Why you need to start body brushing
What does body brushing do for you?
Body brushing (also known as dry brushing because you do it before you get into the shower) is a way to exfoliate the skin, get rid of dead skin, and help to unblock pores for healthy skin. It also stimulates blood circulation and the lymphatic system.
Why do you need to body brush? Well, your skin is the biggest organ in your body; just think about how much work it does all day and all night: ensuring that your body is ridding itself of toxins, sweating to maintain your body temperature, absorbing sunlight to produce vitamin D, producing sebum as a barrier, and generally protecting your body from all the dirt, bacteria and toxins that you come across just going about your daily life.
Body brushing and the lymphatic system
We give the skin on show a lot of attention (in particular our faces), but what about our poor limbs, torsos, thighs, hips, backs and tummies? If you’ve been under layers all winter and want to feel positively energised and renewed, now is a good time to get into a body brushing routine to get skin ready for spring and summer but also to invigorate your body's own system of detoxification.
Not only does it literally help you shed old skin, but body brushing stimulates the blood beneath the surface as well as the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is often overlooked, but this vital network of channels that rid the body of toxins does not have a pump action in the same way that the blood system does (thanks to the heart). Because of this, the lymphatic system needs a helping hand to push things along (we hear that trampolining is good for this due to the effect of gravity!).
When you’re feeling sluggish and lacking energy, it’s probably because your lymphatic system is overloaded and needs a little support to eliminate all the undesirables that may be hanging around your system. Body brushing helps and it's one of those things that once you start doing it, you wonder why you never did it before. The sensation of brushing is quite addictive; you really do feel like a new person after a good body brushing and the skin feels more alive.
How to body brush?
Body brushes at the ready! Let’s get into a routine with Pippettes Open Sesame cleansing and body oil to cleanse and hydrate the skin leaving it beautifully soft and smelling divine.
- Which direction to brush in? Use your body brush to brush the skin towards the heart – don’t scrub the skin but move in long sweeping strokes from your feet to the tops of your legs and your hands to the tops of your arms. Lift your arms and make sure you brush on the inside down to the armpits. You can use circular motions on the thighs and bottom, and around your tummy and hips to help break up cellulite.
- When you’ve brushed to your heart’s content (we told you it was addictive! But five minutes is fine), massage some Open Sesame Oil into your perfectly prepped skin. Again, you can follow the direction of the flow of the lymph system as described above (basically upwards or inwards towards the heart). When massaging, focus particularly on the backs of the legs and pay attention to any acupressure points which feel a little tender or sore around the ankles, heels, shins, knees and thighs. Hands, fingers, wrists and elbows deserve a little love too.
- Be sure to enjoy the mesmerising scent of Open Sesame: relaxing and restorative Cardamom with warming and stimulating Clove, balancing Geranium, and refreshing and toning Lemongrass. Combined with Sesame and Pomegranate oils and inspired by ancient Metopium oil which was used by the Egyptians, if you close your eyes for a moment, you really could be in a far off land!
- Now you can jump in the shower to rinse off and your skin will be instantly soft, smooth and hydrated because the oil absorbs so easily into freshly brushed skin. No need to moisturise after your shower, just pat dry and you’re good to go.
How often should you body brush? Every day if you can but whenever you get a chance your skin will thank you, whether that's every few days or once a week on Self-care Sunday.
What to use for body brushing
Enjoy your new routine and in the Pippettes shop, we have everything you need to make body brushing something you really look forward to. Why not treat yourself to a new body oil?:
Our Bath & Body section stocks a number of body brushes
Stock up on Open Sesame Cleansing Oil
Or choose a Biodynamic Infused Body Oil