The idea behind dry skin brushing is to bring life back into the skin. It’s a technique that, once it becomes a part of your self-care ritual, will reward you by giving your skin back some of its natural glow – and give perks for other aspects of your health.

Skin gets a ‘glowing’ effect when it’s able to breathe. This happens when two conditions have been met: when a good amount of blood is flowing through it, and when most of the dead skin cells have been removed. Skin brushing works to address both of these key elements.

This is accomplished by using a natural fibre brush or even your hands, with a sweeping motion on dry skin. This stimulate blood flow in the dermis and help exfoliate the top layer of skin, thereby improving circulation and opening up the skin’s pores.

“It’s one of those low-key-high-quality kind of techniques that gives almost immediate results.”

Start brushing — for the glow and so much more

In addition to stimulating & exfoliating to get the skin glowing again, dry skin brushing has numerous other health benefits:

• Nourishment – Shuttles nutrients and oxygen into the skin efficiently.
• Cellulite reduction – Helps with fat distribution by evening out & softening fat deposits, thereby reducing the appearance of cellulite.
• Stress relief – Due to its methodical & meditative application process, it works to loosen muscle tension and quiet the mind, thus relieving a good deal of stress.
• Detoxification – Decongests the lymphatic system while eliminating cellular waste; since the skin is a large proponent of detoxification for the body, it supports healthy waste removal, taking a huge load off the kidneys & liver.

Aside from glowing skin, a basic reason people skin brush is to help their lymphatic system. The lymphatic system sits just beneath the skin’s surface, and is connected to your tonsils, thymus gland, liver and spleen and is an important part of your immune system.

Unlike the circulatory system that has the heart constantly pumping blood and acting as a stimulus to maintain blood flow, the lymphatic system relies mainly on assisted movement. With dry skin brushing, you physically (manually) brush lymph fluids towards the heart, helping it re-enter the circulatory system and ensuring it is properly transported and eventually removed from the body.

Step-by-step: How to dry skin brush

Preparation: Dry skin brushing, as the name suggests, should be done on dry skin. This means that the ideal time for dry skin brushing is right before you take a shower or bath, or before applying any type of body oil or cream.

Synthetic material can irritated the skin, so for best results I advise using natural fibres, like a bristle brush or cloth. There are some high quality tools & brushes, if it’s something that particularly interests you, Loïs Lee has developed an extra-fine bronze wire bristle brush; its center contains a copper alloy, charging your skin with negative ions during your dry brushing ritual. This reaction works to eliminate free radicals (which can be found in the cellular structure of the skin following sun damage, for example), while giving you a veritable energy boost – otherwise known as that ‘healthy glow’.

Face brushing

Duration: 2-10 minutes

Note: Because the skin on the face is more delicate than the rest of the body, pay special attention when brushing the face. Avoid using any overly coarse brushes. You can use the BINU Cleansing Brush (which feels like silk on your face), the Loïs Lee Face Beauty Brush (for a firmer brush) or simply your hands to brush the face. If you feel a tingling sensation, or if your face gets red/irritated, use a gentler stroke.

Step 1: Start with the décolletage and brush towards the center of the chest, with a sweeping motion around the shoulders to the front of the body. Then brush from the center of the chest and shoulders up the neck towards the head.

Step 2: You’ll want to use motions that push the skin of your face upwards (against gravity). On the cheeks, use an up & outwards circular motion. Then over the lip, start from the center and sweep out to join it into a circular motion on the cheeks.

Step 3: Around the eyes, you should use the same actions as on the cheeks. Start brushing from the space between the brow and stroke out to the tip of the eyebrows, using a gentle inward motion underneath the eyes towards the nose. You always want to push the skin under your eyes inwards, as pulling outwards will cause the skin to stretch and make that delicate area more prone to damage & wrinkles. Widen the motion to include the forehead, then sweep outwards and around your face from the center of your head.

Body brushing

Duration: 5-10 minutes

Step 1: Start at your feet, then brushing upwards, one leg at a time. First the right leg and work  up from ankle to hip.

Step 2: After finishing with your legs, reach around your body using an upward motion, sweeping gently over the buttocks and up the back.

Step 3: At the lower back & sides of the abdomen, brush towards the front of the body and follow a clockwise direction on the stomach, from right to left.

Step 4: Starting on the right side of your body, brush the palms & tops of your hands, taking the brush and twisting it around as you circle your wrist (which will drain the lymph nodes in that area, increasing circulation & mobility). Work from the fingertips towards the heart, finishing with a downward sweeping motion on your chest.

Step 5: Take a moment to appreciate that tingling sensation in your body – then jump in a warm shower or bath, or simply douse yourself with a bit of body oil.

As a top-up to this skincare ritual, applying nourishing & revitalizing oils can add to that glow. Amazingy.com carries a few different brands, with varieties suitable for different skin types. Remember to always use a gentle stroke, and that your sweeping motions should always lead towards the heart. You can brush for as long as you’d like – just keep in mind that it’s not a scrub, so it shouldn’t leave your skin red or feeling irritated. The best results are yielded by added dry skin brushing to your beauty routine once or twice daily.

What are your experiences with dry skin brushing?
Share your thoughts & tips in the comment section below.

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Editor’s note: Originally published in August 2015 and reposted in October 2018 for accuracy.