Today I would like to share with you a personal favorite of mine. One that I think no boudoir or bathroom should be without. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and with the addition of a healthy diet, holds the promise to vibrant, sexy, beautiful skin – my bodacious body brush!
Now, we all know that the largest organ of the body is the skin. In fact, the skin is so important in the process of toxin elimination that it’s often referred to as the third kidney (the second being the lungs). When you stimulate the skin by brushing, you’re helping to promote a stronger and healthier immune system.
Why? Well, the idea behind skin-brushing is to increase blood flow to the area. This creates stimulation of the lymphatics and blood circulation, thereby enhancing toxin elimination from the body. And, as an added bonus which I’m sure we can all appreciate, dead skin cells are sloughed off in the process, promoting a more radiant and healthy appearance over time.
The process is very easy and most people can do it on a daily basis. All you need is a natural-bristle skin brush … maybe one with a detachable long handle for those hard to reach areas. Which ever suits your need or fancy. I happen to love my stubby little brush – it works well for me!
Some guidelines for skin brushing
- Always use a natural bristle skin brush.
- Perform only on Dry Skin.
- Generally in brisk circular motions or long even strokes, and ALWAYS toward the heart.
- It’s best to follow brushing with a bath or shower
- I like to start at the soles of my feet, stroking the brush from the bottom of my toes to my heel
- Continuing on top of my foot from my toes to my ankles and then toward the torso and the heart
- If you have cellulite, concentrate in that area a bit longer
- For your arms you can stretch them out and start from your finger tips all the way to your shoulders and armpits, and then down toward your heart
The entire process should only take five to 10 minutes. You wouldn’t want to dry brush your face and delicate areas because they might become irritated. Also, avoid brushing on broken skin – cut, wound, rash or infection. Once the entire body is dry brushed, drinking at least 8 oz. of filtered water will help to carry away the toxins you’ve just released by brushing. So give it a try, I know you’ll feel amazing, rejuvenated, and energized once you get into the habit!
Benefits of dry skin brushing include:
- Acceleration of toxin elimination
- Stimulation of blood flow and circulation
- Reduction of cellulite (love it!) – requires several months of daily brushing to see effects
- Enhancement of lymphatic flow
- Exfoliation and removal of dead skin cells
- Anti-aging through cell regeneration (love this too!)
- Stimulation of both the sweat and sebaceous glands, thus contributing to the restoration of moist, supple skin.
If you have not skin brushed before, the experience might be a tad bit harsh at first. However, skin brushing does not need to be painful in order to reap the benefits and your body will acclimate. Start off with gentle strokes and adjust to your comfort level. You’ll get used to it in no time I promise!
After you’ve showered and dried off, feed your skin with the goodness of a natural plant oil like coconut oil. If coconut is not your thing, you may want to use other natural oils such as almond, avocado, sesame, olive, or jojoba oil. Cocoa and shea butter works great too!
So here’s to radiant, sexy, beautiful skin!
Happy brushing,
Martine ~ holistic nutritionista
Another article of yours that I enjoyed Martine … Especially since they’re “short and sweet.” I so look forward to spending time with you again.
“Short and sweet” is the name of the game. So glad you enjoy reading them!
I like this! I have extremely sensitive skin, so when I try it, I think I will begin with moist skin… but wow, I never realized the slew of benefits from exfoliation. I usually do it for the getting rid of dead skin cells… but WOAH, I mean all of these other benefits are awesome! Do you think it would be a good idea to wet skin, use a salt scrub and a brush with the scrub or do you think that would be too much?
Thanks for this!
Currie
That’s a good thought Currie, but it might be too much of a good thing.
In order to reap the benefits mentioned above, the skin must be dry and the brush must not be wet. Since you have sensitive skin you may just once, hold the bristles in hot water for no longer than one minute and no deeper than one-half inch to soften the bristles a bit. However, it won’t be long before you’ll desire a stiffer brush.
Start with gentle strokes until your body acclimates. I know I had that same problem when I first started skin brushing. Hope this works for you. Keep me posted and thanks for visiting!
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