DRY BRUSHING FOR HORMONE BALANCE
If you are new to dry brushing let me tell you why you are going to want to incorporate this into your daily routine. Dry brushing aids the body to detoxify itself naturally. How you ask? Let’s start by addressing the most important aspect of detoxifying the body...the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is a major part of our body’s immune system and is made of lymph nodes, ducts, and vessels. This allows our lymph to be transported throughout the body. By releasing toxins it allows our body to run more effectively and is a great way to look and feel better.
Benefits of Dry Brushing
Removes dead skin cells and encourages new cell renewal. This alone will leave the skin looking smoother, softer and brighter just by exfoliating it. Essentially you are allowing your skin to breathe better.
Increased circulation to the skin area which can reduce the appearance of cellulite (notice how I didn’t say it gets rid of cellulite...some people are claiming this and I don’t believe this is true) by removing toxins and helping with muscle tone it is giving you a more even distribution of fat deposits. This will create an even skin tone and improved texture to the skin.
The hormones that the endocrine system (pineal, hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, thymus, adrenals, pancreas, ovary/testes) release influence nearly every cell, organ, and function in our bodies.
Clears out the pores of any oil and dirt.
Feels like a whole-body massage.
Promotes circulation and blood flow to your skin which then encourages metabolic waste removal...aka toxins!
How to Dry Brush
I like to do this standing in the shower before running the water in the morning. I have a few different dry brushes and will recommend a few for you to check out. I also keep one in my travel bag this one is smaller and doesn’t take a lot of room up in my toiletry bag.
Just a few things to keep in mind. You don’t need to brush hard!! My first time dry brushing my skin felt very sensitive... the first reason being I was probably brushing too hard and the second it was my first time so my skin was more sensitive. Now dry brushing feels like a beautiful massaging of the skin so don’t worry your skin will become less sensitive with regular brushing.
Starting at the top of your feet use long sweeping motions in the upward direction (towards your heart). I like to go over the same area a few times.
Continue to move up to your lower legs, thighs, and arms. Don’t forget to do the backs of your legs and arms too.
Your chest and stomach area can also be dry brushed but this time we will use clock-wise circular motions.
Dry brushing should take anywhere between 5 and 10 minutes.
After dry brushing start your shower. The school of thought is to alternate the shower temperature between hot and cold. This will help further promote blood flow and circulation.
One important thing to do after showering is to moisturize your skin with a paraben-free product. The cleaner the ingredient list in your moisturizer the better. Here is a link to David Suzuki’s “Dirty dozen” cosmetic chemicals to avoid.
This list shares the chemicals you should steer free of when purchasing beauty products...so make sure you read the ingredients on all your labels! After all, we just did all this work to promote detoxification in the body.
Dry Brushing your Face
Yes, you can dry brush your face! This helps increase blood flow to the skin which brightens up the complexion and aids with fine lines and the start of wrinkles. It can also help to reduce puffiness and dark circles under the eyes. And did I mention it is a great facial exfoliant that detoxifies and helps to clear up congestion in the skin including acne? Plus it tones and firms the face.
First, start by washing your face thoroughly with a gentle all-natural and paraben-free facial cleanser.
Use one of these next two options: Let your face air-dry or pat it down gently with a clean towel.
When dry brushing your face start at your chin and move up towards your hairline using very light and gentle strokes. The best dry brush for the face is one that has softer bristles.
Repeat these upward strokes until you have covered your entire face.
After dry brushing use an all-natural non-paraben moisturizer and massage it into the skin. Again start at your chin and use upward motions to apply the moisturizer.
Other tips
Clean your dry brush weekly. Using an all-natural soap with water and then allowing it to dry thoroughly
Alternative ways to dry brush...try using an all-natural detoxing body oil on your brush before using it. *You would need to shower first before brushing the skin using this method*
Combine dry brushing with an infrared sauna session. I recommend dry brushing before going into the infrared sauna as it will exfoliate the skin and allow for more sweating and releasing of toxins and heavy metals.
If you have any questions regarding dry brushing please feel free to DM me.
Enjoy!
KT