Dry Skin Brushing Techniques

Dry Skin Brushing Techniques

Hello Everyone,

These days we are all so much pressed for time and with so much pollution and toxins around, dead cells get accumulated quite easily, thus the need for regular exfoliation. Who doesn’t love to have gorgeous, glowing, healthy skin? I do and it was in answer to this that I came across the term Dry Brushing that I am going to share with all today.  Dry skin brushing is one such technique that enables us to get rid of those dead cells and boost circulation in the easiest manner possible.

Dry+Skin+Brushing+Techniques

What is Dry Brushing?

Dry Brushing is a technique for exfoliating skin using a dry, natural bristle brush to gently brush the skin. It is also called skin brushing or body brushing.

Benefits of Dry Brushing:

  • This technique promotes healthier skin by removing dead skin cells on the surface of the skin, stimulates and increases skin cell production, giving the skin a healthy glow all year long.
  • Stimulates lymphatic and circulatory systems boosting your immune system and increasing circulation to help detoxify the skin.
  • Dry brushing also helps in increasing the blood flow thereby reducing the stressed areas of the body and stimulating nerve endings in the skin which in turn rejuvenates the nervous system and provide relief from stress, providing a calming effect like a massage.
  • This technique is also said to help reduce cellulite as increasing blood circulation to the skin helps break down and releases toxins that cause cellulite in legs and hips.

Skin-Brush

The Dry Brushing Process:

1. Start with your feet, moving in soft circular movements (always moving towards the heart) first on the bottom of the feet, and then on the top.
2. Work up each leg, one at a time, first the back of the leg (using the same soft circular, always towards the heart, movements) up through the buttock and then the front of the leg. Avoid any delicate skin, like the skin on the insides of the thighs.
3. After you are finished with the lower half, start at the fingertips of one arm; move up the arm (palms of hands, back of hands, forearm, biceps) and towards the heart. Repeat on other arm.
4. Move to the back (this is where a short handled brush may come in handy) working your movements towards your stomach, starting and finishing with one side of the back and then the other.
5. When you get to your stomach, start at your lower abdomen and work your way up (make sure to steer clear of delicate areas like the nipples) and end at your chest in an upward stroke.
6. Rinse off and shower as normal.

Some people also recommend using long brush strokes instead of circular ones so that the lymphatic system is stimulated by aiding the flow of lymph fluid throughout the body. There are many lymph nodes situated at different places in the body but the inner thighs and armpits hold the greatest number, so it is better to pay extra attention to these areas while brushing. While using long sweep strokes, one must avoid back and forth movements.

Dry skin

Selecting the Right Brush:

There are various types of brushes available in the market these days, but one should start off with a natural bristle brush or loofah. Look out for those with boar bristles or fibers from plants as synthetic bristles can be too harsh and cause irritation. The handle of the brush should provide you with a strong grip and control. It is best to go into a store and feel the bristles so that you can find the bristles that best suit your skin.

Skin brushing Do’s and Don’ts:

  • Avoid the face! While dry brushing is excellent for exfoliating skin, this body brush will be too rough for the delicate skin on your face.
  • It is best to dry brush in the shower (with the water off) since there may be a lot of dead skin brushed off.
  • Using a natural and healthier body soap (like those containing natural peppermint or tea tree oil) since the pores in the skin are open and clear.
  • Moisturizing after the shower helps retain the moisture within.
  • For beginners, its best to begin with a few strokes and then increase the number of strokes.
  • Those who are diabetic or have some sort of cuts and wounds should avoid dry brushing as you may clog more of the wounds with dead cells in the process.

I have been following this technique for over a month now and can see and feel the change. Those hard patchy skin around my elbows and knees are all gone and there is a healthy radiant glow too. Just 10-15 minutes every morning before the shower and I am ready for a new day feeling fresh and rejuvenated. So what are you all waiting for? Happy Brushing not just your teeth, your skin too.

Image Sources: 1, 2, 3.

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9 thoughts on “Dry Skin Brushing Techniques

  1. Zee Bee the brushes or loofahs are not that coarse, they are natural bristles and very gentle on the skin. Our skin also gets deposited with layers of dead cells over time and result in clogged pores and patchy skin.. this technique help to get rid of that first layer of dead skin cells. And as the saying goes excess of everything is bad, there is a limit to the amount of pressure to be applied with each stroke else would result in bruises. Just if we brush our teeth much vigerously.. they might lead to a sore mouth and bleeding gums.

  2. Nidhi..

    this was awesome.. I didnt know about it.. I mean.. hadnt thougt about it 😛 But I feel loofah is too light to exfoliate either dry or wet. So which brush is apt for this?

    1. Surbhi, I am using Vega natural cellulite bristles bath brush and its very good. You can check out other options too. The body shop also has one but I found the bristles a little hard.

  3. Thanks for this Nidhi! I have extremely dry skin too and after reading this I think it will prove to be very beneficial… I m gonna try the Vega brush u suggested! I am gonna go brush shopping today eve! Thanks mucch!! *clap* *clap* *clap*

  4. Thanks for the tip Nidhi! I have really dry skin and m sure i will benefit from it! Will surely try the vega brush u suggested…gonna go brush shopping today eve! *clap* *clap* *clap*

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