Skin; the body’s only defense..

Our skin is the only defense our organs and vessels have against the environment.

It is also the largest organ of your body, and it is an organ of secretion.

If the body contains more toxins than the kidneys and liver can effectively excrete, the skin takes over elimination.  As these excess toxins escape through the skin,  it’s integrity is interrupted.  Healthy skin also ‘breathes’, and the pores need to be clear and unblocked.  All our other organs are protected and safe inside our body, but our skin is absolutely exposed.  The skin is the last organ to receive nutrients in the body, yet the first to shows signs of imbalance or deficiency.

So, The Skin is responsible for 1/4 of the body’s detoxification each day.  Otherwise, our main detoxification is done via the Lymph, and while our circulatory system has its own pump (our heart) to move blood through our bodies, our lymphatic system does not… it primarily relies on our movement to assist it. Typically, the more active we are physically the better condition our lymphatics will be.

If the skin becomes inactive,  with its pores clogged with millions of dead cells and other debris, toxins will remain in the body,  putting undue stress on the other elimination organs, mainly the kidneys and liver, making them increase their activity, and eventually they become overworked and unable to complete their tasks, leaving our body toxic and sluggish..

There are numerous ports of elimination of the skin including your mouth, face, arm pits, the inside of your upper thigh region, feet, and toe nails.  Body odor is an additional indicator of toxic build-up and is eradicated through the same channels.  Let’s not forget your tongue, which builds up a plaque and is yet another gauge of toxins in the body.

Dry skin brushing will help increase your whole body’s circulation, lymph movement, drainage  and elimination of toxins, and it will also make a huge difference to the quality of your skin, which will look and feel healthier because  skin brushing helps exfoliate and invigorate skin…  It increases the blood supply to the surface, bringing with it nourishment and oxygen.

Dry skin brushing is one of the healthier self-help methods available to us today. Stimulation of the skin sets in motion natural healing pathways within your body. Additionally, it encourages nerve beds within its structure that in turn increase normal healing processes throughout the body.

There are several automatic systems contained by the body including healing processes. Your heart beats by design, you breathe automatically, and your body’s “automatic healing process”,  is another.  This Internal Doctor is set in motion when your body generates an itching response to the required areas. You will obviously scratch that area which turns red with a fresh blood supply, and the natural healing process has now been set in motion. This is the same healing process that will follow a skin brushing session.

Benefits of dry skin brushing 

• stimulates the lymphatic system                                                                                                  
• cleans toxins from the lymphatic system
• helps digestion
• stimulates circulation
• increases cell renewal
• strengthens the immune system
• tightens the skin
• removes dead skin layers and other debris collected in its pores

If you haven’t done skin brushing before it is wise to start with only one pass over the skin’s surface. Over time you can gradually increase the number of strokes done during each skin brushing session. The reason is that too much stimulation can be too hard on the body.

• Start at the feet and legs brushing upwards to your groin.
• Then do your hands and go up your arms to the armpits.
• Then brush upwards on your buttocks.
• Brush down the neck, chest and trunk.
• Brush your lower abdomen towards the center.
• It is permissible to brush across the top of the shoulders and upper back as the best contact with the skin is made that way.
• Do not brush your face or breasts.

Always use long gentle, but firm, strokes. Remember that your skin should not turn red, which means the pressure on your strokes is too heavy. The idea is to stimulate and not to irritate the skin.

 

Many people may find large amounts of lymph mucoid in their stools a day or two after beginning skin brushing. This is the emptying out of the backlog of mucoid from the lymphatic system and is the effect of detoxifying the lymph system.

 

After brushing your skin, rinse off in the shower. Alternating temperatures in the shower from hot to cold will further invigorate the skin and stimulate blood circulation, bring more blood to the outer layers of the skin.

After getting out of the shower, dry off vigorously and massage your skin with pure plant oil, such as almond, jojoba, sesame or coconut.

Don’t forget to clean your skin brush using soap and water once a week. After rinsing, dry your skin brush in an open, sunny spot to prevent mildew.

For a thorough lymphatic cleansing, perform skin brushing daily for a minimum of three months.

Caution: Do not brush on or over skin rashes, wounds, cuts, infections or grazes

Note: Any well designed program will take about 30 days to see and experience the changes. Please be patient and keep up the program!

The skin’s only protection against the environment is a very thin layer called The Acid Mantle or The Hydrolipidic Layer.

The names of the layer of protection gives us an idea of what it is;   firstly it’s Ph is acid, and secondly Hyrolipidic means a combination of water and oil.

Most soaps by their nature are alkaline, while others, at best, are neutral.  To preserve the acidity of our skin our soap should be slightly acidic

Even fresh water is not the ideal Ph for our skin..

so..

