Dry Brushing Just For The Body

Dry brushing, also known as dry body brushing, is a popular technique that uses a brush to gently exfoliate your skin with gentle massage-like strokes. It’s simple: you just rub a stiff-bristled bath or shower brush in gentle circles all over your body.  This is best done before showering or bathing (that’s where the “dry” part comes in). Dry brushing is similar to exfoliating with a scrub or a washcloth.  The massage action packs in some extra benefits. This technique increases circulation and stimulates the nervous system, in addition to getting rid of dead skin cells and unclogging pores.

Exfoliating is an important step in detoxying the body through the removal of dead skin cells.  To restore the skin’s natural moisture after dry brushing and showering, apply a lotion or oil.

How does dry brushing help my skin?

It can help detoxify the body and improve the quality of skin. Besides the surface-level benefits from exfoliation, you can use dry brushing to promote lymphatic drainage. The body’s lymphatic system naturally removes dead cells, waste, and toxins from your body.  However, a slow moving or overloaded lymphatic system may need a little help. That’s what causes swollen lymph nodes when you are fighting off an infection. Body brushing helps improve circulation, which moves things along in the lymph system.

You can loosen dead skin cells by dry brushing before a bath or shower so that they can be washed off. Those dead skin cells might otherwise stay attached to your body, creating a dry, flaky appearance. They can also clog pores, leading to ingrown hairs. Therefore, dry body brushing can help prevent or reduce the occurrence of ingrown hairs all over your body.

There are other claims about the benefits of body brushing, such as a reduction in the appearance of scars and stretch marks or removing cellulite.  Many of them are not supported by scientific or medical research, however. Nonetheless, if you find it helpful for your skin, there’s no harm in trying it.

Dry Body Brushing at Home

Brushing your body is easy to do at home, and the cost is just the initial brush purchase. You can find bath or shower brushes for body brushing at most drug stores and beauty retailers. We recommend using a dry brush with natural tempico bristles as recommended by Dr. Bernard Jensen or something similar. You might find it helpful to buy a brush with a long handle to make it easier to reach your back.

To start body brushing, move the brush in smooth circles around your whole body. Try to work the brush in the direction of the major lymphatic ducts as you see in the diagram below. Dry brushing will help to detoxify you further by encouraging the flow of lymph in your body. If your skin feels very dry, you might want to stand in the bath or shower (without the water on) to brush your skin. This way the skin cells won’t end up on your floor.

Further Detoxifying & Relaxation

If you’re interested in furthering the detoxifying benefits of body brushing at home, you can pair it with a warm epsom salt bath or apple cider vinegar soak. Some people find this extra helpful when they have a cold.

One of the best benefits of dry body brushing is that it gives you a specific time to relax and focus on yourself.  Many of us spend time caring for our hair or face. Only to realize that we are neglecting the rest of our body. It’s important to show your skin some love.

Dry brushing can feel like an active exfoliation, but it should not be painful. You shouldn’t apply much pressure to your skin with the brush. If it feels too intense, you can try to be more gentle or take a break for a few days. That said, dry body brushing might not be the best choice if you have open cuts, a rash, psoriasis, or eczema. In that case, talk to your doctor before dry brushing, or exfoliate with a washcloth instead.

Balance Spa offers an Ultimate Detox Package that includes a dry body brushing service with a detoxifying seaweed wrap and Endermologie Detox Session. All three services together can enhance detoxifying even further. The seaweed wrap will also help moisturize your skin after the dry brushing session.

If you are interested in booking an Ultimate Detox Package (including dry body brushing), you can call us at 561-208-8111 or use our easy online booking service.