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(Image credit: Original art by Audrey Hedlund)
Welcome to Worldly Beauty, a quarterly franchise in which we highlight beauty products, ingredients, and traditions rooted in culture. To offer an in-depth look, we’re sharing perspectives and recommendations from local experts and tastemakers. A celebration of diversity, this column sheds light on the beauty practices and philosophies that make the world go round.
(Image credit: Original art by Audrey Hedlund)
In 2026, beauty and wellness are more inextricably linked than ever. It’s not about looking good (or, it’s not just about looking good). It’s about feeling good, too: happy, healthy, and balanced. For many millennials (myself included), it’s a welcome development after the crash dieting, body scrutiny, and downright unhealthy habits that were pushed on us in the early to mid-2000s. Skipping meals to eat a bland, calorie-free cereal bar? No. Running on a treadmill for hours at a time with zero low-impact or strength-training workouts in sight? Pass. Tanning beds? Begone.
While I won’t claim society has totally evolved, I can appreciate that it’s come a long way, thanks in no small part to social media. Instagram and TikTok expose me to new beauty-meets-wellness content all the time. Today, I scrolled through A) a video of a content creator spreading awareness for PCOS and endometriosis, B) a picture of a friend proudly donning an LED face mask, and C) a fitness expert explaining how to intentionally and accurately target major muscle groups. I’ve learned a lot from social media, and admittedly, have also been influenced. My collection of beauty-meets-wellness devices continues to grow. So far, I have a PEMF mat, a vibration plate, and a stellar bedside humidifier.
There’s one device, however, that’s as low-tech, yet high-impact as it gets. I’m talking about my beloved De La Heart Body Tool ($38). I was introduced to it on social media, while learning all about lymphatic drainage for the first time. Years later, I’m still loyal to it. The paddle-shaped tool might look intimidating to the uninitiated, but it belongs to a Colombian beauty and wellness tradition called maderoterapia or wood therapy. Proponents of the practice claim it stimulates lymph movement, releases water retention, reduces the appearance of cellulite, helps sculpt the body, and more. Ahead, learn all about Colombian wood therapy.
(Image credit: De La Heart, Getty Images, Vault Stock)
“Wood therapy, or maderoterapia, is a traditional body sculpting technique that uses wooden tools to stimulate lymphatic drainage, reduce cellulite, and contour the body naturally,” says Giordana “Gigi” Vogel, a Colombian-born wellness expert and founder of De La Heart. While its origins lie in Eastern medicine, Vogel says it was refined and popularized in Colombia in the 1990s, where it became deeply rooted in the country’s beauty and wellness culture. “I saw my mom getting her weekly massages religiously. Passed down through generations, Colombian wood therapy combines ancestral knowledge, manual techniques, and artisanal tools to promote detoxification, circulation, and self-care—making it both a therapeutic and cultural ritual.”
These days, Vogel says wood therapy is still “deeply embedded” in Colombian culture, especially in cities like Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali. “It’s very common to find it incorporated into lymphatic drainage treatments, post-surgical recovery, body sculpting, and traditional spa rituals. In Latin America, these practices were never really considered ‘trendy’ — they’ve been part of beauty and wellness culture for decades.”
While “lymphatic drainage” has become little more than a buzzword lately, there are real and profound benefits to stimulating and caring for the lymphatic system. “The lymphatic system is one of the most important — yet most overlooked — systems in the body,” Vogel says. “I always describe it as your body’s natural drainage and detoxification network. It’s responsible for moving excess fluid, waste, toxins, and inflammation out of the tissues while also supporting immune function, circulation, energy, and even the appearance of your skin.”
Unlike the circulatory system, Vogel says the lymphatic system lacks a pump (i.e., the heart). “It relies on movement, muscle contraction, breath, hydration, and manual stimulation to keep things flowing properly. Modern life unfortunately works against it — long hours sitting, stress, lack of movement, inflammation, travel, poor sleep, hormonal changes — all of that can contribute to sluggish lymphatic flow.”
Vogel says there are signs that point to the lymphatic system acting sluggishly and needing support. They are as follows: Puffiness, swelling, water retention, bloating, brain fog, fatigue, a heavy sensation, tightness in the body, weight gain, dull skin, more pronounced cellulite, and feeling “stuck” either physically or energetically.
“It’s rooted in tradition, yet so relevant in our modern routines.”
Gigi Vogel, Wellness Expert and Founder of De La Heart
That’s where Colombian wood therapy comes in. Vogel says manually stimulating lymphatic movement offers a whole host of benefits. “It works on so many levels—it’s not just about smoothing cellulite or sculpting the body (which it does!), but it also helps move stagnant lymph, release water retention, and give you that light, energized feeling. It boosts circulation, tones the skin, and supports natural detox in the most holistic, non-invasive way.”
It’s beauty and wellness, together, at work. “Growing up in Colombia, these rituals were always part of our daily lives, and my mission has been to modernize and simplify them so everyone could experience the benefits at home in just a few minutes a day,” she says. “Consistency is really the magic. When things flow better, you feel lighter, more energized, less puffy, and your skin reflects that too.”
The good news is that you can conduct wood therapy on yourself, at home. You just need the right tools, and that’s where De La Heart comes in. The brand offers a range of maderoterapia tools. No matter which one you use, the process is pretty much the same. Start with dry brushing. “Before using any of our sculpting tools, I recommend dry brushing the body first to stimulate circulation, wake up the lymphatic system, exfoliate dead skin, and help move stagnant fluid toward the lymph nodes,” Vogel says. “Think of it as priming the body for better flow and better results.”
After dry brushing, apply a body oil (Vogel recommends the Flow + Glow Oil or the Golden Body Oil) so the tools glide smoothly across the skin. Then, you can reach for a sculpting tool. Glide them in “upward and outward” strokes along the limbs, stomach, and chest. Vogel says it’s all very “intuitive,” and I agree. However, the brand has multiple Instagram tutorials to reference if you’re a first-timer.
In Latin America, these practices were never really considered ‘trendy’ — they’ve been part of beauty and wellness culture for decades.
Vogel
All it takes is five to ten minutes for the best results. “That’s the beauty of lymphatic rituals,” Vogel says, “they don’t need to be complicated or time-consuming to be effective. The lymphatic system responds incredibly well to consistent daily stimulation.”
When she says “daily,” she means it. Wood therapy works best when it’s practiced consistently. In fact, Vogel says consistency is everything. “Ideally, I recommend using the tools daily as part of your routine, just like brushing your teeth or skincare. But even committing to 3–5 times a week can yield really beautiful results over time. What I’ve seen personally — and from our community over the past six years — is that consistency leads to less puffiness, better circulation, smoother-looking skin, reduced fluid retention, more body definition, and overall feeling lighter and more energized.”
After the treatment, Vogel recommends focusing on two things: hydration and light movement. “Drink a lot of water to support the body’s natural detoxification pathways, and if possible, go for a walk, do some light movement, or even jump for a few minutes to continue encouraging lymphatic flow. I also love ending with our Lift & Tone Body Cream because the skin is warm, stimulated, and absorbs products beautifully post-treatment.”
As someone who’s been using Colombian wood therapy tools and techniques for almost three years, I can attest to its efficacy. In my anecdotal experience, it banishes bloating and water retention, and the heavy, dull feeling that often goes with it. It also makes the cellulite on my thighs look smoother and contributes to a more sculpted appearance overall. It also temporarily boosts circulation, which makes my skin look brighter and makes me feel more energized. Needless to say, I 10/10 recommend trying it. Colombian wood therapy might just be the at-home beauty-meets-wellness practice your self-care routine is missing.
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