How Do I Buy The Perfect Brush For Someone?

So you started dry body brushing and you absolutely love it and now you would like your friend or family member to experience the same smooth skin and wellness that you have achieved.  How do you decide which is the best brush for them.

Top 6 things to consider are:

1. Have they ever dry body brushed before? Do they use body exfoliants, are they use to exfoliating? If you answered yes to all these questions then maybe it is ok to get a medium or firm bristle brush.
2. Do they have sensitive skin?  A skin condition like allergies, psoriasis or mature skin that is prone to splitting or bruising, you may want to start them with a soft plant bristle brush.  This will gently exfoliate their skin and strengthen the skin tissue.
3. Do they enjoy receiving a massage? Do they like a firm massage? If they do, then this is a sign they would be best with a firm brush. If they don’t like massage and are sensitive to touch, then you may want to consider starting them with a soft plant bristle brush.
4. Do they have excessively dry skin, then they need to exfoliate, go for at least a medium bristle brush.
5. Do they have a lot of sebum build up on their back, like acne or black heads, a sore back, arthritis or highly stressed life-style.  Then you would want to go for a brush that you can dry brush their back, like a long flexible dry back strap brush or a long handled body brush.  The dry brushing will help exfoliate the dead skin cells, open the pores and reduce red spots.
6. If it is for someone that travels a lot, make sure you get a hand held brush or short handled brush, one that comes in a natural fabric carry bag is always handy. (make sure the bag is not plastic, because if the brush is washed and placed back in a plastic bag it will mildew).

These are just a couple of things to think about that might make the choice of choosing the right brush for your friend or loved one a little easier.

Happy brushing!

Jodie Smith

www.bodecare.com

Keep Your Back Spot Free and Looking Sexy This Summer.

Even though we can’t really see the skin on our back it is still really important to spend time on cleansing it, to maintain smooth sexy skin and reduce or eliminate any unsightly red spots.

This summer you will be looking uba sexy in your singlet tops and strappy dresses if you keep your back well exfoliated and clean.  Even day spa’s have realized that the skin on our back is something we are conscious of because now you can book in for specific back cleansing treatments. 

For some people the skin on their back is a hot spot for the elimination of toxins.  Bumpy skin on our back may be from excess sebum coming out of the pores, stress, sore muscles and sweat sitting under tight synthetic clothing.  If the skin can’t breathe and is not regularly exfoliated, the dry skin accumulates on the surface and sebum in the skin’s pores can’t break through, eventually the sebum builds up and clogs the pores and you are left with red bumps, pimples , black heads and in-grown hairs.  Best solution is to keep the back exfoliated with daily dry body brushing.  For extra help use a body exfoliant once a week and keep an exfoliating mitt or washer in the shower to lather up natural tea tree products to cleanse the skin and pores. Also remember my lemon tip from a few weeks ago, so many people have got back to me with really positive results on how the lemon helped their skin.  Lemon juice on pimples and red spots is meant for only a few days until it is healed and then stop using it, as it can dry the skin.

Steps for exfoliating your back using a dry body brush  

1. Lower Back: Once reaching the lower back, start your brush stroke from spine and sweep brush stroke up. Starting on left side of torso work brush strokes up in one direction toward the major lymph in the armpit, as far as you can reach. Brush each area of the back seven times.
2. Upper back: place brush in middle of spine horizontal to base of shoulder blades and move brush in one stroke to armpits, moving up the spine to lower neck.

Repeat on right side

Try to stretch out your back and shoulders daily, we hold a lot of stress in our backs and it will help to alleviate tension and tired muscles and hopefully prevent any injuries. Deep breathing while you stretch can relax your mind, try at least three good deep breathes. And like I say every week, eating raw vegetables and juicing every day will help detox you from the inside-out.

Happy Brushing!

Regards

Jodie Smith

www.bodecare.com

Spotting Possible Changes in Skin Tissue.
While dry body brushing if you notice changes in skin tissue like a spot that goes bright red after body brushing or waxing; a rough patch of skin that won’t go away; a mole that has changed shape or gone really dark, you may want to get this checked by a dermatologist. The reason why I know about this subject is that I have had many skin cancers before and one really bad one about 5 years ago which I had to undergo many operations to get rid of it. I swear I never want to go through that again and have since learnt a lot about natural health and am convinced that the skin cancers were related to what I put IN my body and ON my body as well. My solution for the past few years has been detoxing my body from the inside-out. Which meant eating all organic raw vegetables and fruit, regular detox treatments, organic supplements from a natural therapist, using organic skin care; make-up; hair dye and of course dry body brush daily. This has improved the look and health of my skin and I no longer get skin cancers, red bumps or persistent dry skin and my hair is really thick and healthy. If you do have any suspicious spots on your skin like mentioned above, don’t dry brush over them until you have had it checked out by a specialist.
The old saying “you are what you eat”, is so true and I had to learn the hard way but I am healthier than ever now, so it all turned out for the best. Remember to consult your naturopath or dermatologist for any concerned areas.
Happy Brushing!
Jodie Smith
www.bodecare.com

Research from Victoria Boutenko a famous raw food advocate suggests, “During brief application of cold water, blood vessels in the skin abruptly contract, pushing a large amount of blood inside the organism. This results in the re-activation of the inner capillaries, many of which are typically atrophied by the age of thirty, due to poor circulation and unhealthy lifestyle”.  

