Guest Author - Adrienne Dumas

I was first introduced to skin brushing during a detox plan that I tried at home. The daily practice of brushing my skin with a dry brush was actually my favorite part of the detox. I noticed a huge difference in how my skin appeared to look, as well as how I felt about my skin and my entire body. The act of brushing my skin is a very meditative experience for me and gives me the chance to send loving and healing messages to my body while also working towards making it look and feel beautiful. It is a very stimulating, healing experience. When you try skin brushing you too will want to have this experience before each of your baths.

How it works:

Using a firm, dry brush to gently brush your skin all over your body, helps your skin to glow by removing all of the dull and dead layers of skin that exist on the top of your skin. It also helps to encourage new cells to regenerate. The massaging motion of the bristles from the brush also has a beneficial effect on cellulite and can eliminate toxins from the body (which is why it is used in many detox programs).

How to brush your skin:

To begin the daily practice of brushing your skin, you will need a body brush that has natural bristles. See below for the type of brush that I recommend which can be bought at Amazon.

Begin by brushing at your feet and slowly work your way up towards your legs, buttocks, hips, stomach, chest, arms, hands, neck and end with the face (you may decide to use a softer brush for the face). It is suggested to brush upwards toward your heart (always brush upwards) and to brush softly on the areas of your body where you skin is the softest and thinnest. It is also suggested to brush more in a circular motion around the stomach and chest areas.

This technique of brushing will take anywhere between three and fifteen minutes, depending on how many strokes you give to each area as well as how meditatively you choose to brush. If you want the experience to be more relaxing for you, you can try visualizing yourself filling your body with light with each stroke. Mentally say loving things to your body such as “I love my legs.” This is a great way for you to raise your self-esteem and to truly appreciate your body and it’s appearance.

Skin brushing is best done right before a bath or a shower. You can brush your skin in the morning or in the evening, whichever you prefer. This treatment can also be done prior to an exfoliation skin treatment or hydrotherapy skin treatment. It is also suggested to try skin brushing before applying a self-tanner.

Skin brushing for better health:

Many detox programs suggest or use skin brushing as a part of their program. It is believed that skin brushing helps to stimulate blood and lymph flow and helps to eliminate toxins from the body. But skin brushing on a daily basis has other more long-term effects such as healthier and more radiant skin (and less skin ailments) and feeling more energetic. If you would like to feel more energy every day, you can try skin brushing twice a day before a bath or a shower.

Here are the main good reasons for skin brushing:

 Removes dead skin cells
 Rejuvenates and helps to regenerate new skin cells
 Stimulates blood and lymph flow
 Helps to eliminate toxins from the body (and skin)
 Helps combat cellulite and stretch marks
 Creates smooth, glowing, vibrant and healthy skin
 Gives you higher self-esteem if done meditatively

A Simple Five Minute Technique For Brushing Your Skin:

Remove all of your clothing and sit in a comfortable position. Begin by brushing the sole of one of your feet and brush upwards. Move further along towards your ankle and lower leg. Then do the same on the other foot, ankle and leg.

Now stand up and begin to brush your upper legs and your buttocks. Move the brush in an upward motion (towards your heart). Now brush your back, but if you cannot reach all of your back you can use a towel by rubbing your back with the towel (make sure that the towel is dry).

Now brush your arms and hands in an upward motion. Then begin to rub your stomach very gently in a circular motion (preferably in a clockwise direction) and do the same with your breast area. Now brush your neck and upper chest in a more downward motion, towards the heart. Gently brush your face (including your ears). Now you may have a bath or a shower to moisturize your skin. Feel free to use a loofah in the bath or shower or to gently exfoliate your skin when you first enter your bath or shower to create even softer skin.