Although I typically focus on nourishing the body from the inside, dry skin brushing is a wonderful external technique to help us detoxify & rejuvenate. The skin is the last organ to receive nutrients from your gut, but it is the first to show signs of imbalance or deficiency. Exfoliating dead skin cells helps promote the growth of newly nourished cells and revitalizes your skin. Combined with a nutrient-rich diet, dry skin brushing will help you achieve healthy, glowing skin from head to toe!
How does it work?
Skin brushing should be done each day on dry skin just before showering or bathing. It works by stimulating the body’s lymphatic system, which drains toxins from your circulation into the colon. The pressure from the brush strokes gently stretches your skin to promote lymph flow. The bristles on the brush exfoliate dead skin cells and slough off residue from soap, skin cream, perfume, and deodorant. Choose a long-handled brush so that you are able to reach all areas of your body. The bristles should be somewhat stiff and made with natural vegetable oils (synthetic ingredients can scratch and irritate your skin).
In which direction do you brush?
The direction of your brush strokes matters because the lymphatic system consists of one-way valves. Gently work your way from your extremities inward towards your heart. Use long, sweeping strokes and be kind to your skin, the lymphatic system responds to gentle pressure!
The order of the strokes follows the direction of lymph flow in the body. Begin with the hands and brush up the arms toward the shoulders. Then, brush up the back toward the shoulders. Next, move to the lower belly and brush up to the center of the chest and up around the breasts and the under arms. Then, move to the soles of the feet and brush all the way up the legs to the belly button. (And take your sweet time around your hips and butt – this magical brushing can help reduce cellulite.) This entire skin brushing routine only takes about five minutes, so its not too much to add to your morning routine.
What are the benefits?
Dry skin brushing has been shown to…
- Cleanse and purify the circulatory system by stimulating the lymph to drain toxins.
- Remove dead skin cells to soften skin and promote new cell growth.
- Increase blood flow to tighten skin.
- Improve immune system function by clearing excess waste from the body.
- Improve nervous system function by stimulating nerve endings in the skin
- Reduce cellulite by breaking apart toxic build-up in fat cells and encouraging more even distribution of fat.