“WHAT THE HECK IS CUPPING?”

Any time I post about this on my social accounts, I’m always met with a combination of confusion… and intrigue.  Cupping is old school Eastern Medicine, but still hasn’t quite made it’s rounds in the US market in the way I think it should.  In fact when it comes to most organic alternative medicine, the American healthcare system always seems to be the awkward kid in the corner at parties.  So what it is really that makes me such an advocate?    I guess I just really want to believe in anything I can do for my body that doesn’t involve invasive surgery, or synthetic drugs.

THE HEALTHY WAY

Good news is, not only is Cupping a natural remedy to dozens of body ailments and beauty woes… but it is backed by very understandable SCIENCE, and quite a lot of it.  I really got my first taste of cupping with my beautiful masseuse Spring , whom I recommend to anyone in the Tampa area because she is AMAZING (feel free to message me for info).  She was so excited to take her set out for a spin and I am always so stoked to be her guinea pig that we scheduled a go around and an hour later my back was decorated with circle shaped hickey’s that in a few days time released the tension in overused muscles all over my back!

I was sold.

So I got curious.  What was the science behind this voodoo and what else could it do for me?  I cracked the internet wide open to absorb everything I could about cupping and it’s uses.  What I learned is about the magic of detoxification and how cupping is the one of several PHYSICAL aides to leeching your system of the chemicals and acids that cause pain, stiffness and anti aging.  Yes, I said ANTI AGING.

Good news is, not only is Cupping a natural remedy to dozens of body ailments and beauty woes… but it is backed by very understandable SCIENCE, and quite a lot of it.

HOW THE BODY WORKS

So what IS this science I speak of?  Well, let’s briefly talk about how the body works.  Blood Flow and Oxygen Infusion, Cellular Health (Turnover) and Chemical Balance are four words you need to know EVERYTHING about.   Please let me preface this with the fact that I am NOT a doctor, so I welcome you to ask questions.. but the science is out there and incredibly easy to both understand and believe.   Let me explain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

BLOOD FLOW and OXYGEN:

Blood, and the oxygen it contains is what fuels our cells.  It keeps them healthy happy and working at optimal performance.  Though most of how our body changes is genetic, how enriched our cells are with clean and healthy blood will provide us the best of those changes.  Think of it like a person living on potato chips vs a person living on organic vegetables, one of them will experience more damaging health conditions and faster aging then the other in a life time (I’ll let you guess which is which).

CELLULAR TURNOVER:

Our cells make up every part of our body from the inside out.  The more often those cells turn, grow and repair themselves the more healthy and youthful it appears.  New cells work are able to work harder, appear firmer and and fix damages faster then their older counter parts.  In fact, both in our body and at the surface of our skin new cells can dramatically improve our performance and appearance by simply doing the job they are born to do.

And finally…

CHEMICAL BALANCE:

We are surrounded in toxins, lots of them.  They are constantly in contact with our skin.  Toxins are inhaled, ingested and even created by our body as counter measures to changes in chemical distribution and function.  And, they are at the core of molecular breakdown, pain, stiffness and… aging.   So what do we do?  Botox, pills, injectables, peels, surgery… all effective procedures for sure, but what if you don’t want these options?  What if you can’t afford hundreds of dollars in maintenance necessary to keep up with all of the elements working against us?  OR what if you just want something you can do at home simply, frequently and safely?

MY INTRODUCTION TO CUPPING

I knew cupping had benefits, but until I really dove in head first I didn’t realize how many (I will explain below).  So without hesitation I hit the AMAZON market and was bombarded with dozens of silicone, plastic and glass cupping kits.  I wanted to start small, I had Spring for the professional kits and I really was interested in IF there were options for beauty!!  Enter.. the “GLAM kit” by LURE Essentials.  At the time they had the highest rated products on Amazon and very honest and personal story of healing pain that sparked incredible personal mission to seek out better health for the customers they serve.   I had a great feeling about LURE because it wasn’t a nameless re-saler from a low cost foreign factory, Stella (the owner) was a real person who simply wanted to ease her husbands pain.   After adding a bottle of White Chia Oil (an Anti-Inflamatory with Mega Omega 3 Oils for both anti aging and acne) I QUICKLY hit “Buy Now” for $30.

WHAT WAS INSIDE

Inside the package were two larger cups for large areas like cheeks, chin and forehead, and two smaller cups for the area around lips and eyes (pay attention my hooded eye sisters).   The kit also included a soft silicon teardrop shaped skin circulation scrubber that many kits failed to provide, which is of legitimate importance!!  To get the best performance from any cupping set it’s important to have a squeaky clean face, and this particular silicone brush also encourages blood circulation beneath the skin, almost like stretching before a workout to optimize results.

GETTING STARTED

After reviewing the directions several times, I was ready to cup with the pros!!  Using my favorite cleanser and the silicone brush I washed my face, the brush was really soft and flexible and a welcomed massage!  I rinsed with luke warm water to open the pores but keep my skin calm and hydrated.  Please note hot water WILL dry your skin, be light handed with those steamy showers and hot towels because they are NOT doing you any good.  A common myth is that hot or cold water has an affect on pores opening and closing but truth is?  Pores don’t work that way.  Pores neither open nor close on command and how they appear is entirely based on genetics and oil production.  You can’t fix them with creams, but you can mask how they appear by tightening your skin structure with toners, peels… and cupping!

I knew cupping had benefits, but until I really dove in head first I didn’t realize how many.

HOW DOES CUPPING HELP?

