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Article by Jodie Smith from Bodecare

If you have stretch marks don’t give up, there is an easy and natural solution to reduce the appearance of stretch marks. Stretch marks are a common problem that affect many: people of any race, any age and any gender. Generally stretch marks appear during sudden changes in body size, such as during pregnancy, puberty, or rapid weight-gain. Ninety percent of pregnant women will get stretch marks around their abdomen, hips and thighs.

Stretch marks can initially look like slightly purple or reddish coloured lines that lighten over time become a type of scar. Many people, especially women, struggle with trying to fade stretch marks. Dry body brushing is a natural remedy that can help reduce the appearance of both new and old stretch marks and eventually fading their appearance making them less noticeable.

How it works

Dry Body Brushing is a very powerful skin exfoliator. It penetrates deep into the pores to cleanse dirt, grime, dead cells and other toxins. It helps to keep the pores open for better absorption of lotions and assists with stimulation of sweat and oil glands, contributing to the restoration of moist, supple skin. Dry brushing also strengthens the skin pores by gentle stretching of connective tissues which stimulates collagen and elastin fibre production. The skin becomes more pliable due to increased moisture and tighter and firmer due to increased collagen.

Tips and Tricks for Dry Brushing:

• Always use a plant bristle body brush. Plant bristle body brush (commonly called Tampico, Jute or Sisal bristle) provide the best exfoliation and stimulation for your skin. They are high quality, long lasting and don’t scratch the skin.
• Always brush on dry skin with dry brush bristles. Plant bristles are nice and firm when they are dry, which is why they exfoliate skin and stimulate circulation. When plant bristles are wet they go soft and clump together and you won’t get the same results.
• Regularly clean your brush. This will prolong the brush life, optimize brush performance and most importantly, reduce risk of bacterial infection on the skin. A lot of dead skin is sloughed off when dry brushing, so it is essential to wash your brush once a week with hot soapy water and leave in the sun to dry or a well ventilated area. Never leave a plant bristle body brush in a wet area, they will mildew.
• Stroke brush in one upward movement. Except when brushing fingers and toes, you can brush back and forth between them. The stomach you can brush in circular strokes going clockwise and anti-clockwise to really get the circulation moving.
• We recommend brushing upward and towards the major lymph nodes in the body, such as the groin, armpits and base of neck.
• Work from left to right, which is the natural direction when massaging the body.

Follow dry body brushing with some form of hydrotherapy, this may be a bath, shower, steam room, body mud mask or massage. When you have loose skin after pregnancy or weight loss, keeping it hydrated is an absolute must. Always apply an organic body lotion to nourish and feed the skin, this will help keep it supple and hydrated.

For extra healing power to the areas of concern apply organic body oil like Jojoba Oil or Rosehip Oil and massage into the skin. Rosehip is high in Vitamin C which helps to heal scars and reduce the appearance of stretch marks. Hydrating the skin is really important to improve the skin’s elasticity. If your skin is undergoing a lot of stretching it is less likely to tear and create stretch marks if it’s hydrated.

While all of these tips can help you, make sure you give yourself time to heal and for your body to adjust to your new shape. Scar tissue can take a while to recover and with the help of this healthy routine your whole body will benefit from the results you achieve from dry body brushing.

Article by Jodie Smith of Bodecare

“The vitality of internal organs, working properly, transcends your skin and brings radiance to your face.” Dry brushing your face with soft plant bristle can rejuvenate tired, dull skin.

The first layer of the skin, the one you see, is called the epidermis. The epidermis is composed of several layers of cells; the outermost of them is made of dead skin cells called the horny layer.  Experiments with human cell cultures show normal cells stop dividing when they touch their neighbours.  Consequently, to speed up the process of the reproduction of new cells, dead cells must be removed.  That is why regular exfoliation can make the world of difference.

Exfoliation is one of the most important parts of a beauty regimen.  Exfoliation rejuvenates skin when dead skin cells are removed, energizes your skin and improves circulation.  All of these combined result in a better looking complexion.

Dry facial brushes are very effective at exfoliation, increasing circulation and draining away lymph congestion around the nose and eyes, relieving stress around your temples.  The bristles have to be a soft plant bristle, like Jute.  Jute is a very fine plant bristle that is delicate enough for the skin around the eyes but still very stimulating to drain away puffiness.   The facial brush must not be harsh on facial skin, as it is can scratch and damage the skin.  Bristles like Boar’s hair, coconut plant, Tampico plant are not suitable for delicate skin.

Most people dry body brush on their bodies but forget about the face.  Gentle manual facial brushing will speed up cell turnover, maximize oxygen intake, strengthen the skin’s inner structure and reverse the effects of aging.  The key is to use an organic moisturizing cream after brushing and to regularly use a Hydration Mask or Facial Oil 1-2 week to keep good hydration because the dry face brush exfoliates really well.

Directions:

How to Dry Brush the Face

+ Use gentle upward movement to lift the facial muscles and lightly curve  brush down to finish with a light brush stroke.  It is in an upside down U shape. Light pressure up and soft stroke down. Brush approximately 7 strokes per area.

+ Starting from left to right side of face, work your way up the face from chin, lips, cheeks, side of nose, up around the eye lid and forehead.

+ Be careful never to stretch the skin. The first couple of months be extra gentle, the sensation should be pleasantly stimulating.

+ Stop immediately if it doesn’t feel good or your skin has an allergic reaction.

How to Dry Brush Neck and Décolletage

+Starting on left side hold brush just above breast line and brush upward to collarbone. Working from mid to outer décolletage. Repeat this on the right side. Brushing approximately 7 strokes per area.

