Dry Brushing: What is it and Do I Need It?

You eat your wild salmon and avocado, you’re mindful about what products you choose to wash your face with and you go to great lengths to not let yourself scorch in the sun.

Is there anything else missing in your glowing skin routine?

Maybe so; and it doesn’t include something else you should be eating or applying.

It’s all about dry brushing.

This is a technique I hadn’t tried until very recently and it wasn’t until I met a woman twenty years my senior who looks my age, if not younger.

She said it’s all about dry brushing and doing so on every part of the skin and every day.

So what is it?

Dry brushing is exactly what it sounds like: brushing the skin in a particular pattern with a dry brush, usually before showering.

Typically, the skin is brushed toward the heart, starting at the feet and hands and brushing toward the chest (1).

Why do this?

Because a third of your body’s toxins are excreted through the skin and dry brushing helps to unclog pores and excrete toxins that become trapped in the skin (2).

We know that the skin is our biggest organ, so just as much as we have to be careful not to apply what is essentially toxins to our bodies, it would make sense that we’d also need to make sure that the skin remains an unblocked vehicle through which we can release toxins.

So what exactly needs to be done?

Pretty straightforward.

Simply remove your clothing, stand in the tub in order to prevent dead skin from flying around, and start brushing!

Start at the feet, use long strokes moving up toward the heart and use a gentler stroke when you get to more sensitive areas like face, abdomen and breast tissue.

Then turn on the water, rinse and apply your favorite natural oil, like coconut, or Beautycounter’s Rosemary Body Oil.

What’s the best dry brush?  Try for an organic, natural bristle (such as boar) set.

Add dry brushing to your regime and fast track to glowing skin…before the winter doldrums and uber drying weather sets in!

 

 

(1) Mama, Katie – Wellness. “Dry Brushing For Skin: 5 Benefits & How to Do It The Right Way.

(2) Jenkins, Olivia. “A Step-By-Step Guide To Dry Skin Brushing.” Mindbodygreen, 19 Feb. 2014