Lymph love
It is hard sometimes to keep up with the ever-innovating treatments and practices that all promise health and vitality. But in this cluttered landscape I often find myself returning to the basics, and find also that these core practices, ancient wisdom handed down through most beauty traditions, serve me best.
As the seasons shift, it is a wonderful time to check in with Ayurvedic principles, which address the changes you’ll feel in your skin and body that are the result of the seasonal changes outside. I find that my skin feels tight and flaky if I don’t take the time to tend to it, and this is why exfoliating is an essential part of my daily routine. One of the most important things you can do for your skin and body, this is a practice whose benefits go so, so much further than merely good skin. A full-body scrubdown boosts circulation as well as the body’s ability to sluice away lymph buildup. Moving stagnant lymph aids in encouraging cells to release waste as well as its removal from the body. This invigorating (yet ultimately relaxing) ritual will also help you stay warm, invaluable in these colder months.
I’ve written about rituals before, but the fact that they crop up over and over again in this place only reinforce what I know to be true: ritual brings ceremony and comfort into the everyday. These little touchstones, whether simple or complex, help us build habits and behaviour at a subconscious level. Integrating them into your days will bring subtle but powerful shifts.
“This invigorating (yet ultimately relaxing) ritual will also help you stay warm”
Recipe
You will need
500g sea salt
200g Himalayan pink salt
150ml coconut oil
A big dollop of lemon essential oil
To use, massage onto damp skin using gentle, circular motions. Rinse and remove with warm water.
