dry brushing

Acure Organics Cell Stimulating Facial Mask, $15.99, available at Whole Foods
Nourish Organic Coconut & Argan Body Wash, $9.99, available at Target
J.R. Watkins Coconut Scrub, $12.99, available at Target
eos Smooth Sphere Lip Balm, $3.29, available at most drugstores/Target
Elemis Skin Brush, $48, available at Nordstrom

You know those boxes in buildings that read, “IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, BREAK GLASS” – ? This is the blog entry equivalent of that.

We’re three days out from Christmas and there’s a good chance that some of you still haven’t picked up last-minute gifts for coworkers or stocking stuffers for family members. SHAME ON YOU! (Just kidding, this is the story of my life.) Unfortunately, for many of us, our favorite all-natural and organic beauty finds require an online shipment. Ain’t nobody got time for that. And if you’re marooned in the suburbs or country this holiday, chances are you’re more than a few miles out from a specialty skincare boutique (but please support small biz if there is one in your vicinity!).

If you’re out of options (and hair), instead of grabbing the first thing you see at the drugstore and giving your mother a lumpy bag of mixed nuts or a stale chocolate bar from the CVS checkout counter (which I have done in desperation every year…sorry, Mom…), make the most of the drug/grocery/department store nearest you and snag a natural beauty gift that’s available at mainstream shops.

I’m so sorry you’re feeling icky! I’m here to help with my tried and true natural remedies.

After I got back from a summer of travelling around Europe, (hello, jet lag!) back-to-back long days of work coupled with extreme stress (due to not having a enough time in the day…Millennial syndrome), the glands on my neck were really swollen, almost constantly. I always seemed to have some sort of “crud.” I had been checked for strep and other more serious things, but the truth was this persistent little bug I had felt off and on for months hadn’t 100% worked its way out of my body, and it was well past it’s welcome.

Pretty soon, I had a fever, was coughing every five seconds and was in sinus headache hell. I couldn’t even sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time because everything was just so uncomfortable. Ironically, I had gotten called into a commercial audition for an energy drink that day. I tried… but it was a disaster. (*hacks, keels over.*) This was a cold from the deepest dregs of hell. Yay! No magic Western medicine to fix me this time? Wah!

This is how I sped that bug out of my system. Get your notebook out: this is what you need, Sniffy McCoughington.

We brush our teeth. That’s important. I, personally, do not brush my hair anymore, but I hear that’s important to some people. Who knows? (Kidding.)

Dry brushing is something I came across 100% by accident. I had had several severe colds – or perhaps all the same one, just elongated – and I was feeling CRAPPY. I was getting used to feeling bad, particularly in the gland region. Well, after several Google searches, including key words like “lymph nodes,” I got this Amazon link to a “dry brush for lymphatic drainage.” You know how you can get a lymphatic massage at a spa? Similar idea. Anyway, then I started researching the crap out of dry brushing. And then I started incorporating dry brushing into my everyday ritual, and I loved the results. It sped up my process of recovering from that awful cold…and it has a ton of other benefits, too. I even got Jennifer one for her birthday!

So, what are the main benefits of dry brushing?

Last Minute Drug Store Gift Ideas That Don’t Suck

How to Beat That Winter Cold (No Chemicals Needed)

Why We Love Dry Brushing