Dry brushing addresses 500 problems or more

If you’ve never dry brushed your body, you’re missing out on a sensual delight as well as an opportunity to do your body a big favor.

Skin tightening

As most of you know, I recently got rid of 100 unwanted pounds of fat with a modified version of the HCG diet. (For more info on that, go to my website, http://www.supersimplehcgdiet.com). If any of you know anyone who has lost a great deal of weight, you’ll know that most of them have very baggy skin and sometimes “batwings” on the backs of their arms and other loose skin that can be most distressing.

Thanks to the recommendation of my friend Sabra, I started dry brushing my skin religiously every day after my shower, at the same time I began the diet. Now nearly a year later, I have very little loose skin and what slight looseness I have in the skin of my legs is fast tightening up. I confess: I’m addicted!

Break up cellulite

Dry brushing also helps stimulate the connective tissue around those dimply fat cells, usually found on the thighs and buttocks, that we call cellulite. Vigorous dry brushing and the movement of lymph can help reduce cellulite.

Toxin flushing

In addition, dry brushing addresses the entire lymphatic system, including the 500 or more lymph nodes in the body, helping usher out toxins and excess fluid. Forgive the hyperbole, but those 500 or more individual lymph nodes just love to be stimulated by my vigorous brushing, so dry brushing helps take care of 500 problem, lazy unstimulated lymph nodes.

Oil production

Dry brushing also stimulates natural oil production in the skin, so, even on an extremely low fat diet, I had no dry skin.

Now, I’m no spring chicken. I’ll confess to 63 years and counting, so wrinkles are also an issue for me. I’m not wrinkly. My skin is firm and I think it looks better than that of most women my age, thanks at least in part to dry brushing.

First, get yourself a good brush

Look for a good quality fairly stiff brush at your local beauty supply, cosmetics or bath supply store. I think it’s good to choose your brush in person rather than ordering online because you should be able to feel the bristles. Natural bristles are best and it should feel fairly stiff. When brushing, your brush should stimulate your skin, and make it pink, but it shouldn’t hurt.

How to dry brush

I dry off carefully after my shower before dry brushing. If your skin is very sensitive, you might try brushing while your skin is still wet. Your brush won’t last as long if you use it on wet skin.

Arms

Start on the palms of your hands to stimulate the lymph nodes. Using the longest possible strokes, stroke from palm to shoulder on each arm, eight strokes in each location up the sides of your arms, the backs and in the armpit. Then stroke across the upper chest and make curved strokes around and under the breast (for women). Always stroke toward your heart.

Neck and throat

Next, I pay special attention to the neck and throat. This is the one exceptions to stroking toward the heart. I stroke upward because the ravages of time and gravity tend to pull neck skin downward.

Legs

Next, move to the soles of the feet and repeat with long strokes upward being careful to brush all sides of the legs. You can use circular strokes for an extra “oomph” on problem areas like inner and outer thighs and buttocks. Just be sure to finish of with long strokes toward the heart to keep that lymph moving.

Belly

Finally, make vigorous circular strokes on your belly, finishing up with long strokes again from the groin area toward the heart.

Face

Use a different and softer brush for your face. You want to exfoliate and stimulate but the body brush is too harsh for delicate facial skin. Use a complexion brush and go over your entire face with small circular strokes. I do this separately when I wash my face.

That’s it! It’s simple and it will make you feel energized.