Did you know you can reduce the burden on your kidneys by regular skin brushing with a firm dry body brush?  Sounds a bit far fetched, doesn't it?  When you consider the facts, it does make sense.

The skin is the largest eliminating organ of the body.  If we stimulate it in a constructive way, the skin increases its rate of elimination of toxic waste products.  Less demands are then placed upon the kidneys.  In Each square centimetre of skin there are as many as three million cells, 15 sebaceous glands, 100 sweat glands, a metre of blood vessels, 3000 sensory cells, 4 metres of nerves, 200 pain detectors, 25 pressure sensors for touch, two cold sensors and two heat sensors.

All of these components have vital functions and, brushing is the surest way of stimulating them and improving their efficiency.  This type of stimulation is positive and does not lead to exhaustion as do unnatural stimulants such as caffeine, tannins, alcohol etc.

Except when the skin is physically covered with dirt or grease, soap cannot clean it as effectively as a brush.  Dry skin brushing removes the dead cells from the surface of the skin, which would eventually shed off.  Because skin brushing contributes to cleansing the blood stream, it improves the skin everywhere on the body, although the skin that is brushed would benefit the most.

Brushing should be carried out once or twice a day, on rising before you dress and on retiring.  If you are having a shower, skin brush before the shower so that the dead skin and other debris will be washed away.  Spend a few minutes brushing, working on each limb, the front of the trunk and on the back.  Please ensure that the brush is used dry.  Please use a good quality natural fibre brush, as synthetic brushes can damage the skin.

A really nice thing about skin brushing is that it warms the body up in less than a minute.  In cold weather, the massaging effect instantly stops you feeling 'freezing' which is a much better way to start your day or get into bed.