Did you know that our skin is considered an organ? In fact, it is the largest organ in the human body, and since one-third of the body’s toxins are excreted through the skin, it is important that we give it the attention it needs.
If your skin has too many toxins or dead skin cells, it may not effectively eliminate waste from your body as needed.
Dry Brushing and The Lymphatic System
The lymphatic system is one of the most important detox systems in the body. It is literally the body’s internal drainage system, and is involved in fluid recovery, immunity, and lipid absorption. It has no internal pump, so unlike our veins and arteries, it needs a little work on our behalf to keep moving.
Lack of activity or sitting down for too long can decrease the effectiveness of the lymphatic system, as well as lead to toxin overload. Fortunately, there are ways you can prevent this.
Aside from rebounding and other exercise like swimming and yoga, dry skin brushing is actually one of the most effective techniques for stimulating the immune system. It is effective, cheap, and takes as little as five minutes to perform.
Many of your lymph vessels run just below the surface of the skin, so you can see how brushing your skin can impact how well your lymph glands perform.
How To Dry Brush
Exfoliation is a natural processes whereby our body rids itself of dead skin cells. You release up to a pound of toxins through your skin, and this is the very reason why so many people experience random skin conditions from time to time (or may be suffering from chronic skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, acne, etc.).
Dry skin brushing unclogs pores, and allows your body to excrete toxins that would otherwise be trapped. It helps to energize and invigorate, while relieving stress. It also reveals soft, glowing skin.
If you want your skin to “breathe” properly, follow the below steps:
1. Purchase a natural bristle brush (the longer the handle, the easier it will be to use on your back).
2. Remove all of your clothes and stand naked in a bathtub (this will allow you to save time cleaning your floors of dead skin!).
3. Start brushing at your feet and move in long sweeping motions toward your heart (always brush towards your heart).
4. Brush several times in each area, over-lapping as you go.
5. Take more care as you brush over sensitive areas like your breasts or face. Your skin will become less sensitive over time as you keep brushing.
6. Once you’ve brushed your entire body, jump in the shower.
7. Once you are finished showering, apply jojoba oil or argan oil (my favourite skin care oils that don’t leave you feeling oily).
Here is a video that explains the process (if you’re a visual person like me):
Health Benefits of Dry Skin Brushing
Dry skin brushing has a plethora of health benefits (including those mentioned above). Here are just a few benefits of brushing your skin:
1. Stimulate The Lymphatic System
As mentioned above, dry skin brushing acts as an external massager to help keep lymph flowing through the lymphatic vessels. It helps aid in detoxification and improves immune system functioning.
2. Exfoliation
Dry skin brushing helps shed dead skin cells (and encourages new cell renewal). This results in smoother, brighter skin and can help with ingrown hairs, too!
3. Reduces Cellulite
When our skin is clogged and full of dead cells, toxins have a harder time being released. Instead, they reabsorb back into the body, which stresses the kidneys and liver. These toxins also get absorbed back into fat cells, which can contribute to cellulite. Dry brushing helps by distributing fatty deposits to tone muscles and tissues below the skin’s surface (1). Gentle, circular motions can help reduce the appearance of cellulite, which also aiding in toxin removal.
4. Relieves Stress
Dry brushing helps reduce anxiety in the same way that a whole body massage does. However, with dry brushing, you save a lot on money, because you get to do it yourself. Dry brushing is like a meditation in and of itself!
5. Increases Circulation
Similar to lymphatic drainage, dry skin brushing also improves vascular blood circulation. By releasing toxins, it encourages the body’s discharge of metabolic wastes.
Hi Carly, I am a dry skin brushing long time advocate and as I am passionate about and teach Manual Lymphatic Drainage. I always talk about the benefits to my students and many of them pass that on to their clients as well. Thanks for a great easy to read piece of writing. I love Canada, I get there every year to teach MLD! Michelle (www.rhythmmassage.com.au)
That's great to hear! I've always wanted to visit Australia – maybe one day I will!
Great article, thank you. I had heard that dry brushing was discouraged if one is experiencing excema (I just have a few spots) – but your article seems ti encourage it – I would love to think I could get back to dry brushing!
It should help with eczema, just don't go too hard on those spots.
So, don’t don’t brush the face or bottoms of the feet?
You don’t have to, no. It would be kind of pointless, because the lymph glands go up the neck to around the ear/jawline, and the lymph nodes in the feet are mostly concentrated in the top of the foot (the bottom of the foot is too thick – brushing it wouldn’t be that effective).