Did you know your body is capable of losing 1lb of toxins a day
And body dry brushing will go a long way in assisting this process

Buffing your skin into submission with a hard-bristled brush?

I mean seriously, sounds like something you’d do to My Little Pony, not to your own skin… right?

Well, before you give it the complete brush off, read on.

Once you understand the benefits of this little beauty treat, you’ll soon have your clothes in one hand and a scrubber in the other.

The Science

Cast your mind back to your biology class and answer these questions:

• What is the largest organ in the body, responsible for 10 to 15% of total elimination?
• What organ receives a third of all the blood that is circulated in the body?
• When blood is full of toxic materials, which organ will reflect this with problems?
• Which organ is the last to receive nutrients, yet the first to show signs of imbalance or deficiency?

Why, your skin of course.

It’s as MAJOR an ORGAN as the HEART, LUNGS, and KIDNEYS and its PRIMARY FUNCTION includes RESPIRATION, EXCRETION, BLOOD AND LYMPH, CIRCULATION and IMMUNITY.

In Chinese medicine, skin is considered so important, it’s referred to as the third kidney that conducts vital Chi.

Follow the link to find out 20 interesting facts about your skin.

The History

Throughout the centuries, weird and wonderful techniques of dry brushing have been practiced.

In ancient Greece, athletes used strigiles, specialized spoon-like skin scrapers to remove sweat and encourage circulation. Those Greeks they never do anything normal, right?

Not to mention the Cherokee Indians, who would brush their bodies with dried corn cobs to enhance the health of their skin.

And Animals Do It

Adolf Just wrote about the importance of skin rubbing by observing wild animals in his wonderful book “Return to Nature“:

Higher land animals, especially wild boars and deer, in free nature, are in the habit of lying down in small muddy swamps and pools and rubbing to and fro in the mud. After a while they rub themselves against the earth, trees and other objects. The birds go to brooks or springs, and, by immersing their necks, throw water over their bodies…then they rub or scrub the body using their head, bill and wing elbows.

But stop, don’t panic!

I’m not for a minute suggesting you resort to rolling around in the mud, or stand in a field beating yourself with corn cobs or spoons for that matter, because a simple bristled brush will suffice.

Dry Brushing – A Powerful Elimination Tool

Now I have always endorsed body brushing to my clients as it’s a wonderful exfoliater and detoxifier.

Your skin is a living, breathing organ after all, that’s exposed to hundreds of pollutants every day, and just like every other major organ on your body, it requires daily cleansing and nutrients.

But I’ll be the first to admit, the more I got into the subject of dry brushing, the more I become genuinely amazed at what a powerful elimination tool for the lymphatic system it really is.

Especially when it comes to removing DANGEROUS WASTE, that’s been hanging around in the body way to long.

• It’s a natural exfoliater
• It stimulates blood circulation
• It helps to remove ingrown hairs
• It increases nerve function throughout the skin organ
• It allows for better absorption of your skin care products
• It increases circulation in areas of greatest fat-concentration, re balancing fat distribution
• It stimulates a sluggish lymphatic system, removing toxins from the body where waste products accumulate

The Importance of the Lymph

The lymphatic system is composed of lymph vessels, lymph nodes, and organs.

These lymph nodes are super important for your body’s defense system, removing microorganisms and other foreign substances, acting like tiny filtration systems that keep foreign bodies such as bacteria, from entering your bloodstream.

Stimulating your lymphatic system through skin brushing activates waste removal via your lymph nodes.

For those of you keen to know the full correct lymph drainage technique, I have included this video:

Tools of the Trade

A soft, natural-bristle brush with a long extended handle is ideal for dry brushing, so that it can get to all those difficult to reach areas.

The best time to carry out the treatment is before you get in a shower, with a simple technique using light strokes in an upward motions towards the heart, which is ideal for circulation.

For those clients who are struggling with their weight or fluid retention, I recommend using a few drops of detoxifying essential oils to improve circulation and encourage detoxification.

A great blend to use as part of your dry brushing routine includes: Lemon, fennel, juniper, black pepper, cypress and thyme.

The Naked Truth

So a big question I am often asked, is will dry brushing REMOVE CELLULITE?

And the answer is a resounding NO, which you can find out all about in my article, “Cellulite: Dispelling the Myths“.

But whilst topical treatment with skin brushing won’t cure cellulite, it will rid your skin of dead cells, improve its overall appearance, get circulation back on track, increase lymphatic flow, and boost your energy and immunity levels.

Armed with this information, I’m sure you’ll agree, this is one little beauty treatment that is guaranteed to put the zing back into your skin. Enjoy x