Detox from the outside...

Just like some people routinely or occasionally do a juice cleanse or a fast to detox... you can give your body a helping hand to detox from the outside. Is this even possible you ask?!

Dry Brushing is your answer to helping your body flush out toxins. Our body has approximately 600 lymph nodes!! WOAH! Our three major lymph nodes are in the groin, under our arms and in our neck. Lymph vessels spread throughout our body and much like the veins do for blood, they carry lymph fluid around the body, collecting toxins and waste to the nodes where the fluid is filtered. The nodes also contain immune cells that can help fight infection by attacking and destroying germs that are carried in through the lymph fluid.

However, where the veins have the heart to keep blood pumping through, the lymphatic system relies on adequate muscle movement to keep it moving - this is where your dry brushing ritual comes in to play... Whilst brushing is a surface practice it still stimulates your lymphatic drainage system and helps to escort all those toxins out of your body through the lymph pathways, while also reducing puffiness and water retention. (As well as the added bonus of a full body exfoliation for soft supple skin if followed by oil or moisturiser).

There are a multitude of "best practice' dry brushing out there depending on who you're talking to. Most will direct you to take short strokes towards your heart and circular motions on the abdomen and joints. One particular article I read from a lymphatic PT for cancer advised starting with short upward strokes on the abdomen and then starting with your arms short strokes towards the nearest major lymph node (that would be the arm pit for the arms) and then gradually moving from the arms to the chest and then the legs.

Whichever school of thought you choose to follow - always use a soft bristle, natural haired brush, use a firm but not harsh stroke, and follow with a shower/bath to wash away the dead skin you've brushed off.

For maximum skin benefits, follow with a moisturiser. This summer I've been dry brushing 3-4 times a week and following with 'Soothe - Everything Oil' our kawakawa oil, and my skin has never been softer! 

Dry Brushing feels like the itch you didn't know you needed to scratch, immensely satisfying and soothing. It can take just a few minutes or you can stretch out the ritual to spending a few minutes on each location. Totally up to you. But if a practice like this has been around for centuries, you know it HAS to be good!

Get yourself a natural bristled body brush, some 'Soothe' oil and start adding it into your rituals!