This holistic wellness tool and ancient beauty ritual grounded in Ayurvedic techniques does more than smooth your skin.  Dry brushing is a traditional detoxification ritual encouraging optimal energy and longevity in the entire body. Some of the benefits of dry brushing include boosts in cell health, detoxification, and improvements to the lymphatic system.

Dry brushing / my favorite morning ritual

You may have seen me share on Instagram how I use this tool each morning—dry brushing has become one of my favorite morning rituals!

My favorite dry brushing benefits are: the wonderful way it gets your blood flowing first thing in the morning, it always perks me up, and it only takes a few minutes. You can easily prep your morning coffee or tea as you do dry brushing techniques or help your little ones with breakfast as I do.

I tried facial dry brushing for a month and noticed such a difference in the brightness + clarity of my skin! Now, it’s a daily joy I crave!

Benefits of Dry Brushing

Lymphatic drainage + circulation

Your lymphatic system is your body’s natural cleansing + detoxification system. It helps detoxify wastes and toxins, recycle nutrients, and protects your immune system from harmful pathogens.

Due to modern sedentary lifestyles, the lymph system often becomes stagnant. Your lymphatic system has no pump (like the cardiovascular system has a heart), so it needs to be manually stimulated to support optimal functioning. Walking, sweating, stretching, rebounding (light jumping on a trampoline) and using dry brushing techniques are great ways to open pathways for optimal lymphatic flow + drainage. When the lymphatic system is stimulated, wastes and toxins will be eliminated more efficiently through the body’s natural elimination pathways.

As our lymph contains white blood cells and lymphatic system aids in destroying pathogens before returning into the blood circulation, dry brushing and facial dry brushing are great tools to boost your immune system and help clear congestion.

Exfoliation 

Certain dry brushing techniques will gently exfoliate the skin, remove dead skin cells, and gently encourage cell turnover. Too much exfoliation (like harsh exfoliation methods or chemical peels) can do more harm than good. 

The right dry brushing techniques will gently exfoliate without damaging your sensitive skin layer. Proper, gentle exfoliation will strengthen your skin’s barrier and make your facial products that much more effective as your skin will be able to absorb them.

Skin Clarity + Brightening 

Think of dry brushing as treating your health from the outside – in! Skin stagnation and lymphatic stagnation can lead to pesky breakouts, blackheads, uneven skin tone, aging spots and more. By stimulating lymphatic flow and circulation you are increasing blood, oxygen and nutrient flow to the cells. This boost your skin’s clarity and brightens your complexion. Leaving you (and your skin) feeling vibrant and balanced!

If you struggle with bumps or breakouts on your arms, dry brushing can really help improve clarity and texture!

And facial dry brushing brings double the benefits—exfoliating your skin and brightening your complexion. If you only have 2 minutes, incorporate this ritual!

How to Dry Brush

Don’t be overwhelmed or think you need to do this “perfectly”! Done is always better than perfect. Start with a few strokes and eventually work your way into a more in-depth routine. Watch this video tutorial if you need help getting started >

How often should I dry brush? Daily is often enough. You only need to do this for about 2 minutes (or even less).

When to dry brush? Incorporate this ritual whenever suits your schedule best. Morning or night—just make sure you skin is dry! I prefer to dry brush in the morning as it energizes me and is best the flow of my day.

Step-by-step // BODY

Use: Dry Brush

• Brush your arms and legs upward with short, gentle strokes towards the heart.
• Brush your chest or back with inward gentle strokes towards the heart.
• Dry brush morning or night before you shower or apply moisturizer.
• Use light movements to stimulate blood flow and lymphatic drainage, don’t scrub your skin!

Step-by-step // FACE

Use: Facial Dry Brush

• Start with your neck—brush downwards to open up lymphatic pathways.
• Start with one side of your face—move upward from the bottom of your chin to the top of your forehead. Using light brush strokes, work from the center of your face out towards your hair. Alternate sides.
• Use light strokes, don’t scrub your skin. Dry brush before cleansing + moisturizing your face.

Safe products to nourish after dry brushing

• Clarifying Serum
• Countertime Mineral Boosting Hydrating Essence
• All Bright C Serum
• Balancing Facial Oil
• Blue Tansy Body Oil

Have you tried dry brushing? Share the benefits of dry brushing you have experienced?