What Is Dry Brushing? And Why Is It So Good For You?
The Health Benefits Of Dry Brushing Your Skin
What exactly is dry brushing? Is it like brushing your hair? Well...not exactly.
Dry brushing is just as it sounds, You brush your skin in a certain direction using an all natural soft hand held brush. There is a certain technique that you use to get all of the benefits which include detoxification, exfoliation, massage of the skin, better circulation, help to remove cellulite and more!
Dry brushing has been around for a very long time. It was first used by the ancient Egyptians who would dry brush the body and then use sour milk and wine to exfoliate the skin. The famous Cleopatra utilized dry brushing in her beauty routine.
There was also another tool called a Strigil ( a hand held tool with a curved blade) that the Greeks and Romans would use before bathing. This tool helped to get rid of dirt, sweat, and oil from the skin.
Dry brushing has been used by many around the world for many centuries, and by many different cultures. Some of these cultures include Scandinavians, Turks, Greeks, Russians and the Chinese. The Chinese used dried silk fibers from silk squash instead of a brush (basically a loofah).
I discovered dry brushing when I was researching the Ayurveda health methods and remedies. Dry brushing is a big part of Ayurveda, which is an all natural holistic way of living and healing your body.
Dry brushing gained mainstream status when Dr Paavo Airola a doctor from Finland published the benefits he had seen in his patients after dry brushing.
Dry brushing has been around a long time for sure. Let’s find out why by unpacking some of the benefits.
Helps to detox the body:
Dry brushing helps to move the lymph through your lymphatic system to be cleaned by your lymph nodes. Your lymphatic system is essentially the “sewer system” of your body carrying waste from your cells to be cleaned. For this reason the general rule of thumb is to always brush towards your heart. Meaning start at the farthest point from your heart (your hands and feet) and brush back towards your heart or chest area. This keeps the lymph flowing in the right direction.
Increases circulation:
Dry brushing helps to speed up the circulation process and take some of the workload from the body. Dry brushing also helps the skin receive more oxygenated blood.
Exfoliate skin:
Too exfoliate means to remove the surface of in scales or laminae. Dry brushing the skin helps to remove dead skin cells and rejuvenate the skin. Dry brushing also open your pores and stimulates your nervous system leaving you feeling amazing.
Will dry brushing reduce cellulite?
It depends on who you ask and what research you read. Most would say that there is no scientific proof that dry brushing reduces cellulite. But these are the same people that tell us whole grains are good for us. 🙂
In my research I found that with all of the known benefits of dry brushing (listed above) you are helping your skin to be healthy and to drain your lymphatic system which is huge for your cells to heal. So at the end of the day dry brushing can only help your skin and body to be healthy. And when combined with an active lifestyle and good nutrition choices may help reduce or get rid of cellulite for sure. Try it out, and as with anything listen to your body.
Which dry brush is right for me?
You will want an all natural brush that has soft bristles and a long handle for hard to reach areas like your back. Some brushes have a removable long handle leaving a small hand strap ( that goes over the top of your hand) to help secure the brush while you are brushing.
You may want to buy two brushes: one with a fixed long handle, and one with a fixed short handle or hand strap. See the links below for your different brush options.
Be sure to clean your brush after using. Do this by putting some water (just high enough to saturate the bristles, but not the wood) and all natural soap in the bottom of the bowl.
“Brush the bottom of the bowl” cleaning the bristles. Rinse the bristles in another bowl set up with the same amount of water, and allow your brush to air dry.
You may not want to keep your brush out on the counter in the bathroom as it will encounter germs and other icky stuff. Which will be on your brush when you go to use it next. Maybe keep it in the cupboard or cabinet in a glass container with a lid? Just a thought :) Whatever you can do to keep your brush clean.
How do I dry brush?
Start at your most outer extremities ( your hands and feet) and brush inward and upward towards your heart. This is the general rule of thumb to get the most of the lymphatic drainage associated with dry brushing. See the chart below for a visual reference.
You can do short little brush strokes, and /or long brush strokes. Whatever feels good to you. As long as you are brushing upward and inward toward your heart you are getting benefits of dry brushing.
The photo below shows where your body's lymph nodes are located. Brushing toward these lymph nodes will help with the lymphatic drainage in your body. If this seems like a lot to remember at first refer to the general rule of thumb of brushing inward, upward, and toward your heart.
When do I dry brush?
It is best to dry brush right before bathing. Your skin should be dry so you are able to get all of the dead skin cells off.
Is dry brushing safe for everyone?
If you have sensitive skin use a very soft natural bristle brush and ease into dry brushing, listen to your body, it will tell you if it is working :)
If you have open or inflamed skin you should not dry brush over the aggravated area.
If you suffer from psoriasis or eczema do not dry brush over aggravated area of your skin. An open wound should be avoided also while dry brushing as you could push bacteria into the wound.
If you have oily skin you may want to dry brush more than once a day. Again listen to your body and do what feels good.
Here are the links for the different all natural brushes you can utilize in your dry brushing therapy.
Small fixed handle brush link:
Brush with removable long handle link:
I hope you enjoy your dry brushing experience and it becomes part of your self care routine. I know I always feel rejuvenated and overall awesome when I dry brush.
Consistency is key with everything we do. The more consistent you are with dry brushing, the better you will feel. Have fun with it…and feel better.
Here’s to your health…
Cheers!
