Brushing with care

As with every good beauty tip that I have ever received, this one came with a twist of an insult and a dash of care, much how I like drinking my martinis! So to set the scene, this one time at the swimming pool with my very glamorous friend, resulted in her pointing to my thighs and saying, “ooh cellulite”, nice! So what is cellulite? Well there are many complicated medical definitions out there and then there is mine, it is the cottage cheese or orange peel look of skin, often located on your bum or thighs; now although it is not the greatest thing to hear before jumping into a swimming pool and I was starting to wonder if I would have an Archimedes’ effect; my friend even though brutal, is at least helpful with the advice, and the advice is: “brush ladies, brush!”

The best way to get rid of cellulite is to brush your skin every morning; there are claims that it has the same benefits as of a spa! If you Google skin brushing, you will see numerous names pop up including dry body brushing and brushing to stimulate blood.

Ladies put on your lab coats, because even the science is behind it; brushing helps the blood flow to your skin and generates cologne which helps in cell growth. This blood brings great vitamins and minerals to your skin with much needed hydration and oxygen. There are also claims that it can help you lose up to a pound a day and improve your immune system; with all these nasty winter colds, anything that helps the immune system is a bonus!

What should you brush with? Beauty experts recommend a body brush with natural soft brushes made from plant fibres such as agave. The Chinese have known about the benefits of body brushing for hundreds of years. The Chinese body brushes are made from a ground fruit called silk squash and are deemed to be the most affective. These brushes must be kept dry or will be ruined, so maybe hang it on to the back of a bedroom door rather than a bathroom door?

How do you brush? You must brush towards the heart, as this will encourage blood flow. The brushing should be soft but quick and in long flowing movements, think ballerina rather than builder. Pay attention to the areas you hate – thighs, bum and tummy! I think this is probably quite obvious, but no brushing on your face, it is so darn delicate for that. The Chinese believe in brushing from the soles of the feet up.

Be careful ladies; don’t brush so hard that you end up having a very red skin.

Personally I set a timer and do it for four minutes; it really helps me to wake up fresh, and is as great as a shower. Also ladies, keep your brushes to yourself!

Paula De Burgh