Dry Brushing for Keratosis Pilaris - Vol. 3

Well! Another week of brushing has passed!

I'm sad to say that two days this week (Monday & Tuesday) I wasn't able to do my dry brushing. And when I say I wasn't able too, of course I mean I forgot. This week has been so hectic. I turn 30 in two weeks, we have a dear friends wedding in Blairgowrie this weekend, next weekend is Hubbo's Christmas break up for work, and the babies are teething, one is sick, and little Mr 3 has decided to enter the stage of 3 nanger all at once. I feel like I haven't stopped. So admittedly my self care slipped for a couple of days. 

I have to admit, I am absolutely loving dry brushing. Every morning it means hubbo looks after the kids before he goes to bed (night shift worker) and I get to go to the bathroom, brush, shower and get ready for the day. It's actually really nice to have that time to myself and have somewhat of a routine!  The last two mornings I have really missed it. Today I stopped with the excuses and was straight back into routine, but I have to admit that my skin has suffered. 

It isn't bad like it was, but it isn't great. I still put the Jojoba on my affected areas while I wasn't dry brushing, and I'm not sure if that was the right call. I assume not removing the dead skin and keratin didn't help because my arms especially are a little more rough today than they have been the whole two weeks so far. So I'm disappointed and very grateful I chose a dress with long sleeves for the wedding this weekend!

So after brushing today, I'm feeling energised and back on track and motivated to not let this happen again as I've already seen the undoing that can be done by not exfoliating. 

I have taken some photos again for you guys so you can understand the difference between week one and this week and hope you can see the draw backs from stopping brushing from this week to last. It goes to prove if you do have keratosis pilaris, you NEED to be active in it's treatment of exfoliation and stick to it to remove the dead skin and over produced Keratin. 

It's a bit of a pain, but I guess in the long run, I would prefer this to something like Eczema or Psoriasis. It's the lesser of all evils. 

I guess having this set back really shows the improvement dry brushing makes to skin! I would also like you guys to have a close look at the colour in my skin. Apart from the Keratosis Pilaris and it's red scarring, take note of my legs and how purple they used to be. I have noticed that Dry brushing has really helped with my circulation and improved it DRAMATICALLY! So not only would I recommend this treatment for skin conditions, but I would also recommend it if you suffer poor circulation. 

So here we go! Pics from completed Week Two - Heading strongly into week three. 

I still can't get over the difference from week one. It was SO bad!

Still pretty happy with my arms given the car wreck they were before, however notable lumps came back from stopping brushing. 

This week I notice more on my forearms than I have during the period I have been dry brushing.

The colour difference on my thighs are amazing! I don't actually look purple anymore! 

As you can see in all the pictures, my circulation has improved dramatically! and while my keratosis pilaris is still better than it was at the start, it isn't as good as it could have been if I made sure to dry brush every day!

If you want to get in contact with Rebecca from Bodecare, just Click HERE to view or purchase their products and reach out to Bec with any questions you may have!

Dry Brushing for Keratosis Pilaris Vol. 2

Hello Again!!!! Week One is now over and we are at the start of week two of using Dry Brushing and Jojoba Oil to hopefully improve my Severe Keratosis Pilaris. 

I have been excited ALL WEEK to write this blog post, and the reason for that is I have noticed a difference in my skin from the 3rd day! My skin didn't feel like Chicken Skin from the 3rd session of body brushing. It didn't feel like my skin could be used as brail in books for the Blind! To anyone that's reading this that's blind and got offended by that, I'm sorry..... HAHA just kidding because you can't read this because you can't see. (That was bad taste I know... I think the hot weather is getting to me).

Anyway! So I have even had my partner rubbing my skin on a daily basis to check how it's going.... not in a sexual way... just as a second opinion... and even he has been amazed by the results and how quickly they happened. 

He's already demanded a dry body brush and Jojoba oil for Christmas to help with his eczema. I was confused at the start. He doesn't normally believe in my 'hippy ways' (he calls it) and loves to lather up that cortisone cream good and thick when the itching gets bad and the bad get itching. But after seeing the difference in my body he is jumping at the chance to have a natural approach to his eczema (aside from my constant badgering to quit sugar, dairy and gluten *sigh*) so it's a win all around!

