Dry Brushing

"Not only does beauty fade, but it leaves a record upon the face as to what became of it.

~Elbert Hubbard

Dry Brushing has been around for many years. I used to dry brush my skin regularly and my skin used to shine and be so soft and gentle. Now, I am not so sure, but I am willing to give dry brushing another go and get my skin to look healthy, glowing and soft.

Dry Brushing revs up the circulation better than a cup of super caffeinated coffee, I promise. This is perfect for those who want to get rid of the dry dull skin of winter and the pale-ish looking skin of just blah.

Dry brushing is an absolute MUST for smooth, sleek clear skin. Over the course of the day, your skin eliminates more than a pond of waste. You heard me. More than A POUND of waste through thousands of tiny sweat glands. You can even say that about a third of all the body's impurities are excreted this way. If you pores are clogged due to tight-fitting clothes, or mineral oil-based moisturizers, there is no way for these toxic by-products to escape. Over time these wastes build up and your skin can start to look pale, pasty and pimply (the three P's). The dead skin also builds up on the epidermis, the top layer of your skin, resulting in a dry, flaky, lizard-like texture.

Do you ever wonder you keep applying moisturizer over your skin and you skin still looks dry? Could be your moisturizer, could be you are net getting rid of that layer of dead skin that needs to be shed. Before you can make your moisturizer work, you need to brush off the dead skin first and then apply a good, natural moisturizing oil to help lock in the moisture and leave your skin looking radiant for days. Dry brushing is even good over skin with eczema and psoriasis, just go light on the pressure.

How to Dry Brush:

Step 1: Dry brushing is always performed on DRY skin. No oils, not damp, not clean skin, but good, dry skin. Perform the dry brushing in the shower so that all the dead, yucky cells can fall right into the shower. Do not use water at all. Use a natural fiber brush, about the size of your palm, preferably one with a handle or strap and brush your entire body (except your face and breasts if you are woman). Brush for 5-10 minutes. Do not brush hard. Initially you will have to start gently and work your way up to more vigorous brushing, but never scrub until you are red. Always brush towards your heart. Begin brushing your hands first, then your arms, underarms, neck, chest, stomach, sides and back. Then brush your legs, starting at your feet, brush upwards in big, long brush strokes. Move up to the hips and buttocks and brush this area with big swooping brush strokes. You will begin to feel wonderfully invigorated when finish and your skin will glow.

Step 2: Pour a tablespoon of sesame, almond, olive, or avocado oil into a small bowl and add a few drops of lemongrass, lavender, or German chamomile to the bowl. Massage over your entire body, including your face, ears and scalp (of you are washing your hair). Do this for about 5 minutes. Jump in the shower and bathe as normal and wash away all the dead, dry skin. Apply a light moisturizer after your shower.

The key is to do this weekly, or better yet, daily. Make sure you wash your body brush after each use and keep clean of debris and dirt.