Dry skin body brushing

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Body Brushing

Body brushing is the practice of using a natural bristle brush (available at your local health food store) to brush the skin all over the body before bathing.

Cautions:

• Do not brush over irritated or broken skin
• Brush lightly, do not use too much pressure and be extra gentle over sensitive areas, such as the face – you may choose to use a smaller, softer brush for the face
• Always brush toward the trunk (more specifically the chest and heart)

Benefits:

• Energizing at the start of the day
• Slough off dead skin cells, increasing rate of skin turnover
• Stimulate superficial lymphatic flow
• Increase circulation to the skin, speeding healing and regeneration
• Takes only 5-10 minutes per day
• Low cost

How to:

1. Hands: Starting with your palm, do 3-4 strokes from fingertips towards the wrist.  Turn the hand over and do the same to the back of the hand.
2. Arm: Using quick strokes, work your way from wrist to shoulder. Brush extra circles on the elbows and backs of the arms (where skin tends to sag). Wherever you do circles, finish with 4 straight strokes towards the trunk.
3. Torso: Raise your arms and do 4 strokes down through the armpits and then 4 strokes across the armpits towards the chest.  This helps to clear lymph nodes in the underarms.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 beginning with the opposite hand.
5. Foot: Starting with one foot, brush the bottom of the toes and foot towards the back of the heel and start up the leg.  Brush the top of the foot towards the leg.
6. Leg: Brush up the leg and over through the knee.  Brush extra circles on the knees (where many people have dry skin) and thighs (where cellulite tends to appear). Wherever you do circles, finish with 4 straight strokes towards the trunk. Brush the thighs, front and back, up toward the trunk. Brush the buttocks upwards towards the torso.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 beginning with the opposite foot.
8. Torso: Finally brush the torso upwards and towards the middle both front and back.  Go around the breasts and over them towards the neck.
9. Face: Brush lightly over the face in small circles, finishing with longer strokes across the forhead, upwards over the cheekbones, and across the chin.
10. Neck: Brush down the neck towards the torso front and back.
11. Brush down the neck towards the torso.
12. Hair: Finish by brushing hair with a hairbrush, using the bristles on the brush to give your scalp a gentle massage.

Click here to receive exclusive guides and articles to help you live well, including your free copy of my ebook “The Essential Guide to Natural Beauty,” containing this treatment and many more!