Dry brushing
Once or twice a week I make a point to set aside 45 minutes or so for ritualistic self-care (think: long hot shower with a deep conditioning hair mask, skin treatment or face mask, really good loose-leaf tea with manuka honey.) When I was introduced to dry brushing it rapidly became part of this ritual and I highly recommend you make it part of yours.
What it is
Dry brushing is exactly what it sounds like – brushing your dry skin (pre-shower) with a special brush.
Why to do it
Support the health of your skin. Dry brushing has its roots in Ayurvedic medicine and benefits range from really good exfoliation and increased circulation to the potential (though unstudied) benefits of lymphatic drainage to help eliminate bacteria, toxins and congestion.
Here’s the deal, skin is your largest organ and we abuse it heavily. On the outside, sun damage, environmental toxins, synthetic ingredients, and physical scrapes and bumps are all contributors. From the inside, stress, food, alcohol and lifestyle choices all show up on our skin too.
The incentive to get into a good skincare regimen for your face is so you don’t age yourself faster than necessary – but most people, myself included, don’t generally apply that same love and ritual to the skin on our bodies, which makes up most of that precious organ. Hence, dry brushing. Just do it.
When to do: As often as you can.
Optimal is twice a day: first thing in the morning & as part of your nighttime routine.
I honestly only get to it once or twice a week, but I can tell you that the keratosis pilaris (little white bumps on the backs of my arms) and occasional congestion on my back from sweaty sports bras has been nearly eliminated from simply adding dry brushing to my routine. It’s invigorating too – your skin literally tingles when you’re done, not in a prickly way but in a glowing way. If you’re only going to do it occasionally, first thing in the morning will give you a natural pick-me-up to start the day.
How to do it
There are two types of dry brushes and I recommend buying both.
- Sisal brushes are very firm – I use sisal on my feet, legs and forearms.
- Jute brushes are softer and still very exfoliating – use this brush wherever sisal feels too abrasive. I use jute on my stomach, chest, upper back and arms.
Rules of the road are pretty simple:
- Start from your toes and work your way up
- Always brush towards your heart to stimulate circulation
- Rinse off in a hot shower afterwards to get the full benefit of dry brushing (rinse off exfoliated skin and flush out toxins you pulled to the surface.)
- In your post-dry brush shower, alternate between hot and cold water to stimulate circulation and tonify your skin even more. If a cold shower sounds horrifying to you, just pretend like you’re in the ancient Greek Baths to make this process feel more luxurious. Ha.
- Once you dry brush a handful of times you won’t have to think about the process, which makes it super relaxing.
- I highly recommend drinking a tall glass of water (16 oz) before and after dry brushing to hydrate your skin from the inside out
- Apply a really good lotion to moisturize your freshly exfoliated skin
Here’s to happy skin! My dry brushes of choice:
- Sisal Brush – very firm
- Jute Brush – softer
Some of my other self-care rituals:
- Raw manuka honey – apply as a face mask or put a ½ teaspoon in good tea
- Loose-leaf tea – Citrus Boost is my fave. The Tea Spot is an amazing, community-oriented Colorado-based company.
