Dry brushing: why, how & why not!

Dry brushing has already showed its popularity a long time ago, I should probably say our grandma's are the founding mothers of the of dry brushing, but what exactly is it good for?

And when may it be better to put this brush down? You read it all in this blogpost.

Benefits of dry brushing

How do I brush?

When to avoid dry brushing

Myths

What brush do I use?

Benefits of dry brushing

You've maybe read about it, or you may have seen a dry brush in family member or friend's bathroom but you were never really sure what this brush is good for? Dry brushing has proved to improve blood circulation which boosts the lymphatic system. The lymphatic drainage helps getting rid of toxins and it should equal the relaxing effects of a massage. It is also said to reduce or even remove cellulite...we'll definitely dive into whether this is the case or not. And last but definitely not least: repeating this dailly adds up to your self-care routine, any moment spend caring and connecting to ourselves is a big bonus if you ask me!

How do I dry brush?

All across the body we have lymph nodes. They say you should work your way up towards your heart. So you work your way from the feet up towards the groin area, from the hands up towards the shoulders but from your neck down towards your heart centre. Now the skin around the breasts, stomach and neck area may be a bit more sensitive so you may want to reduce pressure in these areas. You use light to medium strokes that somewhat overlap one another.

It's very important you dry brush on dry skin, before you shower, not while showering! We have a little protective layer with healthy oils, proteins and fats that gets removed while dry brushing with hot water, which we wanna keep. Plus it can cause itching and redness. When you're dry brushing on dry skin however, you're removing dead skin cells the right way. That's why it's best to moisturise with a natural body cream after your shower. Dry brushing can be done once every day! However if you feel like your skin is getting sensitive, besides reducing pressure you may want to skip your brush session for a few days.

When to avoid dry brushing

When you're sunburnt you definitely want to avoid dry brushing. Ouch!

You also want to avoid any areas with warts, severe or painful acne, irritated skin, parts of your skin that has cuts or a rash.

Myths

Dry brushing also promises to remove cellulite. Whether this is true isn't proven. What is known is that our skin looks more plump right after dry brushing due to the boosted blood circulation, which could make it seem like there's less cellulite for couple of minutes or hours. I personally remain certain of the fact that cellulite is for a big part reduced with nutrition and movement but it's mainly genetic. Can we fully remove it the natural way? Maybe in some cases. Can we reduce it the natural way? Yes you can reduce cellulite with strength training, enough hydration and eating clean and also this depends per person and your genes. But whether there's 1 product, cream or magic pill that can remove it? I hate to burst the bubble, but I remain unconvinced.

What brush do you use?

There are also many different levels of stiffness of the brush its bristles and there are different types of brushes for each skin type and body parts. This really depends on the condition of your skin. For our neck and face there's the smaller hand brush which have softer bristles. Especially after winter our skin can use a good rub. But, If you have sensitive skin you can opt for a lighter and softer brush or, is extreme cases, dry brushing may not be your best fit. But not to be worried, there's options you can replace a dry brush with! You can use a loofah sponge or even a loofah hand wash.