The benefits of dry skin brushing (and how to do it)

August 10, 2015 · 1 Comment

The benefits of dry skin brushing (and how to do it)

There are many reasons why you should take up dry skin brushing!

I absolutely love the way it makes me feel. Make it part of your morning ritual and see how YOU feel!

But first, how do you do dry skin brushing?

Get naked. Grab a dry, long-handled, natural bristle brush – you can find these at health food stores, chemists or online.

Start gently brushing your body. Use long, sweeping strokes, all over your body, always brushing towards the heart, not away from it.

Take your time and make sure each area is brushed thoroughly. Be careful of any sensitive parts of your skin and any acne, rashes etc. Be very gentle on the boobs!

Don’t forget the soles of your feet. I don’t do my face as I already exfoliate it or you could use a smaller brush designed for the face.

Now have a warm shower. If you want to really get the blood pumping, finish with a spritz of cold water. Make sure you moisturize well afterwards.

Because of the detoxing effect of dry skin brushing, clean your brush at least once a week in a tea-tree oil and water solution and dry well.

So, what are the benefits?

It feels AMAZING! It’s a bit like a mini-massage!

It stimulates your nerve endings and helps your nervous system.

It gets rid of all the dead skin cells sitting on your skin.

It gets your circulation pumping.

It can help with your muscle tone and cellulite.

It helps detoxify your body.

It can help tighten up your skin, because of the increased blood flow to the area.

It gets the lymphatic system stimulated.

It will make your skin feel really smooth and look glowing.

It’s a cheap way to get beautiful skin without salon visits.

Because it feels AMAZING!

What should you use?

Use a natural body brush, rather than a synthetic one to avoid scratching the skin. This body brush by Bodecare is specifically designed for dry skin brushing. I love the detachable head with canvas strap so you can really get in close to the areas that need it.

I also like the Bass brush, which is all natural and a little cheaper, but not contoured.

Want more info?

This fabulous book, Dry Brushing goes right into detail about how to dry brush, with step by step instructions and information. Get it here.

Did you know? Our skin is our largest organ. One quarter of the body’s detoxing goes on via our skin! Try dry skin brushing every morning for a month. Report back and tell me how you feel!

Do you have dry winter skin? Read this.

Do a daily body boost and brush with me!

January 2, 2013 · 28 Comments

I have had a few very quiet, relaxing days at home to bring in the new year.

Pondering what is working for me and what is not has brought about several a-ha! moments.

One thing that really has stood out for me, is that I need to practice self-care on a regular basis.

Not once a week, not sporadically, but every day! I need to get serious about this because my health has not been the best.

One thing I am really going to focus on doing every day is to take just ten minutes to do a daily body brush and daily body boost.

I have done both often, and absolutely adore it. Somehow, I get distracted and busy and it just doesn’t become a regular habit. But not anymore – this is going to be my ten minutes every day where I pamper myself and reap the benefits.

Who wants to join me? It’s going to make us feel really energized and ready to take on the world!! wooohoooo!!

Now, I have talked about the benefits of body brushing before, so I won’t repeat myself, but take a look here to find out about it.

So, before my shower every morning, I will do a dry skin brush.

Then, after my shower, I will do Like Chocolate for Women’s famous Daily Body Boost. Kim at LCFW is a qualified aromatherapist and challenges us to do the daily body boost for 28 days and then notice any changes.

I like using their Twenty8 synergy blends as all the hard work has been done blending and choosing the oils for you. You can choose to use the following synergy blends, according to what you feel you need that day.

*celebrate and uplift

*courage and confidence

*destress and revive

*detox and strengthen

*energy and vitality

*hormone balance

*instant calm

*peace and meditation

*romance and intimacy

Okay, so are you ready??

This is what we need:

-three drops of good quality essential oils (three different ones or a synergy blend)

-one teaspoon of cold pressed carrier oil

-three sprays of magnesium health spray (my new favourite thing, read here)

-a small ceramic bowl

-nude body

This is how we do it:

Mix everything together in our little dish. Immediately after our shower, while our skin is still damp, start massaging the magic potion into our naked bodies.

