Daily Detox Habit aka Dry Brushing

“If you are not DRAINING [toxins,] you are ACCUMULATING toxins.” - Dr Caitlin Czezowski

I'll bet you've heard conflicting information about "detoxing" in the past, am I right?

One camp seems to say that YOU MUST DETOX!! That the world is constantly poisoning us and we MUST buy this supplement, eat ONLY these foods, do all these exercises, and avoid just about everything man-made to survive.

The other camp seems to say-- stop worrying about "detoxing!" Your body was made to protect you from harmful things. Be sensible, don't over do it, and you'll be FINE. No need to "do" detox.

But from my own interactions with the world and with real people, it seems like there must be a third perspective. Stressing so much about "detoxing' that we make ourselves sick with worry can't be the answer. But also acknowledging that our body's incredible built-in detoxing system might very well get overwhelmed at times, and a daily dose of owner-maintenance just might be a GOOD THING!

With that said, here are 5 reasons why I am starting a daily detox habit called "Dry Brushing." 👊

1. Dry Brushing Feels GOOD!

When I've reached the end of my rope of patience, I'm oft known to let my family know, "Sorry! mom is all touched-out right now. I'm prickly! and need space." When I get like that, I retreat to my bedroom to Dry Brush and wash my face or take a shower. The physical contact of the brush helps me to reconnect with my own skin and reverses all the over stimulation brought on by the day's activities and interactions.  I’ve learned first hand that I already like the feeling of dry brushing as a reactive practice, and am looking forward to what a proactive approach will do to help my stress levels. 

2. Fat cell redistribution and cellulite reduction

Did you know that one of the ways that your body protects you from toxins is to hide them away within fat cells? So until those toxins are coaxed out, your fat cell will continue to stay plump. Dry Brushing encourages these fat cells to release these toxins so that your fat cells can shrink back down or cycle out of commission.  I plan to add a few drops of therapeutic quality citrus essential oil high in limonene to help reduce cellulite while I’m at it!

3. Improves Circulation

When you move your brush across your skin, you naturally bring new blood flow to the surface and to your extremities. As someone with (fairly) a-symptomatic hypotension, I do notice that my hands and feet are often much colder than the rest of my body and am particularly looking forward to these warming benefits.

4. Lymph needs YOU!

Thank you Lord for this amazing lymphatic system (truly!!)  But I don’t know about you, mine didn’t come with an instruction manual! If it did, I think it would say something like this:

• Owner-maintenance recommended daily: walking, running, jumping will naturally keep your lymphatic system running smoothly.  Additional upkeep like massage and Dry Brushing important for instances when lymphatic system is overly-taxed or running at high stress levels for extended periods of time.

• TROUBLESHOOTING: If lymph nodes or valves become clogged and visibly or painfully swollen, refer to section on massage and Dry Brushing.

5. Exfoliation

Another great benefit of Dry Brushing is the clearing away of dead skin cells.  Every day a person loses almost five billion skin!!  It’s hard to imagine because those skin cells are lost individually - but recall an extreme example when we have a sun burn and all the cells die off at the same time. Dry Brushing helps to support this daily process and also clears clogged pores to allow adequate sweat which is also important for self-detoxification.

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Start your own Daily Dry Brush Habit!

Here is a quick checklist to get you started with Dry Brushing.

Remember imperfect action beats inaction, get started and keep [your lymphatic system] moving towards HEALTH!

• Get ahold of your own Dry Brush Set (Amazon affiliate link) I like this set because I was able to ease my skin into the process slowly by starting with the glove, and eventually worked up to using the body and face brushes.

• Download this Dry Brush Log to track your daily habit!  Make note of your starting statistics, your health goals, and any changes in your health you notice along the way. 

• Dry brush daily, ideally before you shower. There are a LOT of different theories and instructions out there when it comes to dry brushing. There is no way to cover it all but here is what I recommend from what I’ve researched:

  • Stimulate your lymphatic drain [terminus) at the collarbone with 10 “pumps” with your fingertips.

  • With your flattened hands, make circles under both armpits. 7 clockwise and 7 counter clockwise (may be easier to do one set at a time)

  • Choose a long brush with natural fibers or exfoliating glove for beginners.

  • Optional: Add a few drops of an essential oil of your choice to the bristles of brush. (Balance, MetaPWR, Shinrin Yoku, Citrus Bliss)

  • SEQUENCE-start strokes closest to the terminus, and move away, remembering that the direction of your strokes is important

  • DIRECTION-stroke toward the terminus

  • PRESSURE- glide lymphatic fluid gently toward the terminus, it’s lying right under the surface of the skin.

  

  
  
  This is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor before you start something new or before making changes to medication.