So I've been on a health kick for quite a while and have so far lost around 11lbs. Measurement-wise that's 6cm off my waist, 6.5cm off my hips and 1.5cm off my arms and thighs.
But I'm still fighting to get another few centimetres off. I've been off ill for the past 5 day, for which I am still awaiting test results to diagnose. With one of the symptoms being bloating, I'm hating life right now as I look like an elephant!
Having googled things to get rid of bloat, I came across mud wraps and was intrigued by their slimming benefits. Further research got me to the brand Ahava. Located in Israel, they study the many minerals that are found in the Dead Sea. Since their founding, they have become a Dead Sea mineral expert.
The Dead Sea is well-known for it's mineral-rich mud. It is high in magnesium, calcium, potassium, and iron which is crucial to achieving and maintaining healthy, smooth skin. The natural properties within mud have been scientifically proven to restore elasticity and moisture in dry skin while helping relieve symptoms such as soreness, redness, roughness, and cracking.
eBay isn't for everyone, but I swear by it. It's one of the cheapest ways to get hold of products and has everything you could possibly need all in one place. A lot of beauty and skincare stores now have their own eBay store where you can browse their entire range. Usually with free shipping, this means its now easier to get hold of the products you want.
eBay is how I found Ahava's store. Separated in easy to navigate categories, I was browsing the Dead Sea Mud range and saw my ideal product. The 100% Dead Sea Mud Exfoliant was perfect for the slimming mud wrap I was looking for. You even get a free gift of two samples to enhance the results of the mud mask. I received the Dead Sea Osmotic Concentrate and an Essential Day Moisturiser for Normal to Dry Skin.
What I love about eBay is how quick and easy the checkout is. If you're a long-time eBay-er, you simply have to log in and click Buy it now and go through PayPal, otherwise, you are able to process the purchase as a guest. Overall, my experience using Ahava's eBay store was very quick and simple, it took around 3 minutes for the whole payment process. My delivery came within a few days, which is great considering it's shipped all the way from Israel!
Once heated and applied to skin, the mud absorbs deep into the skin, cleansing the pores and softening the skin. With the help of a wrap, the moisture is locked in and encourages detox and the removal of fat stores and cellulite.
I cut open a corner of the sachet and heated in the microwave for 2 minutes, as per the rear of the packet. That was probably a bit too long, as the packet burnt and some of the mud overcooked. I would probably suggest maybe a minute instead. Scraping the remnants into a plastic bowl, I used a spoon to apply it to my body. Again, I suggest a minute of heating time, rather than 2, as the first application almost burnt me! On the other hand, applying this to my back was heaven, as I suffer from back problems too, so the heat was a-mazing.
Even though I felt so silly wrapping cling film round my self, I knew that this would be an interesting experiment, should it be successful. I wrapped it quite tight for around 3-4 layers to make sure it didn't squidge out.
Wearing an old sports bra and some old shorts, I smoothed the hot mask over my 'problem areas;' my stomach and my thighs. It was a bit awkward at times and I had to use a mirror to cover areas I couldn't see, but it smoothed on perfectly and the coverage was amazing. Assuming I could cover my whole body with the mask, I lathered on quite thick. By the time I got to my second thigh, it had all run out, so I'd definitely recommend 2 or 3 packets.
My plan was to wrap my tummy and thighs and wash off the rest after half an hour or so. But I suppose just the wrapped parts made it possible to sit down.
The research I'd done told me that the wrap should be on for at least 6 hours for maximum results, or better yet, worn over night. However, as I had a prior engagement only 4 hours later, I knew I only had a short amount of time to really test this wrapping experiment.
Wearing the mud wrap was okay, it put a little pressure on my stomach and thighs as it tightened when I sat down, but at least I could sit and watch Netflix for a while! about 3 episodes of Pretty Little Liars later and I began clock watching, trying to estimate how long it would take me to get ready to leave the house.
I had the wrap on for about 3.25 hours, which is just over half the recommended time, but I was eager to see the results. Once I'd showered it off, I applied the two lotions that came as free gifts. One was a pre-moisturising lotion to enhance the results of the mud and the second was a smoothing moisturiser to hydrate the skin further. After this, my legs were silky smooth! And so supple and hydrated, I think I'm definitely going to look into purchasing the full size of these. Unfortunately, due to their sample size, there was only enough to cover my thighs, so my tummy missed out on the smoothness.
Taking out the tape measure again, I was careful to measure the exact places where I'd measured beforehand. Sceptical that the wrap wouldn't work, I was actually surprised when I saw that I had lost 2cm on both my waist and my thighs!! Most of my research showed that longer application shows better results, often 6cm after the first 6 hour wrap. So I'm definitely going to try this again and wear for the proper recommended time and see if I can achieve that amazing 6cm loss.
Another outcome that I mentioned briefly above was a reduction in cellulite! The minerals cleanse deep into the tissue and plump it out, whilst the compression of the wrap helps with lymphatic drainage. Both of these work together to help smooth out the appearance of cellulite and I tell you, It actually worked. My 'orange-peel' areas on the backs of my thighs has really reduced and made me feel a bit more confident about myself! Result!
Overall, I think that a DIY mud wrap is worth doing, even if it's not to slim your waist and get off those annoying couple of inches, but to get your skin in good condition and maybe smooth out those annoying skin dimples we all suffer from and hate. Especially if you suffer from dry skin, the minerals in the mud help rejuvenate the skin and bring it back to life. I can't stop noticing how smooth my legs are!
Have you tried an at-home mud wrap before? What do you think of Ahava's products?
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