I often tell my massage clients there are two important ways to improve their health. Dry skin brushing, and drinking between 8-10 glasses of water daily. These two things don together can have a dramatic impact on your overall health.
The combination of dry brushing and getting plenty of water is one of my favorite health tips. It is also one of my favorite beauty tips because it can also improve the health and beauty of your skin. This is sort of a positive one-two punch. The water hydrates and the brushing eliminates. The dry brushing is beneficial in the removal of toxin buildup and cellulite, while offering rejuvenating effects on the nervous system. Dry brushing also stimulates the lymphatic system and enhances blood circulation, which contributes to a healthier immune function. Dry brushing regularly will help prevent dry skin and is a great way to naturally exfoliate the skin, which stimulates skin renewal that is softer to the touch – and all without using any harmful or toxic chemicals.
Did you know . . . Your skin is the largest eliminative organ of your body? But is also assimilates (so what you put ON your skin absorbs INTO your skin). Dry skin brushing reduces the amount of junk that your skin absorbs, which will take some of the stress off your internal elimination organs such as your lungs and kidneys. Dry brushing allows your body to properly eliminate through the newly opened pores as it is meant to do. Because of pollution, poor diets, stress, and lotions we slather on every day, the skin pores become clogged and trap toxins beneath the layers. Millions of dead skin cells build up and trap impurities inside, unnecessarily overworking the other organs. Trapped toxins beneath the skin surface are also what contributes to cellulite. More than one pound of waste products are discharged through the skin every day. If toxins and waste begin to build up in the tissues, then the kidneys and liver cannot properly perform their job, then sooner or later disease will follow.
Some other benefits to regularly dry brushing:
Helps to remove cellulite and dead layer of skin
As you can see, keeping your skin healthy and well-functioning can be one of the keys to your good health. Skin brushing moves blood and lymph in the body, removes dead skin cells and encourages new cell growth.
Here is the skin brushing technique:
Dry brush once each day and drink plenty of water and you will be healthier! It will stimulate natural oils to the skin surface. No more alligator skin. No more need for lotion to soften the skin!
A few closing tips . . .
Helpful Tip #1: When dry skin brushing is done before a bath, be cautious of the oils or bath soap that you use in your bath. Your dead skin cells are sloughed off, so you are ready to absorb nutrients! This is one of the best times to use essential oils. Add a few drops of a pure, plant-based essential oil and it will be gently absorbed. (If you are applying essential oils directly to your skin after a shower or bath, make sure to mix them with a carrier oil-and go lightly.)
Helpful Tip #2: The absorption of oils on brushed and cleansed skin is very quick. Therefore, make sure to choose your oils wisely! For example, peppermint oil on cleansed pores can give you the chills. You can also absorb the bad ingredients more easily, so be cautious not to use a chemically-laden formula or anything with mineral oil. It is always best to stick to the healing essential oils that are made with pure and natural ingredients. (If you want to learn more about essential oils or sample the oils I keep on hand at Touch for Life, let me know.)
Helpful Tip #3: To break down cellulite, dry brush the cellulite areas for about five to ten minutes, twice per day. Only do as much as your skin will tolerate, being careful not to apply too much pressure until your skin gets used to the constant attention. This is a slow process and may take as much as four or five months to achieve significant results, but consistent daily brushing of cellulite areas will help dissolve the cellulite.
Last thought – in the cold of winter it is sometimes hard to remember to drink the 8 – 10 glasses of water. The combination of the water and the dry brushing will give you the best results, so make it a point to hydrate every day.
To your health!
Gail Grieger
PS. Don’t forget to stop by the Christmas Open House at Touch for Life this Wednesday, December 3rd, from 4:00 – 7:00 PM.
The combination of dry brushing and getting plenty of water is one of my favorite health tips. It is also one of my favorite beauty tips because it can also improve the health and beauty of your skin. This is sort of a positive one-two punch. The water hydrates and the brushing eliminates. The dry brushing is beneficial in the removal of toxin buildup and cellulite, while offering rejuvenating effects on the nervous system. Dry brushing also stimulates the lymphatic system and enhances blood circulation, which contributes to a healthier immune function. Dry brushing regularly will help prevent dry skin and is a great way to naturally exfoliate the skin, which stimulates skin renewal that is softer to the touch – and all without using any harmful or toxic chemicals.