After the first couple of days I honestly couldn't believe how soft my skin was. I have actually worn a singlet shirt and shorts or a dress this WHOLE WEEK of insane hotness! I'm not ashamed of my skin. Well actually, I still am! But no where near like I used to be! I say used too like it was years ago when it was actually just last week. 

It has definitely been a change to my morning ritual. I think I am lucky I am on Maternity Leave because I can do it whenever I get the chance once the kids are ready. I couldn't imagine doing this in the morning before work... But I'm one of those people that set about 1,657 alarms in the half hour leading up to wake time on a work day and I leave myself juuuuuuust enough time to run super fast to the train whilst looking like a complete wreck and make it in those train doors juuuuuust as they're closing. So I will probably have to change the routine to a night time 'thang' when I return to work. But where there's a will, there's a way. 

One thing I will note apart from the time it takes to brush, is that your skin gets quite warm as the blood circulates and comes to the skins surface. This is going to be amazing in winter. But it's about a bajillion degrees in Melbourne Lately and so I find myself needing to do this under the air con. I possibly also get hot because I'm somewhat unfit and it's a work out.

Now, in the first blog I wrote about Keratosis Pilaris and I tried to explain to you why Dry brushing works as Rebecca from Bodecare had previously explained to me. I think we will all agree that I did a truly shocking job at the explanation! So as promised, I spoke to Bec and she sent me through some information on Keratosis Pilaris, what it is, and why Jojoba works with Dry Brushing.  So here we go! This is the email that I received from Bec and instead of trying to explain it in my own words, I thought I'd save us both the heart ache and just WHACK it in how it was written for me because it really is easy to understand. 

-Basically speaking, Keratosis Pilaris is an over production of keratin which is the glue that binds our skin cells together.  Over the course of a month, the cells in our outer layer of skin (called the epidermis) will go through their life span and be shed.  If your skin is dry and you have excessive keratin your skin will not shed as quickly or as much as you need it to.  Sadly as we age the rate at which our cells reproduce and shed also slows down.  This is not  good thing for people with dry skin.  And that is why dry body brushing daily is awesome for these people, it helps to rid the skin continually speeding up the cellular renewal and keeping the skin soft and hydrated.  So thats the dryness and the bumps.. but what about the redness…..

So, the redness is an issue of inflammation in the skin.   When the skin is not shedding it can block the follicles so the skins natural oils can’t escape (sebum).  The oil is produced by the body to nourish the top layer of the skin and form a barrier from anything entering the skin that shouldn’t.  Its called the acid mantle.  If the oil cannot escape the pores, then it forms a blockage.  This is a breeding ground for bacteria which then causes inflammation, which in turn causes the redness in the skin.   The overproduction of oil in the pores can be a factor of dehydration in the skin.   The skin needs a balance of oil and water, when the oil levels are low you can get lots of flaking and itchiness,  when water levels are low you can get tightness and the start of fine lines and wrinkles.   When your water levels are low in the skin, your body will try to compensate by producing more oil.  This is why it is super important to make sure you are hydrated from the inside out.

Another issue you might come across is post inflammatory scarring.    This is the red spots after the bumps have gone.  It kinda looks like red pigmentation/freckles instead of brown freckles.  Increasing cell turnover will help to fade these scars over time.

You need to soothe any inflammation, kill bacteria in the skin and hydrate the skin from the outside to get the oil level production balanced and this is why Jojoba oil is recommended. 

Dry skin brushing is the best for exfoliation because it is rough enough to really remove all those dead skin cells, but it also helps with lymphatic drainage which will help to drain out any nasties through the bodies waste system.  By stimulating the blood circulation to the skin ( “burning” sensation or heated feeling of the skin…  the skin will tingle a bit when brushing but it is just the blood coming to the surface of the skin and it is a very good thing!)   the blood will bring with it nutrients, oxygen and water to the skin cells so you will notice much healthier skin in the weeks following starting a dry brushing routine.

The Jojoba oil  is anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial, so it will help to calm the skin and reduce redness in the bumps.  The oil is also the closest in nature to our skins natural oil so it absorbs really quickly into the skin.  It also has the ability to dissolve sebum, so it will help to unblock the pores.  It is also high in Vit E which is a fantastic anti-oxidant for the skin. -

Did I not tell you in the first blog that Bec knows her stuff?! huh? huh?

I hope this has clarified for you what we are actually dealing with, and give you some options for tackling this issue. It's so nice to know that there are answers to our questions as to why our skin is so ugly. Well, mine is less ugly now. So answers to our questions as to why your skin is still ugly and mine sort of is but sort of isn't anymore... 

