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!