+From left side, at the back side, base of neck very lightly brush up to the jaw line and curve down to the collarbone, the point at which the head and neck drain into the lymph nodes. Repeat 7 times. Then starting at base of neck brush up to chin, cover the neck.  Repeat on right side.

+ At first the whole procedure should only take about a minute, gradually increase the time to a couple of minutes for a great massage to the face.

+Recommended to dry brush 1-2 per week to begin with until your skin gets use to dry brushing.

A lot of skin is sloughed off when dry brushing the face and décolletage so it is essential to look after your skin with a good moisturiser and use a hydration mask or facial oil 1-2 week also.  You will notice an amazing improvement to your skin, increase skin tone, beautiful sheen and more hydrated.

Happy Brushing!

During this cooler, drier winter weather it can be a battle to maintain skin moisture, particularly if hot showers are a daily event. If you suffer from Eczema, Psoriasis, Dermatitis or Keratosis Pilaris (bumps that commonly occur on the back of arms) you will most likely find that your skin worsens and creams don’t hold moisture as effectively.

One way to overcome this is to use a richer cream in winter than you do for the rest of the year, one that contains Shea or Coconut butter as a base. While oils are great they don’t have the same moisture holding capacity as butters or waxes. So find a cream that contains both waxes or butters and oils and this should go some way to support the skin’s moisture holding capacity. My recommendations for richer skin creams include:

• Remedica Shea & Aloe – this is the real deal. Unscented and not for the feint hearted we recommend this product for those will pre-existing skin conditions.
• Remedica Vanilla & Shea Body Butter – for those with normal to dry skin this product is whipped deliciousness. The smell is oh so divine.
• Mukti Pink Grapefruit Body Lotion – fresh and non-greasy this product still has the nourishing base for all over skin hydration.

Dry Body Brushing will also significantly help improve skin health whether or not you have a pre-existing skin condition. Personally I have found my skin smoother and more hydrated than ever before due to regular skin brushing (3 times a week minimum) this dry season.

Jodie from Bodecare tells us below how dry brushing improves skin:

The skin is one of the major organs of the body, responsible for ridding the toxins from our system on a daily basis, working alongside the bowel, kidneys and lungs. If any of these elimination systems are not working properly, they will put an extra burden on the other organs.  Dry Body Brushing assists the skin with it’s many functions like:

• Exfoliates dry, rough skin, enabling moisturizing products to readily absorb into the skin and opens pores to freely pass out toxins from the body
• Assists with stimulation of sweat and oil glands, contributing to the restoration of moist, supple skin
• Strengthen the skin pores by assisting with increased skin tone
• Gentle stretching of connective tissues from brushing helps to regenerate production of collagen and elastin fibres.
• Alleviates vein and lymph congestion

Key things to remember if you do suffer from a dry skin condition:

• Use a soft or medium plant bristle brush, especially if you are young or have never body brushed before.
• Don’t brush over open wounds.
• Always brush on dry skin, follow by a shower or bath and most importantly use an organic body lotion or oil to heal and hydrate the skin. Organic skin care is fantastic for irritated skin because it heals, does not clog the pores and there are no artificial fragrances to irritate the raw skin.
• Don’t shower or bath in really hot water it will dry the skin.
• Eat plenty of raw fruit and vege’s to nourish your body from the inside-out.

I for one am sold on dry body brushing. If you are having good results please let us know.

This is a great “how-to” post from Jodie of Bodecare Body Brushes….

Nothing balances my energy and brightens my mood faster or better than a good scalp massage. No matter how tired I am to start with, by the end of brushing and massaging my scalp I feel energized and refreshed.

The scalp, being an extremity is one of the hardest places for blood to flow. The increased blood flow helps to nourish the follicle. The scalp depends on blood flow to bring oxygen and nutrients to the hair follicles. Tension causes tightness in the scalp, which restricts blood flow and can cause hair loss. Scalp massage restores pliability and relieves tension, helping to create an ideal environment for new hair growth. Massaging the scalp also helps loosen and remove dead cells and excess sebum on the scalp, which can hinder new hair growth. Scalp massage helps to distribute the hairs natural oils to protect and condition the hair.

Scalp massage stimulates the circulation and awakens the nervous systems. It can assist to relieve muscle tension that keeps the head feeling tight. The muscles and nerves in the scalp are stimulated by rubbing, tapping, brushing and slapping.   These percussion techniques restore circulation to your scalp and produce a lively tingling feeling that can definitely pull you out of the sleepy doldrums. Regular scalp massage can also increase the shine and health of hair. Try the following scalp massage technique for an energy lift.

How to Dry Massage Scalp:

• Firstly use a hair brush with wood pins and rounded tips on the end of each bristle. The brush should have a rubber cushioned based which gently springs back and forth while tapping the scalp. Go to www.bodecare.com for hair brushes. It gently and uniformly contacts the scalp so as to moderately stimulate the head without any risk for the scalp to be damaged.
• Tap scalp all over with the hair brush. Resist the temptation to tap too hard, it feels good but using too much force can make you dizzy.
• To add more stimulation, lightly brush the scalp with the wood pin brush or alternatively with a firm Dry Body Brush. Flip head over and place brush behind left ear and brush upward to temple. Repeat this 7 times
• Then place brush at base of neck and brush upward to top of head, covering the entire head working from left to right.
• Finish with brush behind right ear and brush upward to temple 7 times.
• Stand upright and place brush in front of left ear and brush down to back of neck, working around the front hair line from left to right, ending with brush behind right ear and brush down to side of neck. Repeat each area 7 times.

Hope you are feeling re-energised again! The beauty of this treatment is you can do it any time of the day. Leave your hair brush at work in your desk, in your bag or in the car and you can quickly give your scalp a lovely massage and it will only look like you are brushing your hair.