My Favorite Body Care Routines to Remain Radiant After 50

In our culture many people are under the mistaken belief that the human body is a frail instrument, prone to disease and pre-programmed to decay. I would like you to consider this is just a belief.  Abraham Hicks says “a belief is a thought we think over and over again until it becomes true.”

What if you believed aging is a natural beautiful process where you remain radiant (I didn’t say wrinkle free) and become wise?

In fact aging is honored in many cultures and deterioration is not expected. The truth is your body is infinitely wise with a natural inborn “instinct” towards health, and by caring for your body you allow it to do what it does best, which is maintain natural radiant health.

Even if you are eating healthy and beautifying foods most of the time and occasionally indulging in a few tidbits (hey, the inner child needs treats) it is a good idea to spend a few minutes each day on some body care cleansing routines.

Environmental pollution, body care products and even the natural byproducts of metabolism need to be cleaned out daily. If too many toxins build up in our body our organs can’t do their job properly. We then feel tired, gain weight and lack inspiration.

The good news is our body works hard all day long getting rid of toxins and we can assist it with a few simple routines. 

Since we’re already striving to live a nourishing lifestyle, how do we enhance this natural process of cleansing that our body is doing every day to remain radiant?

Check out my Favorite Body Care Routines

Tongue Scraping

Since digestion begins in the mouth our oral health is connected to the health of our entire body.

A tongue scraper, an inexpensive and transformational utensil, is a simple, thin, u-shaped piece of copper or stainless steel with a well-defined, blunted edge used to remove gunk from the surface of the tongue.

Tongue scraping comes from the Ayurvedic tradition. It is believed a heavily coated tongue causes the accumulation of toxic residue in the mind and body. This simple practice is a direct way of removing this toxic residue.

Scraping your tongue allows you to taste subtler flavors in food. You actually taste the sweetness in vegetables and fruits. You will enjoy many more of the flavors your body needs to feel satisfied.

How to Use a Tongue Scraper

• Scrape your tongue first thing in the morning and/or each time you brush your teeth
• Hold each end with your hands and reach the arch to the back of your tongue, as far back as possible.
• Scrape forward several times, rinsing the white film off the scraper between each scraping.
• Gently scrape until no white reside remains.
• It’s important to get the back of the tongue but not so far that it makes you gag. Rinse your mouth with water.
• Clean and dry your scraper with water

Dry Skin Brushing

The second great practice we want to incorporate into our routines is dry skin brushing. This is something that I must admit I get lazy with at times but when I do it I remember how energizing it is.

Dry skin brushing stimulates our lymphatic system and increases the removal of toxins. In addition, the exfoliation also removes dead skin cells from the surface of our skin, helping to prevent dullness and making us radiant.

 

How to Use a Body Brush

• Body brush before showering or before bed. Use only on DRY skin.
• Brush your legs, stroke each area as though you are shaving in upward strokes toward the knees, then on the thighs in upward strokes toward the groin. The backs of the legs and buttocks do not need to go toward the groin, just brush up. Brushing will give them a little stimulation providing a lift.
• Make circular strokes around any areas of your hips that have cellulite.
• For the arms, start by stroking the palms of the hands to stimulate the reflexology points, then move to the tops of the hands. Continue up the arm making long strokes toward the armpits.
• The face, neck and breasts do not need to be brushed, this brush is too coarse for them.
• Brushing the midsection is good for digestive health. Follow the natural movement of the colon, up the right side (ascending colon) across to the left (transverse colon) and then downward strokes along the left side (descending colon).
• You may also brush your back if you like.
• You should feel energized after body brushing.

Detox Bath

A detox bath is an inexpensive way to soothe your self and can make everything in your life feel better. This bath is a nutrient boost (magnesium and sulfur, sodium and bicarbonate), electrolyte booster, detoxifier, cleanser, pH adjuster and “ultimate at home spa treatment.”

I aim to have a detox bath at least once a week.

How to Make A Detox Bath

• Fill a bathtub with warm, pure water. Hopefully your water is purified or you are using a filter.
• Add 2 pounds of Epsom Salt. This is Magnesium Sulfate, available in supermarkets and drug stores, it is not expensive.
• Add 1 pound of Baking Soda, aka sodium bicarbonate. It softens the water, and helps the body to absorb the magnesium.
• Optionally add aromatherapy oils to have a more relaxing and pleasant experience. I like lavender, peppermint or ylang, ylang..   Around 20 drops is good.
• Swish all of the ingredients into the tub and get in. Add more hot water, to get the bath as hot as you are comfortable with. Keep increasing the heat as long as you are comfortable. The heat opens your pores, lets the toxins out and the beneficial electrolytes in. Remain in the tub for 20-30 minutes.
• It is best to allow your body to get used to the hot baths gradually, increasing the temperature slowly. It is not advisable to get into an extremely hot bath because when confronted by this sudden thermal assault the body’s defenses close the pores of the skin. They are then very slow to reopen, defeating the purpose of the bath, so increase the temperature after you get in.
• Have a glass of water nearby to rehydrate.
• Keep a face towel handy to wipe your brow.
• Enjoy your moment of just being
• When the bath is done, wrap yourself in a towel and rest for 20 minutes to allow your body to finish perspiring and recover its equilibrium. I like to rub coconut all over me before getting dressed to soften my skin.
• It’s terrific to do this before going to bed to improve both sleeping and dreaming. It’s often a way to shake off the “stuff” of the day, relieve aches and pains, detoxify, and soothe your soul!

Rebounding 

Rebounding on a mini-trampoline is a unique low-impact form of exercise that is a “Fountain of Youth”. The simple, gentle up and down movement stimulates and strengthens every organ in your your entire body unlike any other form of exercise.

It is by far the most effective means of stimulating the lymphatic pump to cleanse out toxins. Rebounding is relaxing and fun.

Benefits of Rebounding

• Improves Bone Density and Joint Health
• Detoxes Your Lymph System
• Supports Weight Loss with Metabolic-Supporting Exercise
• Helps Reduce Cellulite
• Improves Balance and Posture
• Improves the Function of Your Heart
• Strengthens Every Cell in Your Body

How to Rebound

I bounce in my bare feet. Don’t wear anything tight or constricting. You will jiggle all over, that is what is supposed to happen. The more jiggle the more your lymph system is flushing out toxins. Put on some music and have fun. You can see me in the video below.

Start with 5 minutes and work up to 15 minutes.

Well there it is, my favorite body care tips for remaining radiant after 50 or any age. I hope you find these practices helpful and will start a healthy trend by sharing your experience of these with your loved ones.

Please let me know what your favorite practice is and how it’s working for you!

See you back here soon. Have a beautiful day.

Much love,
Ingrid