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April 1, 2026
Barbara Markert
What does lymphatic drainage do in the body? Why the trend is not just a beauty hype and what role the lymphatic system plays in health.
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Jennifer Aniston is lying flat and is thickly wrapped in a bloated full-body massage suit with hoses protruding from all four corners. In this halfway house between an astronaut suit and an inflatable ironing machine, the slim Hollywood star looks a bit like 'Bibendum,' the chubby-white mascot of the French tire manufacturer Michelin.
The bizarre selfie from the gym, published by Aniston herself, went viral in the USA and fueled a true hype for lymphatic drainage. In gyms, reservations for the 'Body Balancer' were hot. Some, who could afford it, bought the $8,500 Bibendum drainage suit directly for home use.
Because if Jennifer Aniston, who at 56 years old seemingly can smile away every cellulite cushion, reveals one of her beauty secrets, her fans don't think twice and follow her lead. Especially when other celebrities like Hailey Bieber, Paris Hilton, or Chrissy Teigen swear by it.
Lymphatic drainage is a special form of massage intended to promote the removal of fluid in the tissue. It is used both medically – for example, in cases of swelling – and increasingly in the cosmetic sector, for example, for firmer skin or a fresher appearance.
In parallel, interest is growing in techniques like facial massages or Gua Sha. The trend hits a nerve: wellness, anti-aging, and science are intertwined.
Professor Michael Detmar is particularly pleased about the newly awakened interest in lymphatic massages, drainage, and facial massages, for example, with the Gua Sha stone, because as the German scientist and Dermatologist In 1995, when he wanted to specialize in lymphatic vessels in Harvard, he was met with incomprehension for his choice.
"I was strongly advised against it. The field was considered a real career killer. I should focus on blood vessels instead." At that time, the lymphatic system was considered uninteresting. It was difficult to research and also of little significance. "It was thought at the time that it was merely a kind of sewage system for tissue water."
Today, we are much further along. Lymph nodes are considered important filter stations of the body, play a crucial role as an early warning system to detect emerging diseases, and later, to fend off these diseases.
The health of numerous organs is connected with the system, and for this very reason, lymphatic vessels are increasingly coming into focus in and Alzheimer's research as well as in - and lung diseases into focus.
“This field of research is really taking off. Hardly a week goes by without new articles and discoveries,” says Detmar.
The lymphatic system permeates the entire body and functions like a garbage disposal. It transports excess fluid and toxins to the lymph nodes, where they are filtered.
Between 600 and 700 of these nodes are located in the human body – primarily in the neck, armpits, and groin area. If they have to work harder, for example during infections, they swell.
The system also plays an important role for the skin. In the dermis, it ensures that fluid and waste products are removed. If it doesn’t function sufficiently, it can lead to swelling, loss of elasticity, and visible skin aging.
Some of these discoveries can also be credited to the native Stuttgarters back, who has been teaching at ETH Zurich for many years. For example, that the brain fluid - the liquor - leaves the brain space not via the blood vessels, but via the lymphatic system, or that tumors can have lymphatic vessels.
“That was once a dogma that we broke with. Today it is established textbook knowledge. Many discoveries also depend on new technologies or the development of artificial intelligence. Just recently, a new molecule was discovered that is specific to the muscles of the lymphatic vessels. I am optimistic that we will eventually manage to control the lymphatic vessels in order to reduce inflammation or contain diseases.”
Cancer tumors can disrupt or use this important cleaning system to further spread metastases. That is why lymph nodes are often removed, especially in breast cancer patients. “However, this method is increasingly being critically discussed at conferences today. Whether this will still be handled this way in ten years is something to be seen,” says Detmar.
The fact is also that in old age the lymphatic system deteriorates and becomes porous in everyone. Also Hormonal changes affect functionality. "Although this has not yet been researched in detail, we know about the influence of estrogens on the lymphatic vessels as well as on the blood vessels. The latter become partly more permeable, which again allows more fluid to enter the tissue, which in turn can overwhelm the lymphatic vessels."
Particularly damaging to the human wastewater system are UV rays. "Here, studies have shown direct damage: The lymphatic vessels become porous. There is a subclinical inflammatory reaction that can severely limit the system's functions." The consequence is skin aging.