If you want to check out some of Bec's products, click HERE and have a browse! (***This is an affiliate link which means we may earn commission if you buy something, but that’s ok because we only endorse products and businesses that meet our strict guidelines anyway… we just thought you should know xx***)

So I won't make you wait any longer.....

Results after one week of Dry Brushing

So this is the back of my arms where Keratosis is usually the most severe... I know what you're thinking right! WOW!

This is the front of the top of my arm. The bumps are noticeably smaller and the redness has reduced

This is the forearm. Surprisingly hard to get a good picture of your forearm on your own so the pics aren't the best. But the difference is dramatic. 

These are the tops of my thighs near the buttox where Keratosis is also prominent.

Clearly from the pictures above you can tell that the changes are already dramatic! Let me know your thoughts below and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in contact with Rebecca at Bodecare. I can't wait for the next update. Hopefully there is even more good news to share!

Dry Brushing for Keratosis Pilaris - Vol 1

I am going to start talking about something ugly. I am going to talk about something that so many women and men deal with and is the cause of a lot of people's insecurities. Keratosis Pilaris. Also known as 'Chicken Skin'. 

When I began writing this, I wanted to choose a picture of raw chicken skin for those of you that don't really know what this skin condition looks like and why it's referred to as chicken skin. However, I know we have a strong Vegan, Vegetarian and Pescatarian following and I wanted to be sensitive to those that may get offended or upset by seeing an image like that. But as you can see from the image above, the bumps on the skin are where it gets it's name from. That feral skin above by the way, is mine.... I know right.. how gross. 

Anyway! so lets start at the beginning. Keratosis pilaris is a condition of the skin, usually affecting the upper arms, upper legs and buttox. However in different people, it can appear in other places as well. My doctors reasoning for me getting Keratosis Pilaris, is because it's hereditary and I have it 'just because'..... pfft. Yeah the body desperately wants to be ugly so is all 'oh yeah let's just go all gross and feral looking for the fun of it'. No. After a lot of research on my behalf, I have learnt that the main cause of Keratosis Pilaris is actually undiagnosed Coeliacs disease and/or gluten intolerance. Makes sense. I was an undiagnosed Coeliac for nearing 30 years and my skin is SEVERELY ugly.... felt like it made more sense to say severely ugly than severely keratosis'd? polarisid? Yep see... nothing else makes sense. So, to give you an example of what my skin looks like and how it affects me mentally and physically, I have taken some photos (aren't you lucky) of my upper arms, fore arms, thighs and calves. As I said, mine is Severe and has graduated from just being on the backs of my upper arms and thighs, to now covering my forearms, arm pits, calves, whole of my thighs, knees and bum.. oh and my hips. I'm So lucky. It's gross. It affects me every day and I dread heading into spring and summer. While I see all these ladies wearing beautiful sundresses and outfits, I usually don long sleeves and pants. I hate it. I was once asked not to try clothes on in a clothing store because the attendant didn't want me to put my skin on the clothing in the store in fear of someone else trying the top on after me and 'catching' my skin condition. **insert eye roll here**actually... add some heart ache and crying too**. So as you can imagine, it's horrible. 

I'm explaining this like you don't have it, but if you're a reader that does have Keratosis Pilaris, know that I know what you're going through and I'm sorry you have to deal with it as well. It is so horrible. But hopefully you will share my journey with me and see if dry brushing could be the answer we have been searching for!

When I started this business, I met some amazing people! People that created the businesses that are in our collective. People that feel the same way I do about the world and what it has done to make us sick. And all of these people created their businesses to help make people feel better and contribute to making the world a happier, healthier place. One of these beautiful people I met is from Bode Care, and her name is Rebecca. 

Rebecca is a beautician by trade and fell in love with Dry Brushing and it's effects on the skin and over all well being. When she fell in love with Dry Brushing, she fell in love with Bode Care and decided she would start to sell the products, so took a big leap of faith and created her own business. Rebecca is the type of person that even though I've only known since august, our conversations are as if we have known each other a long time. So you can imagine how personable she is. 

