How to Dry Brush the Body

I first resorted to body brushing a few months ago to rid my body of scaly, dry skin. Due to negligence, not even my most treasured or hardest working body scrub, could remove the build up on stubborn dead skin cells on my body. Grim I know. In a moment of panic I ordered a dry body brush and have never looked back - quick, easy, impressive, not to mention 100% natural and on par with a Spa treatment in terms of results. This is one beauty trend you can not afford to miss out on, prepare to jump aboard another beauty bandwagon...

As the name suggests dry brushing is just that - brushing dry skin with a dry brush. It is pretty simple and only requires one tool - the dry brush. When selecting a body brush ensure that it features 100% natural bristles and that it has a long handle, to reach the awkward areas of the body such as the back. I find the easiest way to brush is to do so before showering, strip down and begin by using long brush strokes from the feet up. To boost circulation, it is always recommend that you brush towards the heart and be sure to overlap brush strokes to thoroughly exfolaite the body. I recommend dry brushing before bathing or showering and not in the PM (the boost to the circulation is stimulating and energising) so you can wash away any dead skin cells. How often you brush the skin is entirely up to you, I find the more frequently you do it the greater the benefits; typically I aim to dry brush at least twice a week.

How to Dry Brush the Body

I must warn that the first few times you try the process, it can feel a little irritating but the skin does build up a tolerance and it quickly becomes enjoyable. If you really find it intolerable, you could try a damp skin/damp brush combination or even use a body oil to create a barrier? Although not a typical technique, I see no reason why you couldn't use the brush in conjunction with a shower gel if you find the dry method too uncomfortable.

Dry brushing offers so many more benefits than silky soft skin, for instance did you know that by brushing you are stimulating the lymphatic system. As you may know the lymphatic system is part of the body’s immune system, lymph vessels run below the surface of the skin and dry brushing can stimulate the natural lymph flow process, ridding the body of toxins naturally. This in turn, may help improve the appearance of dimpled skin aka cellulite. I must stress that this will not offer instant results as far as cellulite goes but surely it is worth persevering with if dimpled skin is a problem? As a side note, I have found that dry brushing is great for improving skin texture and refining the appearance of particularly angry looking stretch marks.

Other benefits include deep cleansing; yes the brush removes dead skin cells but it also helps shift dirt, grime and sebum trapped deep within the pores, as well as being a great method for preventing ingrown hairs. Rather impressive for a beauty item that costs less than £10 and only requires a few minutes of your time non? 

Are you a firm advocate of dry brushing?

For anyone wondering, my body brush is from Amazon and costs £6.87 - link.