Tanya Zavasta author of “Beautiful on Raw” quotes from a Russian Scientific Publication: “Several scientific studies have demonstrated that within fifty seconds after the brief application of extremely cold water, an enormous amount of heat is generated by the body, despite the initial shock that can be painful, almost immediately experience an amazingly pleasant warmth from head to toe, causing profound relaxation of the body”.

This means you are helping firm and tone your skin and capillaries by simply switching to a cold shower just before you hop out. Plus you are providing an invigorating and relaxing treatment to start your day. 

Steps

• Dry body brush, seven strokes per area, starting from bottom of feet, legs, buttock, back, stomach, arms and armpits. Use a different brush for scalp and face.
• Hop into your shower (not hot water)
• Just before you get out, switch the water to cold. Cover your entire body including your face. Cool water on your face will help minimize enlarged pores on your skin.

This will invigorate your skin and body, you will be feeling amazing!

Happy Brushing!

Regards
Jodie Smith

Director

Bodecare Brush Company

PH: 07 3870 0860

Ref: Baranov A, Kidalov V:Healing with Cold, Kemerovo, Russia: Astel Publishing, 2000.

What we discovered is that my friend Brigit has really dry skin, she suffers from eczema, especially from her knees down to her feet.  When you have dry skin, the wax attaches to the dry skin instead of the hairs, and as the wax is removed it takes off the dry skin but can’t stick to the hairs and results in a lot of hair breakage.  Because of Brigit’s skin condition she needs to exfoliate daily so that she keeps shedding the surface layer of dry skin.

 I have started Brigit on Dry Body Brushing each day and then she applies organic body oil at night and a good moisturizer during the day. It has only taken a few days and she has already noticed the difference.  Brigit also has a very healthy diet eating lots of raw fruit and vegetables, daily green juices and minimal or almost no dairy.  If you have a skin condition it is advisable to see a naturopath or skin specialist for advice. 

Happy Brushing!

Jodie Smith

www.bodecare.com

5 Ways To Transform Your Skin Now!

Trying to figure out the best way to take care of your skin is confusing: Do you need a firm body brush, what type of moisturiser, sun protection or lymphatic massage? If you rely on advertising claims on the explanations about how to take care of your skin, you will almost assuredly end up missing some of the vital steps for achieving radiant, age-defying skin (and will likely be even more confused).

Instead, follow this checklist for 5 ways to transform your skin now and start seeing instant results!

1. Exfoliate with Dry Body Brushing

Healthy skin naturally sheds millions of dead skin cells every day, but sun damage, dry or oily skin, genetics, and other skin disorders can block this process, resulting in clogged pores, blemishes, white bumps, dull or flaky skin, and uneven skin tone.

Dry body brushing gently gets rid of the built-up dead skin cells, unclog pores, reduce breakouts, rebuild collagen, smooth out wrinkles, and allow dry skin to heal!

Recommended Body Brush:

*Always use a plant bristle brush

*First time users of dry body brushing start with a soft or medium plant bristle body brush

*Regular body brushers go for medium to firm plant bristle body brushes

*People who can’t reach their back, go for a plant bristle long back strap brush

2. Don’t Rely on Only One Way to improve skin
There is no single magic bullet ingredient or product for your skin; it takes more than one thing to provide the full range of results. Some good practices to follow to achieve great skin are: dry body brush at least 5 times a week, use an organic body moisturiser every day, drink plenty of water, eat lots of raw fruit and vegetables, exercise 3 times a week to get the circulation moving for healthy skin.

3. Antioxidants, Antioxidants, and More Antioxidants!
Antioxidants are essential for skin and your health. Given that your skin is your body’s largest organ, it needs many of the same healthy substances the rest of your body needs. Antioxidants prevent some of the free-radical damage that causes skin-destroying inflammation over time. They also help skin heal and produce healthy collagen. What’s not to love about that? The amount of research showing that a diet rich in antioxidants can help skin is astounding! Dark berries, celery, avocadoes, broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus, and green tea are just a few of the anti-aging superfoods you should add to your grocery list.

4. Save Up for a Dry Body Brush Treatment
People often decide that dry body brush treatments at a spa or natural therapist are beyond their budget or that a skin-care product can achieve relatively similar results.

Fact: You will never come close to getting the same results you can get from a trained therapist in dry body brushing.

That doesn’t mean that dry brushing at home isn’t important. Without question, your skin will benefit from daily brushing and using natural skin care products on a consistent basis, but your skin still ages. Just remember, skin-care products have limitations, no matter what the ads tell you.

5. Give Up Bad Habits
Don’t underestimate the role your lifestyle plays when it comes to the condition of your skin. You could do everything else right, but if you’re smoking, tanning, or irritating your skin with bad ingredients, your skin will pay! It’s easy to think that you aren’t hurting your skin if the negative impact doesn’t show up immediately, but the cumulative damage adds up—and it isn’t pretty!

