Already have an account?
Get back to the

Everything You Need To Know About Busy Philipps’ Panchakarma Cleanse

Busy Philipps
Busy PhilippsLester Cohen/WireImage

Getting well. Busy Philipps is looking to ayurvedic medicine to help clear her sinuses, embarking on a Panchakarma cleanse.

Related: Best Celebrity Diet Tricks

The 39-year-old actress gave her 1.1 million followers a behind-the-scenes look at her new regimen, which included a week-long diet of soup and plenty of oil usage.

“Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s gallons of oil poured all over her body and hair for 4 days,” Philipps captioned an Instagram picture of herself in a white T-shirt with slicked back hair on September 5 after leaving a Panchakarma massage.

According to Mind Body Green, Panchakarma is rooted in ancient ayurvedic medicine (an Indian practice dating back around 5,000 years) and the definition of what it includes has changed over time. Currently, it involves ingesting oil (A.K.A. oleation) and having your entire body massaged with oil nearly every day, both of which help to eliminate toxins.

“Before fully understanding Panchakarma, it’s important to understand that ayurveda, the ‘OG’ healing system, takes a holistic view of toxins in the body,” Shrankhla Holecek, founder of UMA Oils, told Mind Body Green in September 2018.

Related: Tracy Anderson, Gunnar Peterson and More Reveal Their Fitness Secrets

As for food, the only thing allowed is Kitchari, a lentil and mung bean-based Indian dish. The Dawson’s Creek alum captioned an Instagram post of herself eating a yellow soup that was the same color as her dress on September 6. “When your dress matches your soup, everyone wins,” she wrote.

According to Philipps, the cleanse is a last-ditch effort to try and heal her sinus issues following an unsuccessful May 2018 surgery. “Between my sunglasses being returned to me and my rediscovery of dry shampoo today, NOTHING can stop me! Except possibly the raging headache I have from this cleanse I’m doing to heal my sinuses,” she captioned a selfie on September 1.

View this post on Instagram

Between my sunglasses being returned to me and my rediscovery of dry shampoo today, NOTHING can stop me! Except possibly the raging headache I have from this cleanse I'm doing to heal my sinuses.🤷‍♀️

A post shared by Busy Philipps (@busyphilipps) on

The This Will Only Hurt a Little author isn’t the only celeb utilizing the method, either. “Panchakarma may be making its way to the mainstream for its holistic approach as well as its efficacy as a multifaceted, down-to-earth cleanse,” Sadie Adams, owner of Take Care Face & Body spa in Los Angeles and New York City, told Mind Body Green in September 2018. “People are warming up to the idea of taking care of oneself, as well as preventive medicine practices that treat the individual and focus on root causes of imbalances rather than only the symptoms.”

Related: Celebrity Health Scares

Headaches aside, Panchakarma seems to be working for Philipps: She told fans in an Instagram video on September 6 that she was feeling better: “I thought I was going to be done with my cleanse today but then Martha [my Pranchakarma expert], who does the whole thing, said ‘You’re not healed yet,’” she revealed in a video. But with the finish line in sight, she added: “I feel really good!”

In this article

Got a Tip form close button
Got a tip for US?
We're All Ears for Celebrity Buzz!