The extensive lymphatic system of the skin is located in the dermis, where it docks to connective tissue fibers and provides elasticity. If it cannot adequately transport tissue water and pollutants away there — be it because the collagen and elastic fibers die, the system has become leaky, or has been injured — it leads to deposits, swelling, and decreased elasticity.
Especially breast cancer patients often complain of swollen arms and lymphedema after operations, caused by damage to the lymphatic vessels during the procedure. In search of the cause and a medication, Prof. Michael Detmar, together with his then PhD student Dr. Epameinondas Gousopoulos, examined over 2000 plant extracts.
The two researchers did not find the right medication, but they did find an active ingredient complex that has a positive effect on the lymphatic vessels and can thus delay skin aging.
Dr. Epameinondas Gousopoulos eventually had the idea to develop a cosmetic care line from this discovery: Iräye came to the Swiss market in 2020 and is now also available in Germany. Professor Michael Detmar is still amazed at this move from science to the cosmetics industry:
“If someone had told me that I would one day launch a care line on the market, I would never have believed it. The discovery was a side effect of our research, nothing more. We could have sold the insights to a well-known beauty brand, but then we decided to bring them to market ourselves.”
The new doctor brand received a lot of media attention from the start, which in turn reflects positively on the research field. Prof. Detmar: “Interest in the lymph system is now also increasing in dermatology. I see that from the invitations to conferences and lectures. People have become extremely curious. Most people don’t even know they have a lymph vessel in their skin.”
Professor Dr. Michael Detmar on the care cocktail he developed for the lymphatic system
What does the name Iräye mean?
It is a neologism from the English word "I" and "radiance," meaning: "I radiate." Because the care is supposed to make the skin glow.
Was the basis of your research for Iräye a collection of plant extracts?
Yes, we received a collection of plant extracts from a colleague. But first, we had to develop a test to prove that lymphatic vessels can be activated. This alone took almost three years. Then we examined 2000 plants to ultimately find a combination of five extracts that work best together. Overall, we're talking about ten years of research.
Does the cream with this plant cocktail consist solely of natural products?
It consists of 96 to 98 percent natural products. Serum, cream, and eye cream each have different percentages. A skincareA product that is supposed to work really well, in my opinion, can never be 100 percent natural. You have to add certain other ingredients, otherwise, users would not be completely satisfied.
You mean, for example, hyaluronic acid or retinol?
Exactly, that is almost standard today. We use a bio-retinoid, which is extremely important to activate collagen synthesis. This tightens the skin. In addition, there is vitamin E and vitamin C as antioxidants to reduce damage to the skin from external influences. And when it comes to eye care, caffeine is also used. Simply activating the lymphatic vessels would not be enough to see effects.
What exactly does the plant complex do?
I always explain it with this example: Many people go to the gym to work out. If you stop, the muscles age. The skin also wants to be trained. Hardly anyone thinks of this idea. With the skin care we have developed, we train the lymphatic vessels so that they stay fit and age less.
How does that show externally?
There are three different effects. With the eye cream, the first acute effect is most visible: eye swelling decreases relatively quickly. The second effect is an anti-inflammatory effect: skin redness or swelling diminishes over time. Thirdly, the preventive effect: the aging of the lymphatic vessels is delayed by constant activation.
But the cream cannot repair leaky or porous vessels?
We can affect lymphatic vessels that are still there. Those that are no longer there, we cannot conjure back. They are lost forever.
Does the cream also show effects on medical skin problems, such as acne or rosacea?
Iräye is more than just an anti-aging cream, because it also shows other effects. The activation of the lymphatic vessels is directly reflected in the appearance: the skin becomes more radiant, firmer, the swelling subsides. But we cannot and do not want to claim that we have a drug.
This distinction is strictly regulated. We know from user feedback that problems like Rosacea - which is redness in the facial area in very sensitive and easily inflamed skin - can improve, but we haven't conducted a controlled study on this because we didn't want to develop a drug.
So what does a woman do who has injected Botox and paralyzed the entire system with it?
Botox paralyzes the muscles that we actually need to support the action of the lymph vessels. This is why many Botox users often have swollen skin areas because the lymph vessels can no longer transport the fluid as well. The idea is to combine Botox with our cream or serum to counteract this. This could make Botox users appear less 'puffy', or bloated.
Ten years of research are behind Iräye's products. A complex of active ingredients from five plant extracts stimulates the lymphatic activity of the skin, making it glow again.
