5 – Dry Brushing
Dry brushing the skin helps to unplug the pores and increase circulation to the underlying tissue. Skin in order to be healthy, needs to ‘breathe’. Regular removal of the top layer of dry dead skin cells helps your skin, which is your body’s largest organ, detoxify. Your skin will immediately feel silkier and over the long term will begin to look healthier, loosing that dry, ashy or pasty appearance.
Start off with a natural bristle brush or loofa. Synthetic brushes or exfoliation cloths are too harsh and can create minute scratches on the skin’s surface which may result in drier, irritated skin. If you have eczema, acne or other skin problems, should consult with a health practitioner first.
Avoid scrubbing your skin too hard. Use a firm but gentle pressure. The brushing should not be painful, but instead should feel good!
Some say that you should always brush in the direction of the heart, but I’m not convinced that it matters.
Start by brushing the bottoms of your feet, then move to the tops.
Next brush your shins and your calves.
Next, brush behind your knees and the backs of your legs past your buttocks towards your lower back. Next brush your upper legs from your knees up to your hips. Pay special attention to any areas that where you have cellulite.
Next brush your abdomen starting from your lower abdomen brushing up towards your chest. Ladies should brush the breasts including underneath the breasts but might want to avoid the sensitive areola.
Next brush the armpits, then the arms starting from the hands to the shoulders.
The whole routine shouldn’t take more than five minutes to complete, after which you should take a warm shower. You don’t need to use soap on the areas of your skin that you have brushed.