Did you know . . . Your skin is the largest eliminative organ of your body? But is also assimilates (so what you put ON your skin absorbs INTO your skin). Dry skin brushing reduces the amount of junk that your skin absorbs, which will take some of the stress off your internal elimination organs such as your lungs and kidneys. Dry brushing allows your body to properly eliminate through the newly opened pores as it is meant to do. Because of pollution, poor diets, stress, and lotions we slather on every day, the skin pores become clogged and trap toxins beneath the layers. Millions of dead skin cells build up and trap impurities inside, unnecessarily overworking the other organs. Trapped toxins beneath the skin surface are also what contributes to cellulite. More than one pound of waste products are discharged through the skin every day. If toxins and waste begin to build up in the tissues, then the kidneys and liver cannot properly perform their job, then sooner or later disease will follow.
Some other benefits to regularly dry brushing:
Helps to remove cellulite and dead layer of skin
- Promotes a healthy lymphatic system
- Contributes to a healthier immune system
- Tightens and softens the skin, improving appearance
- Stimulates the hormone and oil-producing glands
As you can see, keeping your skin healthy and well-functioning can be one of the keys to your good health. Skin brushing moves blood and lymph in the body, removes dead skin cells and encourages new cell growth.
Here is the skin brushing technique:
- Use a natural bristle brush (not synthetic, as it can scratch the skin).
- Make sure your skin is DRY. This is the secret! You want to slough off the dead skin. If you were to stand on a black towel, you would see billons of dead skin cells that you cleansed off your body. This is also called a Naturopathic bath.
- I have my clients start on their feet and work up to their heart. Lightly make circular motions. You just want the skin to turn pink and increase lymph movement and circulation. Move up to the sides, back, belly and all the reachable areas. Go gently around the sides, breast area and arm pits as you want to flush the lymph nodes here.
- When you get to the limbs, always start at the farthest moving towards the heart. Do hands and arms moving inward, feet and leg moving outward.
- You can dry brush before or after a shower, or before you get dressed in the morning. The time of day doesn’t matter, but try to do it at about the same time each day.
Dry brush once each day and drink plenty of water and you will be healthier! It will stimulate natural oils to the skin surface. No more alligator skin. No more need for lotion to soften the skin!
A few closing tips . . .
Helpful Tip #1: When dry skin brushing is done before a bath, be cautious of the oils or bath soap that you use in your bath. Your dead skin cells are sloughed off, so you are ready to absorb nutrients! This is one of the best times to use essential oils. Add a few drops of a pure, plant-based essential oil and it will be gently absorbed. (If you are applying essential oils directly to your skin after a shower or bath, make sure to mix them with a carrier oil-and go lightly.)
Helpful Tip #2: The absorption of oils on brushed and cleansed skin is very quick. Therefore, make sure to choose your oils wisely! For example, peppermint oil on cleansed pores can give you the chills. You can also absorb the bad ingredients more easily, so be cautious not to use a chemically-laden formula or anything with mineral oil. It is always best to stick to the healing essential oils that are made with pure and natural ingredients. (If you want to learn more about essential oils or sample the oils I keep on hand at Touch for Life, let me know.)
Helpful Tip #3: To break down cellulite, dry brush the cellulite areas for about five to ten minutes, twice per day. Only do as much as your skin will tolerate, being careful not to apply too much pressure until your skin gets used to the constant attention. This is a slow process and may take as much as four or five months to achieve significant results, but consistent daily brushing of cellulite areas will help dissolve the cellulite.
Last thought – in the cold of winter it is sometimes hard to remember to drink the 8 – 10 glasses of water. The combination of the water and the dry brushing will give you the best results, so make it a point to hydrate every day.
To your health!
Gail Grieger
PS. Don’t forget to stop by the Christmas Open House at Touch for Life this Wednesday, December 3rd, from 4:00 – 7:00 PM.
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