Seaweed bath

  • I just read an article in a magazine about taking seaweed bathes. It is suppose to detoxify the body, draw excess fluids from the cells. It says that cellulite is instantly diminished and inches of water weight melts off of the body. The article also said that chemicals in the plant nourish the lymph channels just below the skin's surface leading to lasting weight loss. It says the lymphatic system pushes trapped fat stored through the liver so they can be removed from the body. It is also suppose to help the skin's elasticity in about 5 weeks. Just wondering if anyone has heard of this or tried it.

    Marilyn
  • Sounds like a bunch of crap to me...I know that the skin firming lotions and creams that have hit the market recently do contain seaweed extracts which might help with the APPEARANCE of the skin...but the claims you read (which magazine was this anyway?) seem to be totally overblown...

    "Inches of water weight melts off the body" ???
    "Chemicals in the plant nourish lymph channels...leading to lasting weight loss" ???

    just total crap. It kills me how these marketers can manage to convince people that they can sit in a tub of extracts and your skin will absorb all of the stuff and push it into your body - like you're marinating a steak or something. Jeez, when *I* marinate a steak, if I don't poke a bunch of holes in it with a fork or something first, very little of the marinade is absorbed even after a couple hours.

    Hey, if you like to take baths - I love 'em - go for it. I like the skin firming lotions I've tried (the three brands listed above) but I don't expect them to absorb more than the first layer of my dermis. Just don't expect that you can take a seaweed bath and all the fat will melt away. Ain't gonna happen.
  • The name of the magazine if called "First". I know the weight won't melt off. Especially mine it's been attached to long. LOL. I was more interested in the fact that it was suppose to detox the system. I know there are items that you take drink to detox your system, but I didn't want to spend all day in the bathroom. LOL. I thought maybe this might be easier on the system and maybe improve my skin's appearence.

    Marilyn
  • "Detox" is a code word for "complete bunk."

    Your body detoxifies itself just fine. Any detox it can't do requires serious medical attention, not a seaweed bath. A lot of "detox" products that you ingest are just diuretics and/or laxatives. You might as well take a dose of Haley's MO. And how in the world could soaking in a tub full of seaweed water have a laxative effect? There ARE a lot of spa treatments that claim to detox, reduce cellulite, etc. and it's all complete hogwash. What those treatments CAN do is cause you to sweat and thus lose water, but it's temporary. As soon as you rehydrate, your appearance returns to what it was.

    Paula Begoun is known as the "cosmetics cop" and has written numerous books on cosmetic products. She has an article on her web site about facial masks, which often carry some of the same detox claims as these other wraps and soaks. Please take a look: http://www.cosmeticscop.com/learn/ar...FER=SKIN&ID=84
  • Oy vey.

    I have to echo Ms.Jim and say it sounds like complete crap to me, too.

    "It is suppose to detoxify the body, draw excess fluids from the cells."
    Your body knows what it's doing. If there is "excess" fluid in your cells, it's there for a reason (unless you have some kind of medical problem like chronic edema or something -- and there are ACTUAL/REAL/LEGITIMATE meds for that).

    "It says that cellulite is instantly diminished and inches of water weight melts off of the body."
    Cellulite is fat. End of story. The only way to diminish cellulite is to exercise. The only way to "instantly" diminish cellulite is to have liposuction. And isn't our goal to lose FAT weight? Why would you want water weight to "melt off [your] body?" I mean sure, if it WORKS (which it probably doesn't) what possible benefit can you get from losing water weight? You look at the scale and your one pound lighter? So what? It's WATER, not FAT.

    "The article also said that chemicals in the plant nourish the lymph channels just below the skin's surface leading to lasting weight loss."
    I'm wondering just what chemicals "nourish" your lymph system. And I also am highly skeptical that anything applied to your skin would penetrate so far down through all your dermis layers as to reach your lymphatic "channels."

    "It says the lymphatic system pushes trapped fat stored through the liver so they can be removed from the body."
    Nothing can "push" fat through your liver and remove fat from your body except exercise -- which burns it off once the glucose in your blood is burned off (after about 20 minutes of cardio). The only other place the fat in your liver goes is out to the rest of your body if it ISN'T burned off.

    "It is also suppose to help the skin's elasticity in about 5 weeks."
    Hey, give it a try for that. I've heard relatively good things about seaweed helping your skin be softer, etc., so who knows. But Vaseline Intensive Care could probably do the same thing.

    Save your money, sweetie....PLEASE!!!!
  • Quote: The name of the magazine if called "First".

    Ohhhhhkay.

    First For Women, eh? The magazine famous for having a new miracle diet on the cover next to a picture of a cake??

    THAT explains a lot - publishing this kind of drivel is their modus operandi.