Dry brushing has nothing to do with your hair. Dry brushing is a skincare technique where you, well, brush your skin prior to showering. I know, that sounds counterintuitive, since most of us slather our skin with lotions, oils, and other serums in order to retain moisture and to keep it soft, supple, and smooth-looking. Running a rough brush over the skin sounds damaging and uncomfortable. But trust me — dry brushing feels great. It stimulates circulation, it exfoliates, and it leads to your best skin. Seriously. It's also a beauty trick that helps you relax and feel somewhat zen in the morning.
I started to dry brush around once a week or so, and it's honestly better than a wake up cup of caffeine. The brush makes my skin tingle, and feels like it gets the blood flowing. I am not going to get into the scientific arguments related to all of the benefits of dry brushing, I'm just telling you that from experience? It's awesome.
While morning routines are chaotic and busy by nature, dry brushing doesn't add too much time to your regimen, it's good for your skin and your body, and it doesn't need to (and shouldn't) be done daily.
Remember that you should only dry brush your body, not your face or your chest area. Take care to avoid any areas with broken, sensitive, and damaged skin. Stick to your extremities.
Here are five reasons that dry brushing is something you should add to your morning routine.
1. It Wakes You The Heck Up
Waking up is the hardest part of the day. Who wants to leave the security of the warm, cozy bed? Unfortunately, life awaits, so you have to get up. A little dry brushing helps start the day sooner. On the days that I use the technique, I wake up a little faster and I feel sharper.
2. It Exfoliates, Leading To Fresh, Radiant Skin
Don't you love how J. Lo just glows? No dead skin on her body! You can get her glow and get rid of dry, unsightly skin during any season with dry brushing. All you do is brush towards your heart — up your arms and legs or in a circular motion. The backs of your thighs and your butt are definitely areas to include in your dry brushing routine.
3. It Can Feel Like A Massage
Use long, sweeping strokes, with gently applied pressure. It should tingle, not hurt, so tread lightly. It should feel like you are giving yourself massage, especially when you brush in soft circles. It should not feel like your are raking bristles over your body, nor should it leave any scratch marks. In the beginning, it'll feel a little weird and prickly, but once you master the right amount of pressure for you, you'll love it.
4. It Can Improve Muscle Tone And Might Even Assist With Cellulite
The Bioelixia Body Shaper is my favorite dry brush. It's made of dry cactus bristles and clams it's designed to assist with muscle tone improvement and cellulite. I'm not really keeping score because I am too busy enjoying the dry brush tingle.
5. It Makes You Want To Slather Yourself With Lotion
This is another reason your skin will love being dry brushed. After dry brushing and showering, I always want to slather my skin with extra gobs of rich, thick lotion or cream, to baby it for "enduring" the brushing. It's like an extra treat. I moisturize out of the shower religiously, but on dry brush days, I go that extra moisturizing mile. So my skin wins.
Images: goodluz/Fotolia.com; Bioelixia; Giphy (3); Getty (2)
