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If you’ve tried dry brushing regularly in the past, then you probably know first hand why it's something we love you much - from detoxifying and energising your body, to leaving your skin feeling soft as a baby, we’re yet to find a reason not to love it.
If you’re new to dry brushing, let’s start with the basics -
What is dry brushing?
Dry brushing is really just that – taking a dry brush (like this one we stock by ECO. Modern Essentials) and using it to scrub your skin; removing dead skin cells, improving circulation and detoxifying the skin.
What are the health benefits of dry brushing?
Dry brushing is wonderful for exfoliating your skin, unclogging your pores in the process. We especially love doing this in the cooler, winter months when we all that heating and dry air leaves us feeling a little more flaky than usual. It also helps to detoxify your body by increasing blood circulation and promotes lymph drainage (in a nutshell, your lymphatic system helps remove waste and toxins from the body, and dry brushing assists in that process).
How do you dry brush?
Always start with dry skin and a natural bristled brush - we recommend doing it before you hop in the shower so that you can easily wash all the dead skin off at the end.
Brushstrokes should be medium to light pressure - you want to get the juices flowing, but you don't want to damage your skin or feel discomfort. And always make sure you brush toward the heart - you want to make sure you are following the circulatory system (this helps improve the flow of circulation around your body).
Starting from the feet and ankles, work your way up your legs (both front and back) with long, fluid strokes. Don't forget about behind your knees (trust us, it feels great) and, of course, your bottom - think of it as a nice little treat after all the time spent sitting on it.
Then move up to your stomach and back until you reach your heart, this time using circular motions (it's thought to aid with digestion - while there's no hard proof of this, it can't hurt right?).
From there, start at your hands, moving inwards up your arms again using long, fluid strokes. Last, but not least, don't forget your chest and neck, applying lighter pressure around this more delicate area. We don't recommend using a dry brush like this on your face - there are plenty of other, wonderful products out there to keep your face feeling fresh and soft.
Once you're done brushing (the whole thing should take about 5 - 10 minutes), hop in the shower to wash off the dead skin, dry off and pop on some moisturiser and you're done.
Remember, you've just scrubbed your skin with a brush, so when you are in the shower make sure you treat your skin with care and skip any products that are going to irritate your skin such as scrubs or loofah's.
When should you dry brush and how often?
We recommend dry brushing once every day if you can - but this is supposed to be something that feels good, and not a chore, so give yourself a break if every now and then you opt for a slightly longer sleep in instead.
Always hop in the shower straight after you've dry brushed to remove dead skin and remember to moisturise afterward.
Caring for your dry brush
Always follow the directions provided by your dry brush provider - but as a rule of thumb, when using a natural bristled brush (which we recommend), you want to always keep the brush dry.
If you've never tried dry brushing before, we definitely recommend giving it a go so you can see the benefits for yourself!