Itchy, dry, flaking,  uncomfortable skin is often aggravated by hot baths and caustic soaps.. even if your soap says ‘gentle’ it is probably too alkaline for your skin’s sensitive acid mantle of protection.  Generally, liquid soaps have a healthier Ph than solid soaps.  Be very aware of other irritants in your cleanser: colourants and fragrances specifically.  In my opinion, baby products are the worst culprits here – brightly coloured and smelling of ‘baby’, they contain more toxins than unscented, uncoloured products.  Mainstream toiletries contain a toxin called Sodium Laureth Sulphate, and it is something to watch out for and avoid wherever possible:

http://www.healthy-communications.com/slsmostdangerousirritant.html

Winter and summer your skin requires enough hydration – remember your water intake needs to be 30ml/kg body weight/day, every day.  Omega 3 in the form of Fish oil or Flax oil or even Chia seeds, lubricate the Hydrolipidic layer (as well as the hydrolipidic layer that makes up our tears).  An acidic, toxin-laden diet puts a burden on your skin.

The most important thing about your skin, though, is that the skin you see is the proverbial ‘tip of the iceberg’.  The health of your Inside Skin is well reflected by the health of your Outside Skin.  What do you think is happening in the digestive mucosa or the membranes lining your sinuses if your visible skin is dry, cracked, flaky, fungal or infected?  Many drugs on the market today are administered through transdermal skin patches, which have been shown to be up to 95% more effective than oral medication. This proves that the skin, the largest organ of the body and our first line of immunity, is permeable to all chemicals.

Our skin,  already many years  old, has been damaged over time by excess and ignorance; now, with new knowledge we can ensure the next generation do better.

Enchantrix Baby Bum Cream with no parabens and Victorian Garden kids’ skincare are all a step in the right direction.  SoPure baby products include sterilisers and mozzie repellent that are not damaging to your baby in any way Find them easily from our ‘links’.

Take care of your skin by ensuring adequate hydration, mineral, vitamin and omega intake.  Limit your refined foods and concentrate on anti-oxidant-rich raw fruit and veggies in season.  Busby organic Tissue oil and The Victorian Garden Organic Moisturisers have the correct Ph and none of the toxic chemicals, nourishing and healing skin.  Astxanthin is an anti-oxidant with a very strong affinity for the skin.  Naturally anti-inflammatory, Astaxanthin protects the skin and aids the repair of sun damage and the ravages of time.

See our “links’ page for some interesting information on healthy sun awareness and protection

The Good Health Shop is a proud stockist of  Inthusiasm Organic Make-up

Modern skincare, toothpaste and shampoos contain toxic chemicals like parabens, petroleum, aluminium, Sodium Laureth Sulphate, pps in hair colour, and benzine; and what goes on, goes in.. about 70% of the ingredients of your creams, hair colour and other cosmetics enters your bloodstream.

Cosmetics often use vibrant colours that are derived from some unexpected sources, ranging from crushed insects to rust.  The labelling laws do not apply to cosmetics and the ingredients do not have to be disclosed.  Even when they are, the toxins are usually hidden as E numbers.  Makeup worn on the lips is not just absorbed through the skin, but also swallowed with drinking and eating.   Many chemicals found in cosmetics don’t cause obvious immediate signs of toxicity, but slowly poison us through repeated use.  You only have to Google it to see our skincare and make-up is, at best,  inhibiting our health and at worst, really doing us, and our families, harm

The skincare and make-up which a woman uses in a year is measured in kilograms!
An excellent argument for organic skincare:
*Petrochemical oils can’t be used by cells and can’t penetrate the skin unless aided by other chemical agents. These oils slow down Trans Epidermal Water Loss by forming an impenetrable layer on the surface of the skin.

Organic oils, however, improve the structure of the skin. These oils slow down Trans Epidermal Water Loss and ensure that the skin stays hydrated and moisturised.

*Sodium Laureth Sulfate has been shown to produce eye or skin irritation in experimental animals and in some human test subjects. Some products containing SLES have been found to contain low levels of the carcinogen 1,4-dioxane.

*aluminium is a heavy metal and a contributing factor in alzheimers, cancers, allergies and others www.globalhealingcenter.com

Without employing scare tactics or brainwashing, the wise are making the change to organic.

We stock organic choices in Toothpaste, Shampoo, conditioner, Skin care for adults and children, luxuries like bubblebath, body scrub and gift soaps;   Enchantrix, Victorian Garden and Meadowsweet.

Busby Liquid Gold Tissue Oil is a long-awaited product.. Those in the know have shunned Tissue oils in order to avoid the mineral oils and parabens they contain.  Now at last a safe alternative in a beautiful soft oil, high in Vitamin E and natural oils, the oil is well absorbed and very nourishing.  At only R59.90 it a welcome addition.

Introducing Melaskin, an organic combination of Kigelia (Sausage tree), Sutherlandia and African potato cream. This unique combination is specifically usuful for skin cancers, slow healing sores and skin anomalies.  Melaskin helps to fade dark blemishes and is antifungal in nature.  Melaskin treats Molluscum Contagiosum http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001829/

Our pets are so much a part of our family and we need to take care of their skin too… Rooibos oil for Animals, 100% natural oil for itching, hot spots, balding or thinning fur , in fact any skin problems your pet might be suffering from.  Dogs, cats, birds and even horses benefit from Rooibos infused oil  for Animals