Dry Skin Body Brushing

Our skin. We’re covered in it, quite literally, but are we doing enough to take care of it? It is, after all, the biggest organ of our body and one of the most important for toxin elimination. It is the last organ of the body to receive nutrients from our bloodstream, but it is the first place you will see signs of toxin build up, poor health, stress or poor circulation. We take our skin for granted a lot of the time, but there is something quick and simple we can do in five minutes every day to drastically improve the health of our skin and the rest of our body too.

Dry skin body brushing has some incredible benefits;

• It can possibly help reduce cellulite by improving circulation
• It sheds dead skin cells and encourages the growth of new cells resulting in smoother, brighter skin.
• It stops ingrown hairs and blocked pores in their tracks by removing the waste cells that clog pores. Clear pores help the skin to absorb more nutrients from things like sunlight and good quality, natural moisturisers too.
• Assists to improve blood circulation and lymphatic drainage by releasing toxins and encouraging the body to discharge waste and run more effectively.
• Rejuvenates the nervous system by stimulating the nerve endings in the skin.

It is also not an expensive thing to do for yourself, there are no high priced salon visits, creams, pills or potions and no ongoing cost, except maybe replacing the brush once in a while. To have a go all you need is a natural bristled brush (not nylon or synthetic) preferably with a long handle so you can easily reach your whole body and these can easily be found online or in any number of shops.

So I bet your wondering now how to do it? Well its really simple!

• Always brush dry skin before you have a shower or bath
• Start with gentle circular motions and then long strokes
• Always start at the ankles and work your way up towards your heart. Your lymphatic fluid flows towards your heart so it is important to follow the same direction of flow.
• From your ankles follow the flow of your body, lower legs, thighs, tummy, chest and start your arms at the wrist and work up to the shoulders.
• Your back is the only exception to the directional rule, always start at the neck and work your way down to your lower back.
• Be gentle with more sensitive skin like breasts and chest and never brush areas of broken or inflamed skin, sores, sunburn or skin cancers.
• Ensure you shower straight after to wash away all the dead skin cells.
• Alternating between hot and cold temperatures in the shower will further stimulate nerve endings in the skin encouraging better circulation. (tip: a shot of cold water is great for your hair after you’ve washed it before you jump out too, the cold stimulates the scalp and encourages hair growth)
• Lastly finish off with a natural moisturiser that wont clog your pores, I personally am a big fan of coconut oil but something aloe vera based or a nice body butter is great too.

Have you tried dry skin body brushing? Did it work for you?

If you haven’t are you going to try it now you know the benefits?