Shrinking Violet Wrap, Chamomile Sanctuary Review

4 min read

There are, undoubtedly, many different ways to while away an  afternoon – lying wrapped in clingfilm from head top toe isn’t one that I dream of very often. But that is how I spent an afternoon this week. It wasn’t some kinky fetish, and I wasn’t trying to beat Lady Gaga in the ‘mental outfits’ department!  I was trying out the Shrinking Violet Body Wrap at the lovely Chamomile Sanctuary Spa in Edinburgh.

Chamomile Sanctuary reception

Body wraps have a sort of stigma about them. Do they work, are they just drawing out water, that sort of thing. I went in with an open mind, and I came out with an eight and a quarter inch loss over my body. That’s quite a big loss, and I can honestly say that three days later, the loss is still off. I’ll detail the loss area by area later, but back to the wrap.

The Shrinking Violet Wrap experience consists of some body brushing, body oil and some shrink-wrap, or clingfilm, and a heated blanket. It’s a simple treatment, if not a little odd, and combined with a mini-facial it’s a pleasant way to spend an hour or so.

My therapist Jacqui took me to the treatment room, with my undies under my robe, and asked me to stand on the towel. The body brushing (to boost circulation), application of the oil, and wrapping is all done standing up. You can keep your own pants on, if you don’t mind them getting a wee bit oily, and you can keep your bra on until the wrapping stage, unless you want the oil applied to your bust as well.

You are up close and personal with your therapist, so, this really isn’t one for the shrinking violets! The getting on the bed part is quite comical. Jacqui had wrapped me tightly from the legs up, over the bum, hips, stomach, boobs, and arms, so mobility wasn’t the easiest. I shuffled towards the bed, and then had to sort of ‘fall’ onto it, as Jacqui hoisted me around. Once down, it was comfortable, and with the heated blanket on top, I was cosy as the oil started to do its work.

Chamomile Sanctuary relaxation

Now, the science bit. The Shrinking Violet Lotion contains a higher percentage of Hydrolysed Lecithin than any other products on the market, which is one of the reasons why it’s so effective. This Hydrolysed Lecithin encourages Lyposis to occur –  this is the process of breaking down triglycerides inside the fat cells into free fatty acids which are easily transported away from the cells and excreted in tissue fluid and  through the lymph system.I’ve had a good look around the internet, and there are scientists who say this can’t possibly work, but there were actual results, so I am much less sceptical then I was before  the treatment.

It’s a great idea for the party season, in the run up to a holiday, or a wedding, and is more of a kick-start to a fitness or weight-loss regime, than a cure-all. You can’t just have the wrap then go home, eat a burger and chips, and drink a bottle of rose!  You need to be good for 72 hours after your treatment – no booze, no caffeine, no cigarettes, eat lightly, and, ideally, this would be a kick-start to a new regime.  You don’t  need to shower after the treatment as the oil is absorbed, and it is still working, so don’t shower for 12 hours, and then after 24 hours, just wash lightly.

The facial I was given during the wrap does help to break the time spent lying in a dark room, listening to the music. Chamomile do let you take your own iPod and if you have created an hour playlist with relaxing tunes, you won’t need the facial perhaps.  My facial was a HydraClean facial from Guinot, which involved hot and cold, with exfoliation, a mask, and massage.

So, those measurements in full! I lost the following:

Left Thigh – one inch, Right Thigh – quarter of an inch (my thighs were uneven before, and are now of equal size!), Buttocks – one inch, Hips – one inch, Abdomen – one inch, Waist – 2.5 inches, Under bust – half an inch, Over bust – one inch, Bust – one inch, and nothing  from either of my arms.

To fully benefit you do, of course, really need to do a course! There is a deal on for Novemer at he Chamomile Sanctuary. Each treatment lasts 90 mins and you can try this for £50 (normally £65).  A course of four (£200) or eight (£300) is recommended for the best results. If you want to add the facial it will be £75 (normally £100) per treatment.

For further information or to book, check out the 5pm Health and Beauty page for Chamomile Sanctuary offers.