It’s your largest organ. And it needs lots of looking after. It covers your entire body, and it takes a daily bashing by everything life throws at it. And, although it’s very robust, your skin needs looking after too!

So sometimes it makes sense to give a little back for all this work it does for us. Give it a treat. Give yourself a body-wrap. And it really is better if you have a body-scrub first, or at least a good clean with a quality cleanser; something which exfoliates the skin.

Then it’s fun time, as a mixture of minerals, such as: clay, mud (Dead Sea if possible) and sea salt is pasted on. Some spas offer anti-cellulite additives as an added benefit. This is a particularly attractive option, especially if you’re wanting to reduce your weight a little. And it does this by removing the fatty liquid directly from the cell walls in your skin for natural elimination through the lymphatic system, so it won’t be coming back immediately after you’ve had a sandwich!

Other common additives include herbs and essential oils. Both of which pass on their individual benefits, including their aromatherapeutic value. And once you’ve been pasted up, you’re covered with a polythene cling-film, which helps hold everything close to your body.

Most wraps last between 45 minutes and an hour. This allows ample time for the various ingredients to really get to work and do their jobs. And this provides a whole host of improvements to your skin, including: moisturization, detoxification, firming and tightening, texture smoothing, and it helps blood circulation too. Plus there are added benefits, such as the relief of joints and muscle pains.

But perhaps the nicest thing about a body-wrap is that it feels absolutely WONDERFUL!

All of our recommended spas offer body-wrap treatments, and will happily answer all your questions regarding the dos and don’ts. Here are a few tips anyway.

• You can be wrapped in underwear or swimwear.
• Take a warm shower/bath beforehand to open up the pores.
• Take a cool/warm but not hot, shower/bath afterwards.
• Drink lots of water both before and after to help flush out toxins.
• Try to avoid caffeine, sugar, fried fatty foods, soda drinks and alcohol for the next 48 hours.
• If you have pre-existing medical conditions, obtain your doctor's permission beforehand.