Whether your goal is self care or to find out for yourself if Dry Brushing really is all it’s cracked up to be, in this article I will break it all down. Sharing with you my personal face & body Dry Brushing routine with links to my product picks.
BEFORE CONTINUING CHECK OUT MY PREVIOUS ARTICLE “DRY BRUSHING, DETOXIFYING YES OR NO?”
Synthetic OR Natural Bristle Brush?
Choosing the perfect dry brush is definitely subjective. In general, synthetic brushes can be harsh on the skin so it is recommended to go the natural route, vegetable fiber or boar’s hair. Either way, make sure the brush was made for the purpose of dry skin brushing. The bristles should be firm but not so firm that they cause abrasions to the skin, and they should be washable as you will want to clean them often. You can easily find individual brushes or a set like this one.
When & how often should you dry brush?
Dry Brushing the body can be performed daily if desired (if you’re going to dry brush your face use caution, I’ll explain why a little later) and should be done on dry skin, free of oils and lotions. The very best time is before a shower because you’re going to be sloughing off dead skin cells and will want to rinse off after. As an added bonus, dry brushing can clear the pores and leave the skin primed and ready to fully absorb the products you will be applying post shower.
How To Dry Brush Step-by-step
LOWER BODY: Begin at the top of the foot using long, rhythmic strokes. Make your way up and around the lower leg, over the knee (front and back) and around the thigh toward the groin. Don’t ignore the back of the knee or glute. Continue upward to the low back and then pull up from the groin, across the abdomen, and toward the heart. Repeat this on the opposite leg before mimicking this same routine with the upper body.
UPPER BODY: Begin with the back of the hand and palm, making your way across the forearm and around the upper arm. Do NOT ignore the armpit, there’s a node in there! (always pay special attention to any area with lymph nodes) Finish with gentle, downward strokes on your neck and décolleté toward the heart. If you’re going to dry brush the face be sure to use a facial dry brush (they have softer, more gentle bristles) and use caution. Dry brushing can irritate the skin if overdone and even dry it out, doing superficial damage to the epidermis.
Draw an imaginary line down the center of the face from forehead to chin completing one side first. Using gentle strokes, follow the direction of the lymph system toward the collar bone
Is Dry Brushing necessary for lymphatic drainage to occur?
Lymph is pumping through our system on its own, all day, every day whether we do this or not. We are simply aiding in this process by helping push the fluid through the vessels by using long, gentle strokes in the direction of the nearest, healthy lymph node. It is the job of the lymph nodes to filter the lymph trapping and destroying anything harmful. Dry brushing to encourage the body’s natural detoxification process only works when we help to direct the lymph through the system properly, otherwise we could possibly cause a back up and do more harm than good. The goal is to move everything toward the chest and neck because that is where the lymph fluid drains back into the bloodstream and waste products are removed from the body. NOTE: If the nearest lymph node has been removed or is clogged, brush in a manner that will move the fluid toward the nearest HEALTHY lymph node for proper drainage.
I hope I’ve been able to share some helpful Dry Brushing tips and information. I encourage you to always seek to gain wisdom from the knowledge you receive, so dig deeper and ask all the questions.
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