Deep Clean

By Tanya M. Williams

Preservatives, pesticides, pollution, parabens – our bodies are subjected to a multitude of toxins every day. As modern society becomes more aware of these health and environmental threats, detoxifying therapies from dietary cleanses to infrared saunas are becoming more mainstream. Spas have been instrumental in educating individuals about the importance and benefits of regular detoxification and have made this regimen both nurturing and therapeutic through state-of-the-art skin and body treatments. As Terri Rothwell, esthetician at Golden Door Spa at the Boulders notes, “The spa can play an essential role in ‘kick starting’ an overall wellness program. Detoxing is very important as people are trying to clean up and improve the quality of their lives.”

To kick-off my own spring cleanse, I booked a Detoxification Wrap with Lymphatic Drainage Massage at Westglow Spa in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The treatment began with an application of hydrated kaolin clay and volcanic minerals, blended with aloe vera, jojoba oil, and grapeseed extract. Fully coated in the pale green clay and wrapped snugly in plastic to increase heat and absorption of nutrients, I was lulled into relaxation with a gentle scalp massage. After a hot shower, the service concludes with a lymphatic drainage massage using a vitamin-rich cream called Skin Food. After a glass of detox tea, I departed feeling relaxed and light with firmer, smoother skin.

My experience epitomizes the new wave of detox treatments. Timeless natural ingredients and components including clay, algae, seaweed, essential oils, volcanic ash, infrared light, heat, and hydrotherapy make up the nuts and bolts of today’s detox therapies. Although Moor Mud and seaweed wraps are now something of a spa standard, new technology such as the infrared sauna and pure, nutrient dense ingredients, like organic seaweed and volcanic ash (a source of bentonite, a powerful internal and external cleanser) are bringing more sophistication and even greater benefits to these services.

Spas are also offering a more well rounded approach to cleansing. Destinations like Red Mountain Spa host “detox weeks” that include spa treatments, nutritional counseling, and allergen-free meals and cooking classes. Guests continue following a special diet with nutritional supplements for three weeks after the retreat and are coached in reintroducing foods at its conclusion. According to Brad Crump, Red Mountain’s Health Services Manager, “The most visible improvements (after four weeks) are weight loss, improved sleep, increased energy, lower cholesterol levels, and reduced anxiety and depression.”

Day spas, though less likely to provide multi-day treatments, are increasingly apt to offer extras with their detox services – cleansing teas, bentonite drinks, and time in the steam room or sauna – to boost the efficacy of the treatments. Many offer tailor-made detox day packages, bringing complementary therapies together for maximum impact. For instance, Chicago’s Spa Space combines a ninety-minute acupuncture session plus a Green Tea and Ginger Seaweed Wrap and a one-hour deep tissue massage in their Urban Renewal package, which is designed to “launch a healthy new start for body and soul,” according to owner, Natalie Tessler. Other day spas, like The Medical Spa at Nova in Ashburn, Virginia, offer services at a discounted rate when you purchase a series of six, including detox treatments like a Marine Algae Body Wrap and Cellulite Reduction Water Therapy, an underwater massage targeting specific lymphatic and cellulite-prone areas.

Ayurvedic day and destination spas offer a multitude of detoxifying therapies drawn from this ancient philosophy of health and wellness. In accordance with Ayurveda, these therapies focus on balancing the doshas while eliminating toxins and may incorporate steam, herbs, oils, and specialized massages, like Vishesh or Marma Abhyanga. At the Chopra Center & Spa at Dream in New York, the Udi self-guided treatment combines herbal muds, aromatic steam, an exfoliating sea salt scrub, and application of herbal oils for a do-it-yourself detox therapy.

Whether you are looking to just spruce up or truly deep clean, the following guide to key detox treatment ingredients and their benefits will help you embark on your own personal regimen for the first or the fortieth time.

Algae/Seaweed – These abundant and naturally occurring sea plants are very high in minerals, amino acids, and vitamins. Their highly nutritive content helps reduce inflammation, calm skin conditions, and firm and hydrate tissues when applied to the skin.

Bentonite – Derived from volcanic ash, this clay-like substance has its origin in ancient history. It has a strong negatively charged electromagnetic field that literally pulls toxins from the body and a high trace mineral content that nourishes and replenishes tissues. Bentonite can also be safely ingested in small amounts as part of an internal detoxification program.

Clays (aka Muds or Fango) – Aside from bentonite, these include kaolin, red, Moor Mud, and sea clays. All are extremely porous, contain myriad nutrients, and are useful for absorbing toxins and bacteria. (See the Mud & Clay feature on page 50)

Essential Oils – Derived from plants, these chemically complex aromatic oils are potent healers, accessing the blood and lymph via the skin to impart their individual benefits. Detox choices include: juniper, grapefruit, cypress, helichrysum, lemon, and laurel. These oils can be mixed with a carrier oil, such as almond, for massage, or added to bathwater for a deep cleansing soak.

Heat – Whether from steam, sauna or whirlpool, or even a vigorous workout, building heat induces sweating and eliminates toxins as well as activates the body’s natural healing mechanisms by enhancing blood and lymph circulation.

Hydrotherapy – Hydro massage and seaweed or algae baths promote the lymphatic system, the body’s detoxification system, while simultaneously providing relief of muscle tension.

Infrared light – Technically, far infrared light, is the modern alternative to traditional steam or dry heat saunas. Imperceptible to the human eye, far infrared light heats not just the air, but the body directly. This deep heat creates a false fever and activates the body’s thermoregulatory process – increasing heart rate, cardiac output, and metabolic rate and stimulating muscles and organs promoting circulation and perspiration. According to Teerawong Kasiolarn, N.D. at Nova Medical Spa, infrared sauna use can help “reduce excess moisture, salt, and subcutaneous fat. Fats become water soluble and along with toxic waste are removed from your body through perspiration.”

Lymphatic Drainage Massage – This medically honored modality addresses the lymph system with gentle, systematic, circular strokes that assist the body in processing metabolic wastes and other toxins through the lymph nodes. It is often recommended following an acute illness or surgery.

So just how often should you embark on a detox? Crump suggests a full-blown cleanse, like the program Red Mountain offers, once or twice per year. Individual detox spa treatments can be booked as often as once a month, according to Cecilia Hercik, director of spa sales and operations at Spa Grande on Maui.