Happy Brushing!

Jodie Smith

www.bodecare.com

If you have ever wondered how you can enhance your Dry Body Brushing results you may want to consider trying dry massage powders. Dry massage powders and dry pastes provide unique therapeutic, detoxifying and skin beautifying benefits.

Dry massage powders can be either herbal or mineral based. Herbal dry massage powders  include Omveda’s Udwarthanam treatment. Udwarthanam is an Ayurvedic powder that assists to increase circulation, remove impurities, anti-inflamatory, reduce skin disorders, tone skin, help move fluids and purify the body.

Mineral based dry massage powders includes Zeolite, which absorbs, stores and neutralises toxins, assisting in detoxing your body of environmental pollutants.

The Process

Sprinkle powder onto skin, massage and compress into skin using your hands, the skin has enough moisture sitting on the surface from the sweat pores, to activate the powders properties, then dry brush off.

It is still very common for Asian and Middle Eastern Spas to have their own signature dry massage powders using local ingredients. Create your own signature detox/purifying treatment using natural products from your local area.

Dry Massage Powders can also be used as a light paste which dries quickly on the skin leaving a fine dust to dry body brush off the client’s skin. Many years ago in the Middle East, women in the sultans harem would be prepared with a luxurious purifying treatment to remove dead skin cells, leaving the skin glowing, fragrant and soft as silk.

Harem Special

1 teaspoon ground, dried citrus fruit peel

2 teaspoons ground almonds

2 teaspoons oatmeal

1 pinch clover powder

1 teaspoon crushed, dried rose petal

1 pinch nutmeg powder

2 tablespoons almond oil

Neroli (or citrus oil, lemon or orange) 2 drops

Sandalwood (or Patchouli) 2 drops                                           Reference: Valerie Ann Worwood, Z Fragrance Pharmacy, copyright 1990 pg 181

Blend herbs and oil into a paste, roll the mixture over the body, massage into dry areas of the skin. The idea is to cover the skin with a very fine layer, then you go back to the part of the body you started with and brush the fine dust off. Gently wipe any remaining areas of paste with a cloth or wash off in the shower.

This practice is still used in places like Morocco, India and Thailand.

To make Udwarthanam dry massage powders into a paste you simply add yoghurt (sparingly) so that it dries quickly.  Udwarthanam powder use chick pea flower (instead of clay) because it contains beneficial properties like protein for the skin and it leaves a fine dust on the skin which is perfect to rub off with a dry brush.

Omveda already have a body mask which you massage in and it quickly dries so you can rub off with a dry brush.

To make Zeolite into a paste using clay, there are special considerations. For example, the clay needs to be extremely light so when it dries on the skin it can be easily buffed off with a dry brush.  The best clay for this is the Australian white clays which aids the skin’s acid mantle and it has a 4.5ph level to balance the skin. Australian clays are renowned for their hydrating properties.

Great benefit of using a dry massage powder with dry brushing is that it assists the dry brush to glide across the skin more easily, the powder’s active properties are increasing the level of detox, hydration and firming.

Cautionary tips

Herbs as such should not harm the skin, however the treatment is designed to stimulate therefore any stimulation on an inflammatory skin (sun burnt) or skin that has psoriasis, eczema, acne, pimples, or any cuts should be avoided. If you are sensitive, always patch test first. Always check that the herbal ingredients if you have allergies. If there is a reaction (which is very rare) then the remove the powder off the skin with a room temperature or cool towel and apply organic rehydrating body lotion or honey body lotion on the skin to help calm the skin.

Zeolite has such strong properties that it should be used with caution, especially those on medication. Certain health conditions that should avoid using this powder are acne, psoriasis, eczema, pregnant women – all semesters, post surgery, cancer treatments, or any serious health condition.

General Information

These dry massage powders will be messy so best to stand in the shower so you can easily wash away the powders that have sloughed off the body while brushing. Best to clean your body brush straight after as well to remove the herbal powders from the bristles and leave the brush in the sun to dry.

Your skin will feel amazingly soft after this, it is well worth the effort. For those of you who have been dry body brushing for some time now, you will enjoy this interesting addition to enhancing the beauty of your skin.

Love

Jodie Smith

www.bodecare.com

Dry Scalp Massage

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 towww.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.

Best regards

Jodie Smith
www.bodecare.com

“The vitality of internal organs, working properly, transcends your skin and brings radiance to your face.”

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 daily 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.

Facial brushes are very effective at exfoliation, increasing circulation and can also be used wet to remove make-up and masks. The facial brush must not be harsh on the skin on the face, as it is can scratch very delicate skin. Bodecare uses “The Natural Face Brush” for dry facial brushing.

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 for skin recovery and hydration.

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.

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

+ At first the whole procedure should only take about 30 seconds, gradually increase the time to one, two and finally three minutes for a great massage to the face.

Happy Brushing!

Jodie Smith
www.bodecare.com