Benefits of Dry Body Brushing

It is getting to be that time of year again - dry, flaky skin.  Cooler, dryer weather, spent too much time in the sun over the summer or you might deal with dry, flaky skin all year depending on where you live.  This technique is also great to do before shaving.  Dry body brushing is done before a shower, while your body is still dry.  I recommend standing in your shower-not on, while you dry body brush.
The skin is the largest organ of the body and also a big eliminator of toxins and waste in our body.  Buy a body brush made of natural plant fiber, a course bath glove, a loofah, or a course body scrub.  The amount of pressure you can use depends on skin sensitivity.  Brush vigorously making circular motions and massage every part of your body.  Start with feet and legs, then hands and arms, then back, abdomen, chest and neck.  Once finished, shower to clean off exfoliated skin cells.  5-10 minutes of brushing is ideal.

The benefits of dry body brushing:

• It exfoliates the outer layer of the skin.
• Stimulates blood flow to the skin, allowing the skin to breathe better.
• Helps eliminate wastes and toxins carried in the blood stream.
• Stimulates blood circulation in underlying organs.
• Stimulates hormone and oil-producing glands of the skin.
• Contributes to a healthier muscle tone and better distribution of fats.
• Rejuvenates the complexion which helps with aging.

Sounds a little crazy, maybe?  You will love it and your skin will thank you for it.  If you can handle using more pressure it is almost like giving yourself a deep tissue massage.

The information herein provided throughout this website on various natural products and alternative health principles is for general information only.  Please do not use this information to diagnose, prevent and/or cure any illness or health condition.

Scare Tactics

I don't like to use them.  I would rather have customers like my products for what they are without having to scare them into using them.  Scare tactics work, people hear the message, the fear sets in and we fall for it - we automatically go do what the message is saying to prevent what would happen if we don't.  Will I share information that makes you think and possibly research to see what is out there, what is in the products we use everyday and hope you make healthier choices with personal care products and other products you use daily?  Sure, my idea of obtaining healthier people and a healthier world is to provide and share information that will help others make those choices.
It doesn't always have to be a negative thing but playing on people's fears has been going on for decades and we are starting to see consequences of giving into the fear.  Please do your research  - new products anywhere from laundry detergent to personal care products that promise this and that but what they aren't telling you is what you need to find out.  We tend to buy products for the convenience of them.  Doesn't have to include new products, could be ones you have used for years that could be causing problems.
When I started on this journey of becoming more green and eco-friendly 10 years ago, I focused more on protecting the environment.  Recycling, using laundry, dish detergent, shampoos, etc. that didn't have toxins and other chemicals in it that would harm our water systems, the soil around them and all the animals that relied on them.  I quit buying paper plates and plastic utensils even for the convenience and started purchasing cloth napkins.  I will go into this at a later date.
But then my oldest daughter was diagnosed at 12 with a chronic leukemia that you don't see until 50-70 years of age...I had to find out why and researched endlessly and then had to pick for now what mattered most and that was taking care of my family, getting rid of all the bad stuff so it would not happen again.
There is plenty of scary information out there and reading everything at once can cause information overload.  Pick somehwere you would like to start...what matters most to you?  I recently read Not Just a Pretty Face - The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry by Stacy Malkan.  It was a wonderful book and I thought I knew a lot and this one was an eye opener to me.  May not be one you want to start with because the information is unbelievable but definitely one to read on your journey to making healthier choices.
Thank you for reading.  I'm new to this so hang with me until I get it figured out and what I actually want to write about...have so many thoughts but don't want to be negative with information. :-)  Suggestions, comments are appreciated.
Amanda

About Simply Rustic

We have been discovering how to live more simply, naturally and environmentally friendly for about 10 years now and still learning.  We are not perfect. We always try to feed our kids healthy foods and our bath and beauty products, cleaning and laundry products are natural and/or organic and we are very conscious of our environment and the need to protect it and improve our use of it.

Then, almost three years ago our oldest daughter was diagnosed with a form of chronic leukemia…it was quite a scare for us, and one way of coping with all the unknowns was to research endlessly. It was through this that made us realize how much our environment has been altered, and how much harmful stuff is out there in our environment that is almost impossible to avoid. Essentially, for ourselves and our children we’ve tried to reduce as many of the harmful things we’re exposed to in our daily lives, as well as reducing our footprint on the world. We try to buy natural and/or organic foods, and we love our big garden. We don’t use chemicals and plant organic and heirloom plants and seeds.

One of the offshoots of this awareness was the desire to see what I could create on my own; simply, naturally, safely and eco-friendly. It was through this desire that Simply Rustic was born. The body butters and lip balms became the starting point because that is what we use most in our home.  With a family of six, buying natural and/or organic products can be expensive. After some time to experiment and perfect, I had something I enjoyed making and loved to use. Before long I was sharing with family and friends and the logical next step was to try and share it with others who might be searching for a simple, healthy and all natural product that is both affordable and easy on the environment. Simply Rustic’s packaging is recyclable, even the labels are made from recycled material; most are 100%. Today, my creative wandering has expanded, and now there are body scrubs and lip scrubs too…who knows where I’ll go from here.  My small bit of caring for my family and the environment. Oh, and my skin—it loves me for it!