In one of our recent conversations, she asked me about my skin and I told her about my Keratosis Pilaris and how severe it was. It was SO nice to speak to someone that actually understands what happens in the body to cause it, and also some things that can be done to help reverse it and improve it. The first thing she told me was to make sure I stay hydrated. Now! That conversation I had with her was quite long and there was a lot of information. So I am going to do my best with what I remember, and I will clarify with her the next time we have our 2 hour long conversation. 

My understanding so far is that the oil in the skin, as well as the over production of Keratin (a protein that is created by the body to stop bacteria) somehow blocks the water in our bodies from hydrating our skin. Excess dry skin also contributes to blocking the pores, as well as oil and bacteria. See - I need to speak with her. The minute I do I'll add all the information in the next volume of this blog. Some other reading I did explained that it commonly effects people with dry skin which makes sense as the dry skin clogs the pores and therefore explains that those that have Keratosis need to exfoliate and use a great moisturiser or make sure their soap has a good fat in it. Rebecca told me that jojoba oil (actually a wax) is amazing for hydrating the skin. 

Since Dead skin is a contributing factor, she explained to me that by removing this dead skin through dry brushing, we can help to stop the pores clogging. In addition to this, dry brushing brings blood to the skins surface which brings with it Oxygen and Water. This helps to hydrate the skin which also is thought to help.

After Rebecca explained this, she offered to send me a Dry Body brush suited to my skin type, and I agreed that I will blog my results with my skin. I have every confidence that this will work. I am positive. I have to be. It's the only thing I haven't tried. 

So here we go, I devote myself to Dry Brushing once a day to help my keratosis pilaris, and blog once a week for the next 12 weeks updating you all on the progress of my skin. I am doing this because if it does work, I want you to see the results and feel assured that this is definitely something you can get behind and try for yourself!

This is my beautiful Dry Body Brush and Oils that Bec sent me. I have the Detox FSC brush with a Medium Bristle

Without further a-due - Here we go! Week one has commenced!

 

Back of Upper Arm

These are the photos of my skin on Day 1 before dry brushing. This is my upper arms, fore arms, thighs, and calves. Since I took these pictures this morning, I did my first dry brush and applied Jojoba oil after my shower as directed by Rebecca. 

Forearm 

Rebecca mentioned that Jojoba oil is amazing for Keratosis Pilaris, so I did a bit of research. I found a woman that swore Jojoba oil on it's own cured her keratosis... I guess we will see. 

Bec explained that it's actually a wax! Not an oil! So that's pretty cool! 

Something else I learnt about jojoba oil, is that it feels SEXAYYYYYY on the skin! Honestly, after I applied it, it felt like I had been draped in silk. It was SOOOOO Nice. 

Upper Thigh 

After I did the dry brushing, well, my skin felt a little on fire.

I guess that's because I'm not used to it. I watched the instructional video on the Bode care website, they make it look so easy. 

Not that it's hard, but it involves brushing toward your lymph nodes to help in lymphatic drainage. It was hard to brush and watch the video at the same time... so I'm looking forward to dry brushing tomorrow now that I kinda know what I'm doing a bit more. 

Front of Arm

You know those people that can pat their head and rub their belly at the same time? Yeah well I'm not one of those. I'm the one that Rubs the belly and then the head at the same time and then my hair goes frizzy and it's just a disaster. So watching the video was interesting while brushing. I probably should have watched it first.. cause I'd bend down to do my thighs and then the video had moved on and then I had to rewind and then I rewound too far and so had to go forward and then had to rewind again and well, you see where I'm going with this. The instructional video was actually really good I will add.... it's honestly the user in this situation... I'm about as co-ordinated as an inflatable arm flailing tube man. 

So here it is for all to see. My feral skin. 

While the weather is warm, I guess I'm lucky because using the jojoba is forcing me to wear short sleeves as I need it to stay on my skin and soak in... so short sleeves it is! Apparently that's also good for Keratosis is to let the skin breathe. 

So! here we go. Counting down until next Tuesday and I will update you guys with more pictures and what my skin feels like. You can subscribe to a specific blog.. just head back to the main screen for 'Blog' and press the Subscribe-a-blog button and type in the name of the blog you want to subscribe too, and then I'll flick you an email when this thread has been updated! 

Wish me luck! And I can't wait for next weeks post! Hopefully there is much improvement!

If you want to have a look at dry brushing and watch the Video, or purchase a dry body brush and do it along side me, click HERE, you can also get in contact with Rebecca and she will be able to discuss finding a brush that's right for you.