Encouraging Lymphatic Drainage

Our modern lifestyle means we often spend our time sitting in the car or train, at our desks or just standing. This produces a “stagnation” of lymphatic liquid in our leg connective tissues, especially if we don’t regularly move our muscles. 

Muscles have a pump action every time we contract them. This sends back lymphatic liquid towards the heart, which contains toxins produced by our internal metabolism. 

If you have poor circulation you may feel fatigued, and often find yourself feeling cold and maybe have dull skin, among many other things.

What is the lymphatic system?

The lymphatic system has a variety of interrelated functions. Part of the vascular system, it is an important part of the immune system. It is mostly responsible for:

• The removal of interstitial fluid from tissues
• Transporting oxygen and nutrients to cells
• Collecting toxins and flushing them out through the lymph nodes
• Absorbing and transporting fatty acids and fats from the digestive system
• Transporting white blood cells to and from the lymph nodes into the bones

The lymphatic system surrounds all body tissue and maintains body fluid levels. When body fluid levels rise, it drains the excess fluid into the lymph nodes. These are located throughout your body, but mainly in the neck, armpits, groin and abdomen.

How do you encourage lymphatic drainage?

Improving your circulation can help to improve the flow of lymph around the body. This can be done by ensuring you are regularly exercising and eating a healthy, balanced diet.

Massaging the body is also beneficial, especially if you don’t often have the opportunity to exercise or move your body.

Choosing an organic toning body oil for massage

Inlight Firm & Tone oil is the ideal product to combine with your massage. Its texture glides easily onto the skin, leaving it silky soft. With oils rich in Vitamins E & F and high in EFA, this oil has been designed to promote skin elasticity. Ingredients such as burdock extract with its skin detox action and green tea extract, with astringent properties, will help firm and tone, but that’s not all.

Firm & Tone Oil benefits include:

• Encouraging lymphatic drainage
• Reducing the appearance of cellulite
• Promoting skin elasticity
• Boosting circulation
• It contains astringent herbs that help tone

As Dr Spiezia explains, ‘The Burdock root helps to drain the toxins from the interstitial spaces under the skin towards the lymphatic vessels, whilst the Rosemary stimulates the blood and lymphatic circulation activating the detox processes.’⁠

How does massage help the lymphatic system?

Issues within the lymphatic system can be especially prevalent in women due to their skin anatomy and the physiology influenced by their hormone cycle e.g water retention.

“At this point, one of the best solutions is to massage the legs, starting from the ankles and proceeding towards the groin. Massaging your body encourages lymphatic drainage, due to it stimulating the lymphatic system. This can help increase lymph flow, reduce soreness, decrease swelling in the body, and help with muscular fatigue, weakness and pain.” Dr Mariano Spiezia, Inlight Formulator

To put it simply, lymphatic massage encourages the movement of lymph fluids around the body.

Achieving lymphatic drainage at home

If you are having issues with lymphatic drainage, you should seek professional help and speak to your doctor. There are professionals that can perform a lymphatic massage for you, and you should be able to be referred.

However, there are ways to also help, which you can perform in the comfort of your own home, such as self-massage; starting with the legs up, you can perform a full body massage. Using products to assist, such as Inlight Firm & Tone Oil, can help stimulate the micro-circle and gently pushes the liquid into the general detox system.

If you are looking for a precise step-by-step on how to perform a lymphatic drainage massage at home, Inlight Beauty partnered with Cristine from OlisYoga to demonstrate exactly how to do so. Watch the video on YouTube here.

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