Like many other health and wellness trends, dry brushing has become incredibly popular. As its name implies, dry brushing is the practice of rubbing the bristles of a brush with coarse natural fibers over your body in a particular pattern, usually an upward motion. The belief is that by exfoliating the skin, your body can then eliminate toxins through your pores.
While dry brushing may be relatively new to us, it has a long history in Ayurvedic medicine and was often used as a means of detoxifying the body. Although there is little scientific evidence (as far as western medicine goes) that it works, dry brushing has become a part of the wellness conversation. Moreover, you won’t have any trouble finding a celebrity or two who swear by the practice. Miranda Kerr and Gwyneth Paltrow are “team dry brush” and have been for some time now. But with all the hype that surrounds it, is dry brushing really worth your time and effort? Ahead, we’ll take a look at some possible benefits of dry brushing and whether or not you should consider adding it to your routine.
Benefits of Dry Brushing
While advocates claim that dry brushing offers a slew of benefits for your overall health and wellness, there is relatively little proof to support most claims about dry brushing. For example, some folks believe that dry brushing helps rid the body of toxins, stimulates the lymphatic system, and reduces the look of cellulite. While that all sounds pretty impressive, I'm holding out for more concrete evidence.
That being said, there are some benefits of dry brushing that make clear sense. I’m not sure that we need extensive research to prove that dry brushing gently exfoliates your skin and improves circulation.
How to Dry Brush Properly
Surprisingly, there is a wrong way to dry brush so here are a few pointers to help you get the most out of a dry brushing session.
- Make sure your skin and the brush are completely dry (it is called dry brushing, after all)
- Don’t overdo it; use slightly firm pressure
- Brush in a circular motion
- Start at your ankles and make your way up towards your heart
- Follow up with soothing body moisturizer
Selecting a Dry Brush
Everyone has a different opinion of what the perfect dry brush is. If you’re in the market for a dry brush, you may want to select a dry brush that has firm bristles but is also not too abrasive. You’ll also want to think about whether you prefer natural boar bristles or synthetic bristles. And finally, you’ll need to figure out whether you want a handle or not. While long-handle dry brushes can help you get to those hard-to-reach spots with ease, dry brushes with no handle offer a bit more control.
The Verdict
The jury is still out on dry brushing, but to be honest, there’s relatively little harm in giving it a try. You may not find the answer to getting rid of cellulite (when you do, please let me know), but at the very least you’ll succeed in exfoliating your skin and that’s never a bad thing.