Start with the toes and work our way up. Give the wobbly bits an extra massage to increase circulation and help break down cellulite.

Use the last bits of magic potion to massage well into the hands and then place over our face and inhale deeply. Take five beautiful long breaths.

This is also the perfect opportunity to make a positive affirmation about ourselves or our day ahead. Maybe you would like to repeat a mantra, like ‘GRATEFUL’ or ‘PEACEFUL’. Use your intuition to guide you.

We are on fire now and ready to start the day!

I am super-excited to add this into my daily routine. I am going to put all of the daily body boost stuff out on the bathroom bench, along with my brush, so I remember to do it every morning.

So, who is joining me in taking ten minutes every morning to feel uplifted and energized?

This post contains affiliate links to the fabulous Like Chocolate for Women website!

Detox – 10 easy things you can do to give your body a boost!

October 8, 2012 · 22 Comments

I am not a fan of radical detox programs. I think they can be dangerous to your health, not to mention really difficult to do!

The body is pretty good at detoxifying itself, but there are some things you can do to give it a helping hand.

As we have been holidaying for two weeks, we have at times overindulged in food, eaten out more than often and been a little lax!

So, this week, I am giving my body a boost with some easy, achievable things that really make a difference.

1. Inliven. I take it every day. When I am detoxing or when I am sick, I take it twice a day. Inliven is a certified organic probiotic superfood powder. Go here for some more information.

2. Lemon Coconut Drink. I have blogged before about having a hot lemon and water drink in the mornings. It is fabulous ! Now I have been adding some coconut oil to it. I have been doing this for a few weeks and I love it. I squeeze half an organic lemon into a cup and add a tablespoon of extra virgin organic coconut oil. Then I half fill it with hot, filtered water (to melt the coconut oil). Then I top it up with filtered water and drink! The added benefit is that your lips are moisturized at the same time. (see photo above)

3. Dry Skin Brushing. This is simply something that everyone should do daily! Read the blog post I did about it here.

4. Water. It’s no secret! Your body needs lots and lots of filtered water for all it’s systems to function at their peak. 30ml per kg of your body weight is the amount I drink per day. I make up a big batch of fruity flavoured water to make it more appealing. My beverage of choice when I go out is sparkling mineral water with lime. It’s really good! I don’t drink alcohol, so that is one less thing I have to detox from. If you do, then take a week off. You can do it!

5. Epsom Salt Bath. I usually have at least one of these a week. They are incredibly relaxing and will draw toxins out of your body. Add about two cups to your bath and soak for at least 20 minutes to get the full benefit. Go here for some more info. Try this beautiful Epzen brand which also contains detoxing essential oils.

6. Limit Caffeine. I did so enjoy lots of chai tea on holiday! But, my body is really sensitive to caffeine, so I need to limit myself to one or two a day and before noon.

7. Eat good stuff. I do eat good stuff regularly, but this week, I am focusing on eating only organic and only unprocessed foods. I am also using natural sweeteners, cutting out all wheat, limiting dairy and meat and focusing on lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.

8. Exercise. I am walking and practicing yoga every day! Some good detoxing yoga poses are here. My favourite is ‘legs up the wall’ which I do all the time!

9. Rest. I am focusing on going to bed early, keeping my life simple and stress free and spending time meditating.

10. Enlist professional help. There are many practitioners who offer therapies that can assist with detoxing. This week I am going to get a lymphatic drainage massage.

Unfortunately, my body is not liking the green smoothies at the moment, but they are a fabulous way to give your body a nutrition boost! My favourite recipe is my Pineapple Mint Green Tea smoothie.

I am also wearing “detox and cleanse” motivational jewellery from Sanctus Stones. I am blogging about this soon, so stay tuned!

So, that’s my plan! Do you need to give your body a bit of a helping hand? What is your favourite way to ‘detox’?