If you’re looking for inspiration for health-themed Christmas gifts, the Kardashians have put together a whole guide.
Published on Kourtney Kardashian’s wellness website, Poosh is a catalog of health and beauty-related gifts, with each family member offering his or her best pick.
There’s a $2,500 “detoxifying” home sauna, a $300 scalp massager that’s said to “energize hair follicles,” and a $98 facial wand that fights pimples.
But speaking to DailyMail.com, experts are skeptical and conclude that the vast majority of family choices will yield virtually no benefit.
The Kardashian Klan has released their Christmas gift guide for those looking to splurge
Dr. Stuart Fischer, an internist working in New York, is skeptical and suggested that readers put these items on a “pseudoscientific Christmas shopping list.”
The first product on the list is a $2,500 home sauna the Heat Healer brand.
The foldable device, which you lie in for 30 minutes, is said to emit infrared heat that “gives you a detoxifying and relaxing sweat.”
Kourtney said, “Saunas are part of my wellness routine and I love that saunas are forever part of cultures around the world. This one is a bit expensive, but still a good price for what you get.’
Poosh.com claims that the sauna “takes just 30 minutes to leave the body feeling relaxed, energized and detoxified.”
It uses a type of technology called pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (or PEMT), which supposedly awakens the body’s cells and “supports rejuvenation and recovery.”
Poosh.com, the website of lifestyle brand Kourtney, claims that the sauna ‘takes just 30 minutes for the body to feel relaxed, energized and detoxified’
Additionally, the red LED light is said to help ‘revitalize’ the skin and promote a youthful, radiant glow.
Regular use of saunas can help keep the heart healthy and extend lifespan, some studies show.
However, they are not a good gift for everyone. Children or people who have recently had a heart attack, have low blood pressure, or are pregnant should avoid these. according to Dr. Wen-Chih “Hank” Wuprofessor of medicine at Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
Above all, says Dr. Fischer says this tool doesn’t offer anything you wouldn’t get at a spa or gym for half the price.
The benefits of infrared sauna therapy are said to lie in both the amount of sweat and the effect of heat on the blood vessels under the skin.
Extreme increases in temperature cause blood vessels to dilate or dilate, increasing blood flow to the skin’s surface.
Studiessuch as one published in Poland in 2013, show that this helps muscles recover after a workout and can strengthen the immune system, making you better able to fight infections.
Some small studies show that blood flow to the skin can have a plumping effect, smoothing lines and wrinkles.
But Dr. Fischer said that when it comes to detoxification — the process of removing toxins from the body — “the jury is out.”
Dr. Fischer said scalp massage is good, but ‘for reasons other than blood flow’
He adds: ‘Under extreme heat the body loses potassium through sweat and this can make people very dizzy if they sit in these temperatures for too long.’
Poosh.com also claims that the ‘PEMF technology’ (Pulsed Electro-Magnetic Field Technology) in the sauna ‘awakens the mitochondria (the power plants at the center of the cell), supporting rejuvenation and recovery.’
Dr. Fischer said: ‘God knows how they arrived at this – there is little evidence that this is the case for this technology in general, and the device itself has not been subjected to high-quality testing.’
Next on the list is a $300 scalp massager from cosmetic brand Laduora.
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Poosh.com claims the device is “the multi-hyphen of hair care, combining a scalp massage, red LED light and the comforting tingle of electrical stimulation to brighten hair follicles and help stimulate growth.”
Dr. Fischer said scalp massage is good, but for reasons other than stimulating hair follicles and encouraging growth.
He said: ‘It provides relaxation and tension relief after a hard day’s work. But whether it’s worth that price rather than someone’s hands is up for debate.”
Anabel Kingsley, a hair and scalp specialist, told DailyMail.com: ‘There is some evidence that low laser light therapy can help hair growth, but it depends on the consistency and how much of the light reaches the follicles.’
Poosh.com said the $230 humidifier can “help promote deeper sleep, boost immunity, relieve congestion and relieve allergies”
Kim Kardashian opted for a humidifier — the $229 Cloud Cool Mist Humidifier, which she says “naturally hydrates the air in your home all day long.”
Poosh.com added that the device can “promote deeper sleep, boost immunity, relieve congestion and relieve allergies.”
Dr. Fischer said the product would “humidify the air, making it moister and easier to breathe.”
Regarding boosting immunity, Dr. Fischer said this was ‘a nice thought’, but therefore doubted the claims The functioning of the immune system ‘has nothing to do with breathing.’
Poosh.com claims about a skin care wand in its gift guide: ‘This multitasking tool can energize skin, reduce redness and boost circulation’
Kendall, meanwhile, opted for a “High Frequency Wand,” which costs $98. Poosh.com claims: ‘This multitasking tool can energize skin, reduce redness and boost circulation.’
It includes a variety of wand types, including one that’s “great for killing bacteria.”
The glass rods contain electrodes that, when placed on the skin, stimulate the skin cells, increasing circulation and oxygen supply to the area, which helps kill bacteria.
Dr. Andrea Suarez, a board-certified dermatologist based in Houston, Texas, added in a recent YouTube video that the thermal energy “heats the oil gland,” which “theoretically destroys the skin.” bacteria that contribute to acne’.
But she makes a caveat: “To be honest, this isn’t the most evidence-based study on acne.
“We don’t have any good clinical studies at all on the use of these high-frequency wands… we really don’t have any data to back up the claims.”
Cold things like a contouring ice cube can reduce inflammation and swelling, temporarily improving the contours of the face, according to Poosh
Kendall also opted for a contour cube, which involves rubbing ice over the face.
The Original Pink Contour Cube, which costs $24, is said to “puff bags, reduce inflammation, soothe blemishes” and even give a “natural facelift.”
However, dermatologists say the benefits of ice therapy for the skin are “limited.”
Dr. Dendy Engelman, a New York-based board-certified dermatologist, told Forbes, “Home coolants like masks or ice rollers feel good and can help with swelling.
‘Know that there is a limit to what they can achieve.
‘These at-home treatments are definitely not as effective as a professional treatment, especially if your goal is to improve skin texture and tone.’