Have Bad Skin? Brush Your Stomach

When I went for a facial at Ildi Pekar last week, my aesthetician took one look at my skin and said, “You have stomach problems, don’t you?” Astounded, I was unsure as to whether this spa was just really thorough and had been spying on me for a week prior, or if she was psychic. “Oh, you know, kind of…” I replied, a bit too embarrassed to go into detail about WW III that goes on in my stomach on a daily basis (for the past ten years). She continued to tell me that people who suffer from constipation and improper digestion tend to display acne due to a lack of hydrochloric acid, which stalls the destruction of bacteria. I expected her to then tell me what doctors have been pushing on me for ages—eat whole grains, drink water, fiber, fiber, blah, blah. But then she explained that what I should be doing is brushing my stomach. Excuse me? Suggesting a body brush, which women often use to try to get rid of cellulite, you’re supposed to stroke the paddle in a large counterclockwise circle, about 12 times, once a day, to aid digestion. Weird? Yes. But if it’s a peace offering that may end WW III, I’m willing to give it a try. [$6, Nens Natural Body Brush, Bebeautiful.com]