Have you ever wondered what those long wooden brushes hanging in the skin and body care section are for? Dry skin brushing! Sounds a little funky, I know, but when I tell you that this little daily ritual alone can rid you of one pound of waste and toxins, what will you say? Here is the scoop.
Your skin is one of the largest organs in your body. It is also a very important organ of elimination, right up there with liver and colon! Approximately 10% of body elimination occurs through the skin, which is about a pound of waste saying bye bye on a daily basis.
That’s if you’re lucky.
You see, skin is a living organism. It may seem like nothing goes on with it, but in reality, it is living, breathing and feeding itself every single minute of the day. It gets rid of toxins through sweat and it also continuously produces new cells. When the old cells aren’t removed, they block the pores resulting in toxins remaining in the body. This means that you, my friend, end up stuck with that pound of waste that was supposed to be eliminated.
When the waste doesn’t get removed via the skin, it gets loaded on to your liver and kidneys, – two very important elimination organs. They get overburdened, and when they can’t cope, the toxins build up in the tissues, which eventually may lead to disease.
To prevent this from happening, dry skin brushing comes to the rescue!
Here are just a few benefits of dry skin brushing:
- lightening of the skin and improving its texture;
- improved digestion
- better circulation
- increased oxygen supply
- increased cell renewal
- draining and cleansing of the lymphatic system
- detoxification of the body
- removal of dead skin cells
- strengthened immune system
- better dry skin oil production
- Use a long handled, natural bristle brush. If you are unable to find one use a loofah sponge.
- Use a gentle, comfortable pressure and smoothly sweep the brush in small circles in the direction of the arrows outlined in the above diagram.
- Start at the soles of your feet and work your way up your legs, your front and your lower back.
- Then do your hands and progress up your arms.
- When doing your chest and upper back (including the back of your neck), focus the brush strokes towards your heart.
- Avoid the face and any other sensitive areas.
- For hygiene puposes, use a separate brush for each member of the family and wash the brush every week.
- Dry skin brushing is most effective before your morning shower and/or before you go to bed. At least 5-10 minutes of skin brushing daily for 3 weeks every month is recommended to create a substantial difference in your health.
