By Tiffany Amorosino
Heard the buzz about dry brushing? It’s not a passing fad – far from it. In fact, dry brushing is a centuries-old beauty technique used to promote soft skin and improve overall health. Benefits include exfoliating your skin, helping your body remove toxins, and, with regular dry brushing, you can even help to reduce the appearance of cellulite. Learn more about this health and beauty technique that’s easy, inexpensive, and good for you from the inside out.
The Benefits of Dry Brushing
The firm bristles of the brush remove dead cells and exfoliating the skin to make it softer, smoother and even cleaner. They also stimulate the lymphatic system, which plays a key role in your body's ability to detox. Working on your upper arms, legs, and other trouble areas, you’ll find that dry brushing breaks down toxins and helps you flush them out. Since the whole process promotes blood circulation, many people experience an increase in energy immediately after dry brushing. You can do it at night or in the morning, but if you have the time, take advantage of the stimulation effect and try to incorporate it in your morning rituals. We also recommend applying moisturizer after your dry brush; your skin is prepped and ready to accept the benefits of skin care.
What You Need
You’ll need a natural brush (stay away from synthetics). That’s it. We like the MIO body brush because it’s made expressly for what you’ll be using it for, and it has massage nodules on it. To maintain the good health of your brush, you’ll want to wash it about once a month. If you want, use a bit of shampoo, and let it air dry when you’re done. (Guests who come in for our June Dry Brushing Massage Special will receive a brush to take home with them after treatment)
How To Dry Brush Your Body
Get naked and stand in your shower or tub (water off) or on a tiled surface. Start at the bottom of your feet and work your way up. You should work in the direction of blood flow; that means you should always brush toward your heart. Spend some extra time on the backs of your upper legs, or anywhere you have cellulite. When you are brushing your stomach, work in clockwise motion – the direction of your digestive system. Don’t brush on any broken or otherwise irritated skin, and we recommend that everyone has their own brush. When you receive a dry brush massage enhancement at Bella Santé, we always use a new one for you, and then we give it to you for home use.
While dry brushing provides several physiological and psychological benefits, doing it incorrectly or with the wrong type of brush can actually damage the skin. Make sure to use a brush designed specifically for dry body brushing. Our massage therapists are trained in the art of body brushing; let one of us know if you have any questions.
