SKIN BRUSHING
by Dr. Lawrence Wilson
© September 2024, L.D. Wilson Consultants, Inc.
All information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.
Contents
II. The Skin Brushing Procedure
III. The Hot Brushing Procedure
________________________
Skin brushing is a very simple, yet important procedure that can definitely enhance the development program. It is an ancient form of healing therapy.
It consists of using a washrag or body brush to brush all over the skin. Skin brushing can be done:
- With the skin dry (dry brushing).
- With the skin wet (wet brushing). This can be done by first wetting the body or using a wet brush. An interesting variation is using a brush that you put in front of steam (hot brushing). We describe this at the end of the article.
REASONS FOR BRUSHING YOUR SKIN
1. Improves circulation.
2. Cleanses the skin and removes dead skin cells.
3. General toning of the whole body.
4. Relaxation, in some cases.
5. Can warm up the body.
6. Other. Some clients report other benefits, such as helping the nervous system, grounding the person and centering the person.
II. THE SKIN BRUSHING PROCEDURE
Materials. You will need a body brush. We prefer a synthetic one that is soft. Some are much too hard. A loofa tends to be rough. The loofa body brushes have another problem. They are too large. Some people use a glove or a washrag.
For hot brushing, one also needs a source of steam. I am using a Shark X5 steam mop to generate steam.
PROCEDURE
Work down the body. Start with your head. Move the brush mostly vertically, not left to right. Do the scalp and ears. Move down the face. Close eyes and go over the eyes, nose, mouth and chin.
Then do the arms. Do one at a time. Start with the fingers and between the fingers from both sides – palms and back of hands. Move up and down each arm, not across. Do the inner arm, the back and the front of each arm. Do the elbows and wrists.
Do the back in three passes. Brush the top of the back from overhead. Then do the mid-back with the brush upright. Then do the lower back. For this you will need to lean forward if you are sitting.
Do the chest and abdomen. Move up and down on each side. Be sure to brush over the liver. Don't move side to side.
Then do the legs and feet. Move up and down, not sideways. Be sure to do the knees – front, sides and back. Do the feet carefully and thoroughly. They usually need it. Do between the toes from the top and from below. Also, do the tips of the toes.
Then do the pelvis, behind and genital area. This is more difficult due to its sensitivity. You can brush it gently or if you are using a steam mop, you can just aim the steam tube toward this area.
The reason to do the genital area last is that many people have skin infections in this area. Doing it last will tend to spread infections the least.
Cleanup. The brush needs to be cleaned, usually with soap and water, so that it does not harbor bacteria from the skin.
You can dry off or it may not be needed.
Materials. For this method, one first generates steam. One can do this using a hot plate and a pot of water or I use a steam mop.
The Shark X5 steam mop has a removable head and removable handle. It also comes with a tube that attaches to the steam unit that allows one to direct the steam flow.
Location. One can do hot brushing anywhere. I do it in the shower, which I have sealed so the shower area slowly fills with steam, adding to the relaxing effect.
Procedure. One puts the body brush in front of the steam. When it is hot, one then brushes the skin. Move the brush back to the steam often to keep the brush hot.
I use distilled water in the steam mop, so it cleans up the body very well. It is also very relaxing. All steam is somewhat distilled, even if you use tap water to make it.
Steaming shoes. If you are wearing synthetic shoes such as flip flops, you can direct steam toward them to clean them.
Cleanup. When you are finished brushing, hold the brush in front of the steam to clean it and then hang it up. The steam will disinfect the brush, which helps prevent spreading infections.
The amazing facial steam liver detoxification. I end every hot brushing session by aiming the steam mop tube at my face. This is a powerful liver detoxification procedure.
The skin of the face is the most active skin of the body because it is never covered up and is exposed to sun, heat, and cold. Applying steam to it opens the pores. The body can then transfer toxins from the liver to the skin of the face. The distilled water from the steam carries away the toxins.
I like to also breathe the steam directed at the face and open the eyes a little.
Drying the skin. If you do the hot brush method, you don't have to dry the skin. It will dry quickly on its own.
AFTER BRUSHING
Your skin and whole body should have a clean and sort of glowing or sparkling feeling after skin brushing.
Wet brushing or hot brushing with steam will slowly moisturize your skin. For example, I found it slowly gets rid of dry, cracked heels.
Do not mess up the skin by putting lotions on your skin! Most all lotions clog the pores and most contain toxic ingredients, even if you buy them from the health food store.
CAUTIONS WITH THE SKIN BRUSHING PROCEDURE
- Bruises. Very vigorous skin brushing can injure the skin. This is why a soft brush is best.
- Spreading infection. Many people have skin infections even if you are not aware of them. Brushing the skin can spread infection. Hot brushing is the safest in this regard.
- Care with steam. Steam is very hot and can cause a burn.
WATER MASSAGE
This is somewhat like skin brushing. To do it one needs a shower massager. Wet your whole body with the massager. Be sure to do places you might miss, such as the backs of the knees, between the toes, between the fingers, all around the ears, the navel, the elbows and wrists, the butt area, the eyes (with your eyes closed) along with the usual places that need washing.
COMMON REASONS FOR DRY OR FLAKY SKIN
1. A slow oxidation rate. You need a development program to correct this.
2. Low levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Be sure to take EPA-DHA or eat 3-4 cans of sardines weekly. We do not recommend eating salmon or tunafish, however, as they contain too much mercury.
3. Toxic and congested skin. The brushing will help, over time. In addition, using an red heat lamp sauna with the development diet and program will make your skin much healthier, clearer and more radiant. We do not recommend far infrared saunas, as they all give off harmful electromagnetic fields, even if the manufacturer does not acknowledge this.
For more details about the skin, read Caring For The Skin.
Home | Hair Analysis | Saunas | Books | Articles | Detox Protocols