Things that the important layers of your skin lack are hydration, collagen stimulation, and oxygenated blood.  No matter how many creams you rub into your skin, you can’t improve the layers you can see because frankly scarlet… they are dead.   So, the logical solution is to try to stimulate the layers you CAN’T see so when they reach the surface, they are healthier and tighter then those that came before with reduced lines, wrinkles and scars because you cared for them like a proud parent long before they surfaced.  This is what cupping can accomplish!!  So after applying a thin layer of oil (again I chose White Chia) I squeezed the large cup on to my chin and slid it along my jaw in an upward motion. As it glides along it works by pulling oxygenated blood into those growing layers and stimulating the collagen that builds them while they grow this affects improvement in color, elasticity and texture that as your cells turn over will appear as though you’ve turned back time.. when really you’ve just taken better care to nourish your deeper layers of skin.

And it’s not just limited to your face!!  After posting my excitement on my social media accounts the team at LURE Essentials  reached out in hopes that I would be interested in testing more of their line.

Hell yes.

CUPPING FOR THE BODY

The package that arrived was incredible and full of exciting products that were a head to toe detoxifying and tightening system made to release muscle pain and improve skin texture.  The body “sculpt” kit came complete with a large basic cup, a large “edge” cup and a medium basic cup perfect for engaging areas ravaged by cellulite, stretch marks and muscle pain.  They also set an adorable rainbow colored solo large cup (see gif) I am in love with, and a large bottle of “Boost” cupping oil for optimizing how they perform.

    

Like the face kit, the body kit works by stimulating the living tissue beneath the surface and feeding it with nourishment.  This improves skin clarity, texture and health.  It also helps your muscle fiber release built up lactic acid (the icky chemical that makes strained muscles achy) so it can travel through the lymphatic system faster which eases pain.  But more importantly, the body cupping system is a warrior in the battle against cellulite! A REAL, effective, visible combatant that works with the body’s natural resources to break up the connective tissue that causes the texture we aren’t so fond of.

   

WHAT IS CELLULITE?

To understand how it works you need to understand what Cellulite really is, a combination of waste and toxin build up, water retention, and a lack of oxygenated circulation.  So if we separate those tissues, feed them with healthy blood and move that toxin through the lymphatic system as it is supposed to flow we can help the body, help itself.  From relieving muscle pain to improving skin appearance and for my beautiful mature readers… reduce or ELIMINATE the appearance of VARICOSE VEINS!!  Because as the suction builds beneath the surface it can help to draw fresh blood into your veins and break up the stagnant deoxygenated blood that causes tell tale swelling allowing it to be eliminated correctly.  In time, this will lessen the bumpy, bruised appearance of your veins improve circulation all over your body!

WHAT IS THIS ‘FASCIA’ THING I KEEP HEARING ABOUT?

The other element that affects how cellulite appears is Fascia.  I’m sure you’ve heard of that $89 plastic stick floating around the net… and reality is, there is truth to the effectiveness of how it works.   Fascia is a thin connective tissue that surrounds muscle, fat and organs as a support system which is wonderful!  Problem is, when fascia connects to the skin tissue it can often causes uneven texture like a spider web pulling in uneven spots on fabric.  This is why cellulite isn’t limited to one body type, it’s not a product of fat it’s a product of stubborn connective tissue.  So, what if you are able to break up that tissue and return them back to their normal healthy state?  Well, in addition to cupping LURE Essentials also set me a Myofascial Release roller as an additional step to cellulite reduction.

 

MYOFASCIAL ROLLER?

This clever little tool isn’t new.  The athletic community’s been using MYOFACIAL ROLLERS for years.  They can release how fascia tightens around muscles after body builders tear the tissues to support the body when it is injured. (If you didn’t know muscle is built though fiber injury)  Using a myofascial roller loosens your fascia’s grip on the tissue it’s supporting allowing it to heal faster after body building.   In the case of cellulite, allowing the underlying tissue to release break up and smooth out.   Combined with cupping, it’s been suggested that a 3 to 4 day a week routine will lessen if not eliminate the appearance of cellulite entirely!!    And of course, I would consider a healthy diet as a smart way to not continually bombard your cells with additional toxins you CAN control in your body.

MY FINDINGS

Now I’ve only had my kits for two weeks, and I don’t feel that is enough time to honestly review the benefits of either practice; but I know what cupping HAS done for muscle pain and I have confidence there are few limits to what it can do.  I am documenting my routine for the next two months and the progress it provides on my own body as a part of an upcoming full leg and face story.  There is NO reason we can’t all have beautiful legs and skin we are proud to share with the world bare faced and beach ready!  And living on Florida now, the pressure to have legs I’m not self-conscious to bare is important to me so I hope in my journey I can help you find confidence too!

If you don’t want to wait on MY results, check out this great site filled with research:  Cupping Resource 
And if you want your own cupping kit RIGHT NOW, or want a great Christmas gift for a loved one visit:  LURE Essentials

MORE ABOUT LURE

And before I go, one last thing.  You will find many other options for cupping all over the web.  Cupping is neither old or limited to one resource and prices are all over the spectrum, but with LURE Essentials   I was guaranteed an American based company, FDA safe silicone kits, a knowledgeable ATTENTIVE customer service, and quality control that is usually absent in re-sale companies what merely slap a logo on a a product they wholesaled pre-manufactured in China.  The company I purchase from needs to be aware of chemicals that are used in their products and if the items that reach my door are quality tested and safe.  With the LURE Essentials I could be assured there was someone behind the shopping cart attentive to my health and yours.

Please, let me know in the comments below if you cup or intend to try it!!  And keep a look out for my Leg Story coming soon!

Love you Beauties!
XOXO
–