Dry Brushing Benefits That Will Blow Your Mind

Dry brushing is becoming more popular in everyday routines. While not for everyone, particularly those with skin conditions or sensitive skin, you can’t ignore the multiple dry brushing benefits. You might not expect a simple daily brushing routine to change your life, but you could be surprised! The benefits that come from dry brushing every day can increase your quality of life.

What Is Dry Brushing?

If you don’t know about dry brushing yet, don’t worry — it’s still relatively unheard of in many people’s daily routines. The routine involves brushing your body while you and the brush are dry, starting from your ankles and moving upward. Incorporating this short activity into your daily routine means reaping all the dry brushing benefits that come with regular use.

Take a coarse, dry brush with natural fibers and brush your skin in circular motions. You should start at your feet and move upward, always brushing toward your heart. Use lighter pressure on areas where your skin is thinner or more sensitive, but don’t brush your face. You can use special, softer brushes for the sensitive skin on your face.

You’ll want to shower afterward to remove any dead skin that was shaken loose by your dry brush. You should also moisturize with natural oil or lotion afterward to restore some of the moisture lost through the brushing process and in the shower. You could use a handheld brush or one with a longer handle, though the latter might give you more coverage.

The Top 7 Benefits of Daily Dry Brushing

Now that you know how to brush, you’re probably wondering why you should. Remember that dry brushing benefits only come with regular use, so aim to brush your skin daily. If you have more sensitive skin, you should consider brushing once a week and work toward daily use.

1. Improve Circulation

Brushing your skin in those small circles can stimulate your circulatory system. This added circulation boost can be helpful to people with sit-down jobs where they can’t move around as much. Good circulation is essential to your body’s regulation. Having excellent blood circulation is what helps your heart and other crucial organs function correctly.

2. Remove Dead Skin

Dry brushing can remove all the dead skin sitting on your arms, legs, and midsection. You want your skin to be looking its best, and that means ridding yourself of any dry skin clinging to you. Dry brushes are like a full-body exfoliation treatment that, among other things, can make your skin appear more beautiful and shiny by getting rid of any dull bits.

3. Simulate a Massage

With the proper pressure in the right areas, you might consider your dry brushing routine to be a massage. If you don’t get massages regularly, you may feel the pressure from your brush to be an almost-massage that reaches just about every part of your body. By taking the time to brush yourself thoroughly, you also give yourself a moment to breathe and de-stress.

4. Increase Energy Levels

After brushing your body, you may feel energized and stimulated, ready to run a marathon — or at least be productive in some way. Dry brushing is a natural way to boost your energy, similar to the effects of exercising and eating the right foods. Remember that dry brushing shouldn’t be a replacement for taking care of your body in other ways. Don’t expect to skip out on exercise just because you used a dry brush today!

5. Stimulate the Lymphatic System

A lymphatic massage can help decrease water retention and relieve fatigue and menstrual cramps. Brushing the right places can turn an average dry brushing into one with amplified health benefits. If you want to target your sinuses for a lymphatic massage, consider using a softer brush to go over the sensitive areas of your face.

6. Exfoliate Skin

As mentioned earlier, dry brushing is fantastic as an exfoliant. It’s not as rough as many methods of exfoliation, and if you have skin that can tolerate it, there’s nothing wrong with brushing every day. Overall exfoliation helps soften your skin and prevent future acne breakouts, but it can also brighten your appearance and help your skin better absorb the products you use on it.

7. Reduce the Appearance of Cellulite

While this benefit isn’t backed by scientific evidence, it’s still worth mentioning. People who have cellulite may notice a reduced appearance of it in certain areas. This occurrence might be because you’ve brushed and stimulated your circulation, making your skin appear more healthy and plump. This effect may not last forever, so don’t get discouraged if your cellulite comes back shortly afterward.

Dry Brushing Benefits All Bodies

While some aren’t scientifically proven, these numerous dry brushing benefits deliver lots of potential positives without any downsides. If you have sensitive, broken, or injured skin, you just might have to inspect your body a little more closely for patches that you shouldn’t brush over.

Dry brushing may feel odd or uncomfortable on your first attempt, but as you slowly make a habit out of it, you’ll start to enjoy more of the benefits while enjoying the few minutes of alone time with yourself as you get to know your body and skin better.