Dry Skin Brushing
April 12th, 2010 | D.I.Y., How-to, balance, bath, brush, clean, cleanse, detox, dry skin, health, shower, skin, soap
This method of detoxification is very simple and it feels really good, especially on tired legs and feet after a long day of standing. The stimulation of the skin opens the pores and gets the blood circulating. Dry skin brushing has been around for centuries in many cultures. The loofah was traditionally used in some places. In Finland people vigorously brush their skin with twigs before entering the sauna.
It doesn’t take very long to give your body a once over with the brush, and these days they are easy to find. Get a brush with a long handle to reach your back. My brush is a little too short and I can’t really get my back very well. Use a brush with all natural fibre or a loofah–synthetic fibre brushes can irritate the skin.
How To Dry Skin Brush
Use one stroke movements, your skin should not become red or damaged. Basically, the principal is to brush from the outermost points of the body (hands and feet) in towards the core. I generally start with my feet and work up. When I get to my waist I do my hands and arms and then brush up my back and then down towards my heart. Cover the entire surface of the body (except your face and neck) once only.
You can use a softer brush on your face as the blood vessels are near the surface of the skin and can easily get damaged. I don’t brush my face but if you do want to do so, begin in the centre of your face and work outwards and then brush downwards through to your neck.
This is a really simple and quick method to assist the largest organ of your body (your skin) to detoxify and cleanse. The brushing removes the top layer of dead skin. This cleansing is better than soap which often dries the skin out. Skin brushing stimulates the oil-producing glands and is the best way to clean skin without removing the protective mantle of acid, oils and micro-organisms. Commercial soap generally clogs your pores, leaves a film and can change the pH balance. Chemicals and synthetic perfumes in these soaps are absorbed through your pores.
Dry skin brushing helps to open the pores and clean the lymphatic system and also increases blood circulation. It is also said to help keep the skin elastic and supple, preventing premature ageing and reducing cellulite (!) It only takes about 5 minutes and should be done before your shower or bath.
P.S. Skin must be dry as well as the brush!
More Links:
Dry Brushing Technique
Dry Skin Brushing: A Natural Way to Detox
A Swift and Powerful Home Detox
Video Demonstrating a Method of Dry Skin Brushing
I’ve got my brush, just a couple of questions before I try this out:
1. How do you keep the brush clean between uses? How do you clean out the dead skin cells or residues/toxins that are going to be coming off during the brushing?
2. I’m a few months pregnant. I just want to make 100% sure that this is okay for me to do. It seems like all the good stuff in life becomes dangerous when you get pregnant. A lot of detoxing methods are not okay for me now that I’m pregnant. So yeah, just wanting to check.
Thanks 🙂
Nicole
Hi thanks for your questions. Since the brush is kept dry it stays clean quite readily. Just brush with your hand if you need to.
Yes in Finland it is called vasta. Beating and brushing the skin with leafy birch branches during sauna. Cleans and stimulates circulation in the skin, while in the sauna you sweat away any toxins. I didn’t get to try this while I was there (the birch leaves were still too small that time of year), but I did enjoy a couple saunas without the vasta. My friend there has a wonderful sauna he built himself.
Wow that is cool, thanks for the details. I would love to have a chance to try this out in Finland someday!