Natural Home Self Care Ideas

So this week, I am going to give you the 411 on five out-of-the-box health and beauty routines that I have personally tried out myself. These natural home self care ideas are quick, not too expensive and all of them boast amazing benefits to your lymphatic system, your skin and your overall health.

Dry Brushing

Dry brushing is a way to detoxify your lymphatic system by massaging your skin with a soft bristle brush. It’s a pretty popular technique, so you might have heard of it. Allure Magazine called it “the juice cleanse of the beauty world” and it’s a big favorite among celebrities and women’s magazines. That could be because it’s insanely easy to do.

Your lymphatic system plays an important role in your immune system by distributing a watery clear fluid called lymph to all your cells, tissues and organs in your body. This fluid helps you fight infections, circulate your blood flow and basically keeps everything running smoothly. With your skin being your largest organ, connected to the lymphatic system and so easy to access, it’s the perfect conduit to help stimulate the drainage of excess fluid.

Yep, dry brushing is basically facilitating drainage in medical terms, but bear with me. All you have to do to reap the beauty benefits is lightly brush your dry skin in circular motions. Start at your feet and brush upwards towards your upper chest / heart. Here’s a simple video to show you how. 

I like to brush in the tub right before I take a shower in the morning, and I use a brush with a removable head like this one. It makes it super simple.

The best part about dry brushing is that not only does it boost your energy, circulation and immune system by doing the lymphatic system a solid, it also exfoliates your skin and helps break up cellulite and. ‘Nuff said.

Oil Pulling

Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic dental technique that involves swishing one tablespoon of oil around in your mouth on an empty stomach for 10 – 20 minutes. Your mouth is a haven for tiny bacteria, and the oil is like a supercharged vacuum, pulling out all the microbes hiding in your gums and between your teeth and holding onto them during the process. So make sure to spit the oil in the trash when you’re done. Then rinse with warm water and brush your teeth.

Not only is this routine a great way to draw toxins out of your body, it also helps prevent receding gums, and it’s a natural way to whiten your teeth.

There is some debate as to which type of oil to use, but the traditional choice is cold pressed organic sesame oil. It’s the most researched oil and is particularly high in antioxidants that are good for your liver and toxicity levels.

You can also use organic coconut oil as an alternative as it is does make a great, organic substitute for mouthwash. It contains Vitamin E, which acts as an antioxidant, and also has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties thanks to the lauric acid and monolaurin.

Now, I know 20 minutes sounds like FOREVER! I usually will put a tablespoon of coconut or sesame oil in my mouth right after I get up. I swish it around gently while I shower, make myself a warm bevvie and voila! I’m done. Give it a try 3-4 times a week and see the difference in your teeth.

Word to the wise: While oil pulling is great supplemental care, don’t skip out on your regular dental checkups, as it doesn’t prevent tooth decay.

Dermaplaning

My friend and go-to skincare expert Kerry Benjamin turned me on to the benefits of this skincare routine. Dermaplaning is basically like shaving your face, but for women. It’s a method of exfoliation that uses a 10 gauge scalpel to gently scrape off the top layer of dulling dead skin cells and peach fuzz to reveal a smooth, fresh layer of smoother, brighter, glowing skin.

I know it sounds scary! Believe me, I was super hesitant at first. I mean, shaving your face with a scalpel? I’ll pass! But let me tell you, my skin is so happy I’ve found this technique! It’s a painless, non-invasive way to not only slough off dead skin cells, it scrapes away all the dirt and grime clogging your pores and all that peach fuzz too!

Plus, you reap even more benefits because your beauty products can absorb into your skin more effectively now that the dead layer of skin is gone.

And now you can do it at home too. Through her company Stacked Skincare, Kerry developed her own dermaplaning tool, and you can check out some how-to videos on her website as well.

Sweat it Out

The idea of losing weight, improving your skin and boosting your overall health without lifting a finger is basically THE DREAM, right?

Well, those are some of the benefits of urban sweat lodges.

It’s similar to the ancient tradition of a Native American sweat lodge, but with a modern twist. Here, you just lie back and watch TV or listen to music.

I finally tried this at the trendy Shape House in L.A., and I loved it. You lie down, and you’re wrapped in this space-age sleeping bag that warms up your body temperature for about an hour. And you just sweat, sweat, sweat out all the toxins in your body, helping to boost your lymphatic system, improve your mood and deepen your sleep.

You also burn a ton of calories without a lot exertion. Shape House says, “A typical sweat session burns between 800-1,600 calories, between the 55 minutes in the bed and the 36-hour metabolic boost that follows.” We think that we always need to punish ourselves with exercise, but this allows you have some down town while detoxifying your bod. I listened to a guided meditation during my visit and left feeling refreshed and relaxed.

Plus, if you’re a fan of saunas but have a hard time with breathing through the hot air, this is an alternative that’s definitely worth a try since you’re head is outside of the heating bed.

Lymphasizing

Lymphasizing (or rebounding) sounds a little like Jazzercising, and it’s not that far off. It’s been called “exercise on the cellular level” because it builds physical strength by challenging the structure of your cells through jumping on a rebounder (like a small trampoline).

Capitalizing on the vertical forces of acceleration, deceleration and gravity, lymphasizing creates the perfect environment for detoxification and cleansing. The exercise is good for your heart, and the jumping provides the stimulus for not just free-flowing lymphatic drainage, but the removal of cancer cells, waste, trapped protein in the body and other bacteria. It also floods all your cells with oxygen and enables them to convert glucose more efficiently for increased energy.

Plus, lymphasizing is said to improve posture, strengthen muscle tone, sharpen your vision, increase your coordination, balance and rhythm. Here’s another video to give you the scoop.

It’s also a blast! So channel your inner Tom Hanks (circa 1987’s BIG) and get ready to bounce your cares away on the trampoline.

Did I miss any of your favorite out-of-the-box health and beauty routines? Which one of these ideas are you excited to try out? Let me know in the comments below.

LOVE + rebellious beauty,
Moniqua