Dry Brushing - Why you should do it
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
What is Dry Brushing?
To put it simply, dry brushing is using a Natural brush (non-synthetic bristles) to brush on dry skin before a shower.
Dry brushing stimulates the body’s circulation and lymphatic systems.
Naturalistic doctors use dry brushing to help with bloating because massaging the lymph nodes helps the body shed excess water and toxins. One of the immediate effects of dry brushing is smoother skin, but with frequent use, it can also help improve digestion, kidney function, and many more.
The Benefits of Dry Brushing
Not only is Dry Brushing one of Ayurveda's oldest cleansing philosophies, it also effectively :
- Removes and exfoliate dry skin and other outer impurities.
- It stimulates and increases blood circulation
- Helps release fatty deposits under your skin’s surface and helps reducing cellulite
- It stimulates the lymphatic system by removing toxins
- helps digestion, stimulates circulation and increases cell renewal
It has so many benefits and only takes a few minutes each time ~ amazing! The skin is the largest organ in the body, and it is responsible for one-fourth of the body's detoxification each day. It also makes it one of the most important elimination organs! However, we neglect it daily and by slapping on perfumed (Im guilty of this, too!) or non-organic products, we further clog the pores on our skin and soon it will lose its ability to detox properly. This puts undue stress on the other eliminative organs, mainly the kidneys and liver, making them increase their activity. Eventually they become overworked.
Why you should do it daily
Skin brushing helps exfoliate and invigorate our skin too. It increases our blood supply to the area bringing with it nourishment and oxygen. Dry skin brushing will not only help increase circulation and elimination of toxins, but will also make a huge difference to the quality of your skin and it will look and feel healthier. [source]
What Brush should I use?
The brush used should be a long-handled, bath-type brush.
(My personal brush as shown below)
It is essential that it contain natural bristles and not synthetic ones.
I wouldn't even recommend using a loofah as its might cause abrasion to sensitive skin. Synthetic bristles will scratch the surface of the skin and are harsh and irritating. The brush is kept dry and not used for bathing. Wash it once 1-2x a week, dry it under sunlight and keep it dry at all times when not in use.
You can use it like this
Or like me, I prefer to hold the long handle
How to Dry Brush
Its really very easy and cost almost nothing! There's no need to use messy creams or exfoliates and each routine takes about 2-3 minutes.
Instructions
The body and skin should be absolutely dry, and the brush should pass once over every part of the body except the face. Brushing should be done in an upward motion, towards the heart. There should be no back and forth motion, circular motion, scrubbing, or massaging - one clean sweep does it. Use long gentle, but firm, stokes. Do not 'scrub' or cause skin to turn red by brushing too hard.
Steps
Start with the soles of your feet, use swift upward strokes and brush from the feet, up the legs, working towards your heart.
Once you’ve covered your lower body, move to your hands and work up your arms towards your heart once again.
Remember to also brush your back.
Lastly, work on your abdomen (moving in a clockwise direction to follow the movement of the colon), chest (avoiding nipples) and neck. It’s best to avoid your face as most people’s facial skin is too sensitive.
Shower to wash off dead and exfoliated skin.
Apply moisturizing or natural oil to hydrate skin after shower.
There you go!
Its perfectly safe and easy to do Dry Brushing and I personally love it for being so mess-free (Im not good with body scrubs etc) and it takes such a short time - I step in the shower, dry brush, shower as normal and Im good to go! I recommend using natural Essential oils after your shower, like Geranium, Lavender, Neroli, Rose, Myrrh or Jojoba Oil for replenishing skin moisture. (Make sure that the oils are meant for skin application)
Hope u enjoyed this short post on a holiday!
Happy holidays and Selamat Hari Raya Haji to my muslim friends and readers!
0 comments
Hello there, Pixie! Feel free to leave a comment, thanks! xo