And the best thing is that it only takes 2 minutes!!!!! DRY BRUSHING before your shower, bath, sauna or swimming in the lake/ocean. And it’s not only about achieving soft skin so MEN keep reading 😉
Do you want natural healthy skin and an outstanding lymphatic circulation? DRY BRUSHING has a stimulating effect on the lymphatic system as well longevity and beauty.
I’ve taken on many “health habits” and DRY BRUSHING is one of the few once where I’ve felt an instant improvement!
I tried DRY BRUSHING a couple of years back when I first heard about it, however I never got into a routine but when I tried this time I noticed to my surprise how soft my skin felt and only after doing it once. So now I’ve made it a habit 😉 I’ll note that I take “coolish” showers. Not ice cold but so it feels just a little uncomfortable. This could have an impact too. My plan is to gradually build my tolerance for colder and colder showers. Merlin my partner also dry brushes and he takes ice-cold showers 😀 There’s many advantages to cold showers so try it!
Another thing is that most of us are using way too much soap and most of us aren’t that dirty. Should your kids have fun in the mud, it comes off very easily with just water and a cloth. Remember that just like we’ve the gut microbiome to care for, we also have a microbiome on/in our skin. Instead of disturbing your skin with soaps and surfactants, you want to leave it as intact and undisturbed as possible and feed it natural beneficial oils and botanicals.
Healthy skin is self-regulating and your skin microbiome will protect you from unwanted bacteria, yeast or fungus as well as reducing unwanted odours coming from your skin. However, your diet will also affect the odours coming from your skin and the health of your skin as your skin is very closely connected to gut health. If you’ve any skin issues, I recommend that you start looking at your gut health too!
The scary thing is that when showering in tap water with fluoride and chlorine you are absorbing more than when drinking the same tap water!!!! What you put on your body is absorbed faster than through your digestive system. Your digestive system is much better to handle and eliminate harming chemicals before they reach your blood in contrast to your skin.
On top of that, when you apply soap to your skin in the shower, the protective oils in your skin is being stripped off by the alkaline soap or surfactants and now there is very little protection left to keep unwanted chemicals or bacteria from entering your body through the skin. Then next step is to think about what do you apply to your skin after your shower? Stop putting petroleum (most skincare) on your skin and instead let your skin start breathe again.
Your skin is a beautiful organ on the outside of our body that is in between you and the atmosphere. It’s the interface with your systems in your body and your skin (beside being connected to your gut health) is also connected to your lymphatic system, endocrine system and brain (the limbic system and neocortex). It’s a vast communication tool. Your hair and skin is an extension of your nervous system and could be seen as exteriorised nerves like highly evolved ‘feelers’ or ‘antennae’ that transmit vast amount of important information to your brainstem. Isn’t this fascinating? J
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO TO LOOK AFTER YOUR SKIN?
For several months, I’ve only used soap when washing my hands and armpits. For the rest of my body, I’m using a microfibre body glove (get a good quality one like from Norvex or ENJO) to wash my body. I also recommend that you start DRY BRUSHING as it’s so easy to do and it’ll take you no more than 2 minutes. It’s just like taking care of your teeth by brushing your teeth every day!
Feed your skin natural oils like coconut oil and almond oil as well as natural botanicals like high quality and therapeutic grade essential oils. I only use mascara on certain occasions and now you might think that I’m lucky to have healthy looking skin that doesn’t need to be covered up but could it be because I look after my health including my gut microbiome and skin microbiome?
Most of us know that petroleum soaps, skincare and aromatic products have harmful chemicals in them but we ignore it because we can’t be bothered to change. It doesn’t have to be hard or time consuming to make healthy changes. I recommend to slowly make changes and create a new habit/routine before moving on to the next. This is how I do it! But I encourage you to take responsibility for your health and keep educating yourself.
HOW TO DRY BRUSH
To stimulate the lymphatic system, it’s crucial that you always brush in the direction towards your heart. Your lymphatic system is right underneath your skin so it only requires the gentles of touch.
The main thing is that you start brushing with a dry brush before your shower, bath, sauna or dip in natural waters. You start at your toes and work your way up towards your heart. The same for your belly, back and arms. When you come to your neck, shoulders and chest brush down towards the heart.
You can add essential oils to your DRY BRUSH practice, as the essential oils are great for the lymphatic system.
LYMPHATIC SYSTEM ESSENTIAL OIL BLEND
Mix these essential oils or use them individually
- Cypress
- Eucalyptus
- Rosemary
Put one drop of the blend or any of the individual oil undiluted in the palm of your hand and cote your brush by gliding your brush in your hand before you start DRY BRUSHING.
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