February 20, 2020
Why I dry brush & "dirty" detox my skin & you should too!
A charming picture of myself to show that I actually practice what I preach here, and that it works! I believe in it and I have seen the difference in my skin!
So many people these days are searching for ways to detox, to improve their skin care routine, desperately attempting to get rid of their stretch marks, get rid of their acne, tone their skin.. Let me tell you, you wont find the answer in a bottle, but theres actually much simpler solutions, that doesnt require an ingredient label investigation.
Your skin is your largest organ, it needs to be well maintained and given all the proper TLC for you to have all over wellness, if your skin is reacting and showing weird symptoms like acne, eczema, dry skin, etc, you likely have a build up of toxins. The best maintenance plan for overall health is to work both the inside and out, not just one or the other, it requires team work
In following this skin care routine, I have been able to eliminate deodorant from my life completely and the only soap I use has minimal ingredients, glycerin, moringa and milk and I DONT SMELL! Its pretty amazing how resilient your body is when you give it all the keys to do so.
My personal skin care routine is really simple and as follows:
1. Wipe down my skin with a damp cloth, then pat dry.
2. Dry brush
3. Apply detox paste (one part activated coconut charcoal, one part bentonite clay, one part epsom salt, one part warm water, mix to a thick paste texture) & allow paste to completely dry and harden on skin
4. Take a warm shower or bath and wash off paste completely
5. Dry off completely then dry brush again
6. Apply castor oil
Benefits of dry brushing:
*Increase blood flow & circulation
*Reducing appearance of stretch marks and cellulite. Cellulite is just an indicator that you have an abundance of toxins attempting to escape, your skin just needs a little help!
*Reduces ingrown hairs
*Promotes lymphatic drainage
*Helps shed off the dead skin cells, which naturally brightens skin
*Gives your nervous system a boost
*Energy boost! Comparable to a cup of coffee
*Helps with muscle tone & helps with distribution of fat deposits
Benefits of Activated Charcoal for the Skin:
The surface of activated charcoal is actually negatively charged, which attracts positively charged toxins, pulling them from your pores, out. This makes it adsorptive and considering all of our environmental toxins that are constantly entering our skin, this is crucial. This is also a great quality for those that have excessively oily skin - it binds to oils as well!
It is a gentle exfoliator, and feels great! The granules of the charcoal are so small that it is safe for those with sensitive skin, unlike sugar scrubs.
Bentonite Clay:
In addition to also having the same benefits as activated charcoal as for as being adsorptive, it can also soothe burnt and irritated skin by reducing inflammation. It helps repair and regenerate, which contributes to reducing the appearance of scars. It reduces the itch of bug bites and itchy dry skin as well.
This clay has a firming and toning effect, which is excellent for wrinkles and loose skin. You will feel this in your detox paste when you apply it to your skin, it gives your skin a big hug, so to speak.
This magical clay is also chalk full of minerals and nutrients and your skin, again being the largest organ, can absorb those nutrients and utilize them for your body! Food grade clay is also excellent to ingest as a daily supplement!
Benefits of Magnesium Salt:
You actually absorb magnesium the best through your skin! This is why mag sprays, lotions and baths are AWESOME!
Magnesium can contribute to a plethora of great changes in your life such as improved sleep, reduced aches, pains and inflammation. It contributes to healthy skin, better blood pressure levels, better absorption of other vitamins and nutrients and stress management.
Why Castor Oil?
Coconut oil is generally the recommendation amongst natural mom groups, we have all heard it and a lot of us talk about it, "Oh! Coconut oil will fix that, just pour a whole jar of oil on there and call it a day" but not so fast, coconut oil can sometimes have a drying effect on certain skin types and hair types and should not necessarily always be the go to! Even though its better than many many mainstream moisturizers, so CO lovers, you aren't necessarily wrong, you are on the right track.
Castor oil, when applied to the skin, stimulates collagen and elastin production which is necessary for good skin health. Both of these help skin tone and elasticity, reduces the appearances of wrinkles, scars and "lifts" naturally.
Most oils are a HUGE NO NO for those with acne and oily skin, castor oil is a bit different. Castor oil contains a rich amount of ricinoleic acid and a high amount of healthy and highly concentrated fats which penetrates the pores deeply and fights off acne-causing bacteria! It also restores and rejuvenates dry skin at the same time, so it is great for all skin types.
The high amount of omega-3s contained in castor oil is very effective at preventing and treating scar tissue and dark spots.
Castor oil is also anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. It can even treat ringworm, by itself, in mild cases, with its compound called undecylenic acid.
It can even benefit your immunity, just by being applied topically. It increases the number of T-11 cells which helps form antibodies against pathogens and bacteria, and signals a boost in your body's defense mechanisms within your immune system! Pretty amazing.
Castor oil is also beneficial for your hair health, it can be applied directly to your scalp to prevent grey hairs, help hair growth, decrease dandruff and promote hair strength!