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It feels like the cloud of dust that rises up into the air gets bigger and bigger every time we take our black yoga pants off! Those are skin flakes, by the way. And they’re the reason you might want to learn how to dry brush your body.
Let’s all be honest for a second here. We barely shave if nobody’s going to see us naked let alone give our bodies the royal treatment and dry brush!
But unlike many of the skincare steps we practice daily, dry brushing is a pretty hands-on, no-fuss activity. You grab a body brush and you brush your dry body with it. Simple as that!
And it’s not a sophisticated or elegant activity, to be honest. No cute and colorful skincare is involved. All you need is an ugly, ancient-looking brush.
You might be embarrassed to display it in your shower in case someone sees it and wonders if you have other limbs or if it’s a sexual thing or if you shower with ponies.
But this simple and primitive act not only makes you feel better but also makes you look better.
Benefits of Dry Brushing
There are many benefits to dry brushing. First of all, it’s a physical exfoliation for your body.
Unlike your face where you should be careful with how you exfoliate, you can use the brush to manually get rid of dead skin cells all over your body.
When they’re gone, your skin looks and feels smoother. It may even help with ingrown hairs. Plus, it brings out the color of your skin as your body is no longer covered by an off-white layer of dead skin flakes.
Also, your body lotions actually have a chance to moisturize your skin with those dead skin cells out of the way. You can finally get that glow your body moisturizer has been talking about.
Additionally, dry brushing is practically massaging the skin. It helps wake up the skin, increase circulation, and even stimulate lymph drainage.
How To Dry Brush
It’s no rocket science to dry brush. There’s not really a wrong way of doing it. I mean, what’s going to happen? You brush too much and you get a dent in your hip? Of course not!
But there’s always a better way of doing it to get the best results. Also, it’s better to do this before you take a shower. It’ll rinse everything off and make your post-shower products work better.
So here’s a step-by-step guide on how to dry brush:
- Make sure your body is bone-dry. It’d be a full-body scrub in a Turkish bath if it wasn’t dry. So dry body is a prerequisite.
- Grab your brush and start from your feet. Brush upwards in slow circular motions.
- You need to brush the same area 2-3 times to make sure you’re getting everything.
- Don’t be too harsh on the skin.
- Once the lower body’s done, move on to the belly and brush that area in circular motions as well.
- Brush your arms upwards and don’t forget your armpits.
- Be gentle around the neck area and do not dry brush your face!
- Take a shower and rinse everything off.
- Your skin may feel dry afterward. But your body care products are going to love this new, smooth skin.
- Grab your favorite body lotion or body oil and moisturize all over.
- You’ll see that your skin feels smooth and soft and looks way more radiant.
How Often Should You Dry Brush?
Dry brushing can take time. It might even feel like a chore sometimes. But doing it once a week is enough to keep the flakes away and keep the skin smooth.
Needless to say, if you have a rash, psoriasis, or body acne, you might want to skip the whole thing or be very careful with it. It can irritate your skin and cause sensitivity.
If you’re thinking about giving it a try, below are body brushes you can comfortably hide in your bathroom when you have guests. Also, natural brushes feel softer on the skin as opposed to synthetic bristles that might feel too scratchy.
Elemis Body Detox Skin Brush
This one is great for hard-to-reach areas like your back. The handle makes it easier to give yourself a back scrub. Additionally, the handle is removable. So you don’t need another smaller brush.
Dr. Barbara Sturm The Body Brush
This one has a firmer grip that allows you to be more precise with your brushing. It works especially great for the upper body. You can choose between soft and medium depending on how rough you want to get with it.
Read Next: How To Give Yourself a Facial At Home
