Katherine Heigl has done it. Paula Abdul has done it. And, now I have done it too. I’m talking about about the Universal Contour Wrap, a full-body detoxifying wrap.
Oh no, not another of those treatments that claim to make you instantly slimmer by wrapping you up in some exotic herbs and magic potion. Hold on – before I go on, I want to say that I’m probably one of the biggest sceptics around when it comes to slimming treatments.
So why did I try the Universal Contour Wrap then? I did it in the name of journalism (yeah, right). Ok ok, I did it because I was sceptical; I wanted to see if the treatment really does what it claims to and whether I could smugly say “See?! It didn’t work on me!” at the end of the treatment.
So one fine day, I took up the challenge at Phoenix La Beaute, the first and only beauty salon in Singapore that offers the Universal Contour Wrap. I guess I have nothing to lose, except erm, inches.
Photo courtesy of Phoenix La Beaute.
The Universal Contour Wrap is a full-body wrap treatment that makes use of all-natural and mineral-rich clay from the Dead Sea. The idea behind this treatment is that the sea clay, with its therapeutic and healing properties, absorbs oils and impurities from the body and draws out toxins through the pores. Coupled with the use of Dead Sea clay is a specialised wrapping technique that sculpts and shapes the body, leaving you more toned.
Begin the treatment began, my therapist sat down with me to explain what the treatment is about. I was informed that if my BMI (Body Mass Index) is 21 and above, the guaranteed inch loss is at least 6 inches, but if it’s under 21, the inch loss will be subjective. Unfortunately (or rather, fortunately and thankfully), my BMI is below 21.
For the treatment, you’ll be asked to strip down and only put on a teeny weeny pair of disposable undies. So, if you are the bashful kind who shies away from exposing your body to a stranger, this treatment is not for you.
My therapist set forth to take my weight and measure me from head to point. She even drew small lines on my body, legs and hands so she would know where exactly she had taken the measurements. I was whisked into a multi-spectrum infra-red dry sauna called the MPulse to allow pores on my skin to open up, and 10 minutes later, the fun began.
My therapist opened up a metal container to unveil bundles of bandages soaked in a solution with warm clay atop. Then she started wrapping.
At first touch, the wrap felt warm. There was no smell to the clay at all. Swiftly and dexterously, my therapist built up layers and layers around my limbs and body. The Bangles classic “Walk Like an Egyptian” started to play in my head. So, this is how mummies probably felt being mummified; if they could feel anything at all, that is.
The bandages were tight, but not uncomfortable. In my stiff embalmed state, I slipped into a silver “spacey-looking” insulating suit. To aid in the process, my therapist placed half my body in a presso-therapy machine (the pressure of which was painful on my two feet, to be honest). Thereafter, I simply lay down for an hour.
The insulating suit I have to wear after the wrapping.
A presso-therapy treatment is given to my legs on top of the wrap treatment.
After time was up, my therapist began unwrapping me. It’s now the moment of truth – did the treatment work on me?
As it turned out, I lost a good 7.3 inches and even more astonishing, my weight went down by 800g. The cellulite on my hips also became way less visible (I was shown before-and-after photos). Fine, the results might not be spectacular to some people, but hey, for two hours of doing almost nothing, I’m not complaining about the results.
I lost 7.3 inches in total after the treatment.
I was once told that the first 5kg of weight loss is due to fluid loss (though I am not sure how much truth there is to that). I asked my therapist about this theory. She assured me that the Universal Contour Wrap removes toxins, not water from the body. In fact, I was instructed to drink lots of water post-treatment for the coming few days to help my body flush out the toxins more.
It’s been almost four weeks since my treatment, and surprise, surprise, my weight has remained the same (in spite of the feasting in December too). As I was informed, the inch loss is supposed to last for at least 30 days.
All in all, I would say use the Universal Contour Wrap is a treatment that helps you detox. However, don’t rely on it as a weight loss programme; after all, that’s not what it sets out to be. Take it as a detoxification programme to complement a healthy lifestyle, and treat any additional weight loss as a bonus.
Phoenix La Beaute
390 Orchard Road #03-01
Palais Renaissance
Singapore 238871
Tel: +65 6733 0088
Editor’s note: The treatment was done as a media invitation. All opinions expressed are the writer’s own.
