Shrinking Violet Body Wrap At the Chamomile Sanctuary Spa

the amazing relaxation room at the Chamomile Spa

I am the first to admit I had a very strange picture of body wrap treatments and how they worked in my mind before I went along for one on Sunday. I had this Full Monty-esque vision of being swaddled in what was essentially cling film before getting incredibly warm and just sweating out a tonne of water weight. Parts of that are not a million miles away from how this amazing new treatment being offered at the Chamomile Sanctuary Spa in Edinburgh is performed, but turns out the process is far more scientific than I thought...

The Shrinking Violet Body Wrap treatment begins with my therapist giving me a brisk cactus bristle body brush ( not as sore as it sounds!) all over. This stimulates the blood flow before the application of the heavenly smelling Shrinking Lotus oil to the skin. Quick and light to apply, this oil is where the magic happens as it contains Lecithin which encourages lipolysis via heat transfer to occur. This might all sound a bit technical but essentially what happens is the lethicin breaks down the triglycerides in the fat cells and breaks them into  fatty acids which are then easily transported away and excreted in fluid ( you need to make sure to drink lots of water in the days following). On top of that, this wonder oil also contains lavender which helps to cleanse and tone,all important Cypress which helps with your dreaded cellulite and juniper which can help shift any swelling. I wanted to nab the bottle off her and drink the contents after hearing that kind of ingredient breakdown!

So there I am in the all together ( except for some delightful paper pants) all oiled up and ready to go and my therapist grabs the cling film look-alike and gets to work. Despite looking very similar, it turns out it is not actually cling film at all but a  a non-toxic and much stronger and stretchy roll of film that is wrapped tightly around your body and shrinks while you lie in it, which helps the oil penetrate the skin and do its work. I could not help but giggle at this part of the treatment, having my naked self mummified was something I never pictured myself trying but I am so glad I did. My therapist was amazing, she had explained everything up front and expertly and swiftly guided me while she wrapped me up tight, always making sure I was comfortable and happy with how it felt.  Being wrapped up is certainly one of the oddest experiences I have had but not at all unpleasant- you just feel pretty restricted and well, a little bit silly but it is in no way painful or uncomfortable.

Then comes the fun part- waddling over to the bed and being helped to lie down on the bed, no mean feat when you are tightly wrapped up!  A warm blanked is placed on top and then there you go- it is chill out time. Lights dimmed, ipod on ( with the option to play your own music) and you let the ingredients do their magic. I have to add at this point right now the spa are offering an excellent add on to this treatment, you can opt for £25 more to have the amazing Guinot Hydraclean facial while you are relaxing. I have had one before and can highly recommend throwing it in. On this occasion however I just took the time to chill out- the wrap although tightening on the body is not at all uncomfortable, you don't heat up like I had feared and apart from a brief moment of thinking " I really hope there isn't a fire alarm" I was in bliss. I was checked on to make sure all was well and then at the end was cut free and that was that- time for the results!

clearly not my stomach- that is not for sharing!

Before we had gotten under way and as the treatment was being explained my lovely therapist had taken my measurements and marked my skin where they had been taken so there couldn't be any cheating. Afterwards we took them again and I was amazed that I had lost four and a quarter inches from around my body. My thighs are never ones to change so to lose an inch  and a half from them was amazing, my arms responded well too with an inch and quarter coming off them. and a half inch off my bum was just incredible news! Not only that but my skin felt much smoother, especially around the backs of my thighs and bum cellulite-prone areas. Not bad for just lying around huh? 

I know others have lost even more in a session with feedback on twitter being between 4 and 10 inches- which is absolutely incredible when you think it is actually fat that has been blasted away and not just water weight. Even better is that the oil continues to work for 72 hours so as long as you aren't piling any of the bad stuff in your losses can increase as you head home. I was super impressed with the whole experience and think this is PERFECT for getting you ready for special occasions, or kick starting a new routine. I can totally imagine that for getting ready for the Christmas period and again for the new year health kick this treatment will be booked out so get in there and give it a go. The shrinking violet treatment is only £50 instead of £65 for the whole of November and you can add on the gorgeous Guinot facial for £75, a fab price for a 90 minute treatment with really tangible results. I felt a million dollars walking out of Chamomile  after this and three days later I still feel perky in my now decidedly baggier jeans!

For further information or to book, call the spa reception on 0131-220 1000 or visit chamomilesanctuary.com