All About Dry Brushing: What is it, how to dry brush, and why it's so good for you

All About Dry Brushing: What is it, how to dry brush, and why it’s so good for you

April 10, 2020

Beauty, health, Lifestyle, Other Posts, Skincare, Wellness

Earlier this week on Instagram I brought up dry brushing – and I was shocked by how many of you guys hadn’t even heard of dry brushing before! I got so many questions about what is dry brushing, why is it something you should be doing, how do you dry brush, what are the best techniques etc. that I wanted to write this post as a go-to guide for all things dry brushing.

So, I went down a whirlwind of researching health guides, wellness blogs, youtube videos, and more to bring you the absolute BEST dry brushing tips and techniques out there, so we can all conquer this hot health trend together.

First, let’s talk about what it is.

What is Dry Brushing?

No, we’re not talking about brushing your teeth or your hair (which you should also be doing every day), we’re talking about brushing your body. Dry brushing is a classic ritual that involves brushing your full body with a special bristled brush.

What are the Benefits of Dry Brushing?

It exfoliates your skin. Dry brushing manually removes dead skin cells from the top layer of skin, improving the appearance and making topical treatments more effective.

Boosts circulation

Encourages lymphatic drainage. Your lymphatic system works alongside your circulatory system and removes waste in your body, so it’s essentially detoxifying your body.

Aids digestion

Helps your body retain moisture

Why You Should be Dry Brushing

Basically, dry brushing wakes up your entire lymphatic system. gets rid of excess fluid, bacteria, viruses, & cell waste. The lymphs in your body act as check points along the pathways of the vessels. And when they’re working well, you feel strong, healthy, & energized.

Photo by Out and About Style

How Do You Dry Brush

I like to do it right before I shower, since you’re lifting up dead skin cells, that you’ll likely want to wash off right after. I do it in the shower before I turn the water. I’m a morning showerer, and since dry brushing increases your energy, this is a big part of my morning routine. I do it about every other day.

Dry brushing techniques

Your brushing should be medium pressure—you want to feel something happening without irritating your skin. To quote Mind Body Green: “Long strokes are the best since you are trying to push up lymph fluid, and that requires a delicate and rhythmic touch. You’ll also want to do each pass more than once and overlap sections while brushing. Think of it like moving along each limb like a spiral staircase. Along bends (like your joints) or smaller areas, you will switch to shorter, quicker movements.”

Many experts recommend you always brush toward the chest, and start at the feet and go upward

The point of dry brushing is to encourage lymph toward your upper torso and chest, where the lymphatic fluid will reenter your bloodstream. So you want to follow the circulatory system when it comes to where to brush, and always lead to the heart.

Start with the top of the feet, then the lower leg, the knee, and the thigh. When you work on the back of the thigh, treat the butt as an extension of your thigh and continue upward onto the small of your back. Find what feels best to you. For the upper body, do the same type of thing you did with the feet – start with the hands and go in a long motion across your body toward the heart. Be gentle around your chest since it’s more delicate skin. Finish by going over your heart in a circular motion to end your routine. Then shower off!

After your shower, you’ll notice product absorbs like CRAZY, so you’ll want to smooth on an oil or cream to seal in the moisture after your shower. It’s really important to use high-quality, clean ingredients since your skin is ultra-absorbant. I love Drunk Elephant’s new body cream!

What Do You Dry Brush With?

The midnight paloma dry brush is one of the most famous dry brushes for its nylon bristles and wooden structure. The same brand also has a face one, too!