Walking into Sweatheory and off the bustling Hollywood sidewalk where models, the homeless, grimy streets and clean sunshine collide, you will feel like you’ve been transported to a sweat lodge oasis deep in the Scandinavian forest, albeit one with chic merch, far infrared saunas, vitamin IV shots and drips, and fat blasting ultrasonic caviation treatments. Just about everything the LA fashion bloggers, Jetset and regular-ole moms like myself need to prepare for summer. So when the co-founder, Oliva, invited me in to experience Sweatheory’s weight-loss trio (‘B Skinny+’ vitamin shot, a 30-min ‘Body Sculpt’ fat blasting treatment and 1-hour infrared sauna sweat session), I jumped at the chance.
______
First up, the B Skinny+ vitamin shots.
Now, I’ve had the vitamin IV drips done before when I was in Tokyo, but these quickie vitamin shots – as in, a huge needle and yellow fluid injected into your bum – were new to me. The B Skinny+ at Sweatheory contains a B-Complex (energy), Taurine (which studies have found aids fat loss by increasing your body’s use of fat for fuel), MIC (combination of lipotropics that helps fat metabolism in the body) and Carnitine (moves fatty acids into your cells to be burned for energy).
Both Chrissy (whom I dragged along to join me) and I got shots in our bums. Interestingly, within fifteen minutes Chrissy noticed a vitamin flavor in her mouth. Our medical technician said that her body must metabolize things quickly for that to happen. I on the other hand didn’t notice anything post injection.
Next up, the ‘Body Sculpt’ ultrasonic caviation treatment! Studies have proven ultrasound devices to be really great for reducing small amounts of stubborn fat, so obviously I was excited to have this treatment done.
The process was 30-minutes of the most relaxing fat-loss I’ve ever done. No running, no crunches, no jump squats. I laid there with my eyes close, my midsection exposed while our lovely medical technician massaged a warm, smooth metal device and ultrasound gel over my love handles.
Our technician explained that for results to be seen it required – multiple treatments, avoiding alcohol and following a healthy lifestyle to support the effects fo the machine. Made sense.
And finally, the infrared sauna!
Sweating is one way the body flushes our substances like alcohol, cholesterol and salt. A 2011 study published in the journal Archives of Environmental and Contamination Toxicology found many toxic elements appeared to be excreted through sweat. Induced sweating appears to be a potential method for the elimination of many toxic elements from the human body.
It also helps to unclog pores, increase microcirculation (giving you that glow) and lymphatic drainage.
Sweating through any old sauna or steam room is fine, but infrared saunas like the one we tried at Sweatheory offers a better way to sweat.
Traditional saunas heat up the air in the room which causes you to sweat. But infrared saunas use invisible lightwaves (far infrared) to penetrate into the body directly and heat up the body without heating up the surrounding air. This allows for the actual sauna temperature to be cooler than a traditional sauna and more tolerable, this way you can stay in there longer, sweat more and thus tap into deeper detoxing/sweating.
If you were to stay an hour in a traditional sauna, it would be unbearable. Your nasal passages would dry out, your skin would burn and most likely you would need to run out into cold water or the snow which is part of the sauna practice for many like the Finnish or Swedes.
After our sweat session was over, I walked out of Sweatheory feeling light, lean and unbelievably clean. It was as though everything weighing me down had been pushed out through my pores. My skin was glowing. My head clear. And I kept thinking, when can I get back here again?!
And shout out to Olivia for hooking us up with gorgeous Sweatheory merch!
Sweatheory – 1503 N Cahuenga BLVD, Los Angeles, CA 90028; Hours – M-F 1am-9:30pm, S-S 9am – 9:30pm; 310-956-2307; info@sweatheory.com; sweatheory.com
written by Amy Chang, photographed by author