Beauty / Skincare
February 23, 2015

Do You Dry Brush? {You Should Be!}

the benefits of dry brushing your skin

I’m the first person to spend x amount of dollars on luxurious creams, lotions and oils, but there’s nothing that beats dry brushing your skin. I’ve been a serious advocate for dry brushing for years, that I’m honestly embarrassed at how long it’s taken me to talk about it on here. To the point where I’ll passionately discuss beauty routines and techniques and my friends will ask “why the hell haven’t you blogged about that..?” To which I have no good response. So, here we go:

I’m assuming that most of you fall into two categories: 1) you have no clue what dry brushing is or 2) you’ve heard about it, read about it, been seeing more and more information pop up about it, but you have yet to incorporate this into your routine. If you fall into neither of those categories and it’s something you’ve already been doing, kudos to you! It’s all sorts of amazing, right?

What is dry brushing?

The name says it all. It’s brushing your (dry) body with a an all natural bristle brush, in order to get dead cells off. My favorite time to do this is in the morning, right before I hop into the shower. This wakes my body right up, gets my blood flowing and makes me feel instantly invigorated. If doing this on a daily basis is too much for you, a couple of times a week is better than none.

What are the benefits of dry brushing?

Our skin is the largest organ and so many of us are obsessed with taking care of our face, but what about the rest of our body? Did you know that the skin plays a vital role in ridding the body of toxins and impurities?

Dry brushing is one of the best techniques to open up the pores of the skin and to stimulate and detoxify the lymphatic system. Dry brushing also helps aid in digestion, it stimulates circulation and it strengthens the immune system. Dry skin brushing will not only help increase circulation and the elimination of toxins, but it will be a a HUGE difference in the quality of your skin.

I initially started dry brushing after researching techniques on how to get rid of little bumps on my upper arms. After a few weeks, not only did the bumps go away, but the last time my skin felt that smooth was probably when I was born. On top of that, after dry brushing you will get a MUCH closer shave and any lotions, creams or oils that you apply after your shower, will melt into your skin like never before.

How to dry brush:

Right before you shower (so you can wash off all of your exfoliated, dead skin cells), get naked and begin brushing by starting at the tops of your feet and moving upward in circular motions towards your heart. Thats one thing to remember, always brush towards your heart.

Use long gentle, but firm, strokes. Then just follow your body and move to the legs, thighs and booty. Some people claim that dry brushing even reduces cellulite, so don’t forget the back and sides of your thighs where cellulite tends to be prevalent. Move up to your abs, arms and back, always brushing in the direction of your heart. I always like to give a little extra attention to the backs of my arms and my thigh area.

If you are a female, avoid brushing your breasts and for anyone, never brush your face. If you’re looking for a brush, I’ve been using this one.

So there you have it! Dry brushing 101. If you’re still a bit confused, you can watch this helpful video here. Let me know if all is clear and if you guys have any questions. I’d be happy to answer in the comment section below.

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