Dry Skin Brushing
The major routes of elimination include the colon, the kidneys, the lungs, the voice, menses and the skin. The largest elimination organ is your skin. The skin is also the overflow route for other routes of elimination if they are overloaded or dysfunction. Up to a third of all body impurities are excreted through the skin. Hundreds of thousands of tiny pores and sweat glands act to detoxify and excrete toxins and waste products.
Your body actually breathes through the skin, absorbing oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide that is formed in tissues. Certain nutrients are also absorbed through the skin, and vitamin D is manufactured directly on the skin by the influence of sunlight. If the pores become choked with dead cells and debris, the skin becomes inactive, the functions of the skin are ineffective and impurities remain in the body which can then contribute to degenerative diseases. Slathering on moisturizers and deodorants and wearing artificial fibres only makes things worse.
Dry brushing is a way to stimulate all the organs of detoxification and elimination because it provides gentle internal massage.
Benefits
- Effectively removes dead layers of skin and other impurities. Keeps pores open and functioning.
- Stimulates and increases blood circulation in all underlying organs and tissues, especially small blood capillaries.
- Revitalizes and increases the eliminative capacity of your skin and helps to throw toxins out of the system. Removes cellulite and tightens the skin thus preventing premature aging.
- Cleanses and strengthens the lymphatic system.
- Stimulates the hormone and oil producing glands. Keeping your skin looking and feeling young, smooth and strong.
- Has a powerful rejuvenating influence on the nervous system by stimulating nerve ends in the skin.
- Helps prevent colds, especially when used in combination with hot-cold showers.
- Contributes to healthier muscle tone and better distribution of fat deposits and with continued use it breaks down cellulite.
- Improves your overall health preventing premature aging.
How to Do Dry Skin Brushing
- Use a soft natural fiber brush with a long handle, so that you are able to reach all areas of your body.
- Dry brush your dry and naked body before you shower or bathe so that you can wash off the impurities from the skin as a result from the brushing action.
- You can do the brushing head-to-toe or toe-to-head. It really doesn’t matter as long as the entire body is brushed. Use long sweeping strokes that start in the torso and end at the hands or feet or you can brush toward the heart, starting with the soles of your feet and legs, then hands and arms, back, abdomen, chest and neck.
- Use as much pressure as can comfortably stand. Initially you may want to start gentle until your brush is seasoned, but work up to brushing until your skin is rosy, warm and glowing. Use light pressure in areas where skin is thin and harder pressure on places like the soles of the feet.
- Skin brushing should be performed once a day, preferably first thing in the morning. A thorough skin brushing takes about 10 to 15 minutes, but any time spent brushing prior to bathing will benefit the body. If you are feeling ill, increasing the treatments to twice a day is good. You can also dry brush areas of cellulite five to 10 minutes twice a day to achieve cellulite dissolving but the technique needs to be done consistently for a minimum of five months.
Tips
- Every two weeks or so -- wash your DRY SKIN BRUSH with a natural soap. Dry your brush in the sun or warm place. Wash the brush regularly to keep impurities from clogging it up.
- For hygienic reasons use separate brushes for each member of the family.
- Avoid brushing any skin that are irritated, damaged or infected.
- The scalp should be brushed too. Scalp brushing will stimulate hair growth by increasing blood circulation and keep scalp clean from dandruff, stale oils, etc.
- The facial skin of most people is too sensitive for brushing; use a Loofah in the shower or a special facial brush.
Choosing a Brush
Choose a brush made from natural vegetable fibre bristles for effective results. After about two weeks the brush will not feel stiff nor scratch your skin. Increase your tempo until you are vigorously brush-massaging your body’s largest eliminative organ, your skin.
Cautions
- Avoid dry skin brushing if your skin is broken or if you are prone to easy bleeding.
