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Top-to-toe summer beauty

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Body brushing
One of the best ways to naturally spring-clean your body and encourage lymphatic drainage is by skin brushing. This stimulates the movement of interstitial fluids and breaks down congestion in areas where the lymph flow has become sluggish and toxins have collected. An extraordinarily gentle, yet powerful technique, it can (with skill) be used to relieve puffiness, smooth the texture of your skin and stimulate vitality.

Skin brushing can be used with great advantage in the elimination of cellulite in women – a condition in which a stasis of lymph flow has concentrated excess proteins, fats and waste materials in certain areas of the body (particularly the thighs, buttocks and upper arms). This eventually results in puckered "orange-peel" skin, alterations to connective tissue and distortions of the natural body shape.

How to brush your skin:
To do this effectively, you'll need to spend five minutes a day before your bath brushing your skin all over with a natural-fibre brush. Begin at the tip of your shoulders and cover your whole body (except the head) with long, smooth strokes over the shoulders, arms and trunk in a downward motion, then upwards over the feet, legs and hips.

You need only go over your skin once for it to work. How firmly you press depends on how toned your skin and body are now. Go easy at first. Your skin will soon become fitter and then you'll be able to work far more vigorously over it. If done daily, this kind of skin brushing is one of the simplest and most effective treatments for lumpy thighs and hips. It eliminates toxic waste through the surface of the skin – not only in the specific cellulite areas, but all over the body, as well as stimulating natural lymphatic drainage.

Care for your hands
Our hands are in constant motion, whether at work or play. They experience extensive contact with cleaning agents, various tools and environmental hazards. Dry skin and brittle nails are signs that your hands have become vulnerable to these daily risks. And the signs of premature ageing may actually present themselves quicker on your hands than on your face.

Here's how to care for your hands:

  • Wear rubber gloves when your hands need to be in hot, soapy water for any length of time, and wear garden gloves when working outdoors.

  • Moisturise your hands. Cocoa butter, sweet almond oil and essential oils of carrot, rosemary, lavender, chamomile, geranium, rose and arnica extract are some of the popular softening ingredients found in natural handcare products. Always apply a moisturiser to hands after washing.

  • Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher on your hands daily. Daily exposure to the sun can rob them of much-needed moisture and cause wrinkles.

  • Treat yourself to a hand massage. Besides relaxing your hands, this also helps increase circulation and improves the overall tone of the skin and nail beds. Use a good-quality oil for massage – Vitamin E oil or even baby oil work well. Add essential oils of lavender or rosemary for scent, if desired.

  • The condition of your nails plays a big part in how attractive or otherwise your hands look. You may be elegantly coiffed and stylishly dressed, but the moment you extend a hand with ugly, chipped nails, the favourable impression you may have made vanishes instantly!

    A proper manicure is the first step to clean, shapely, good-looking nails. To take care of problem nails, keep them healthy and looking good by including calcium in your diet. If your nails are brittle, massage your hands with warm baby oil or almond oil every alternate day. Include the cuticle area.

    Putting your best foot foward
    Your feet are perhaps the most neglected part (and hardest-working!) part of your body. To keep them looking beautiful, you need to give them the same attention you give your hands and face. Get into this daily regimen and your feet will look and feel better:

  • Start by soaking your feet in warm water for about five minutes. You can do this in your bath or a separate tub. If your skin is dry, add some bath oil to the water. Use a pumice stone to gently remove the outer layer of dead skin from your feet.
  • Pat your feet dry. The only area of the feet you need to dry thoroughly is between your toes. Apply a liberal coat of moisturising cream to the feet (except between the toes). If your skin is particularly dry, apply Vaseline and encase your feet in stockings. If the skin on your heels is cracked and rough, use a cream specially formulated to heal this problem.
  • At the end of your beauty regimen, put up your feet and give them a rest!
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