on your shortlist do not include this popular, but dangerous, oil.
One of the basic ingredients for most homemade body wraps is some kind of oil; the kind varies radically between recipes. However, if you want to give your skin the best treatment it can possibly get, choosing the best oil is a great start. Make sure to avoid canola oil, soybean oil, and cheaper quality oils that are usually found in grocery stores. These oils can range from being useless to being downright harmful to your health and so they are not worth putting on your skin for hours at a time! Instead, invest the money into getting high quality oil such as olive oil. Look for oil that is extra virgin, virgin, cold pressed and unrefined/unprocessed; these oils will still have most of their nutritional value and thus will be helpful to your skin as well as the rest of your body. Your best chance is to find them in a health food store.
Remember, your skin is the shield for your body. Protect it and you protect your body. Avoid these harmful oils in your body wraps and you’ll feel much better for it.