Eating healthy is the #1 way to having healthy skin, but there’s something else that can drastically change the way your skin looks – DRY BRUSHING. I’ve tried it and it works!
My aunt first introduced me to dry brushing. She ran a massage business in her home and loved to teach people anything and everything related to health and wellness, which included dry brushing.
When I was in high school, she gave me a body dry brush and facial dry brush for my birthday, both of which I soon came to love.
A dry brush is used to brush your skin, usually before a shower. Although it hasn’t been scientifically studied, it is thought to clean and exfoliate your skin and help stimulate the lymphatic system. I was excited to give it a try.
My skin wasn’t used to it at first, so it felt a bit too rough (and they were brand new brushes, so they were a little stiff anyway). But after several days of dry brushing every day, I began to really enjoy it.
I started using them consistently, and now, many years later, I can tell you that they have had some wonderful effects on my skin. I love both of my brushes. A facial dry brush is just smaller and softer than a body dry brush.
There are many articles out there that tell you HOW to dry brush, so I wanted to change it up and write about 5 changes I’ve personally noticed from dry brushing. Before we get to the list, however, I would like to tell you a short story.
I kept telling my husband how much I loved it, so one day he decided to try out the body dry brush for himself. After his shower he came to me and told me that he really liked it! He liked how it got off dead skin and scratched really well. He dry brushed again the next day, and that’s when I realized what he had been doing. I noticed that the dry brush was hanging in the shower, dripping wet…
I went and asked my husband how he had used the brush, and he said he used it in the shower like a lufa. Apparently all the times I had talked about dry brushing, I hadn’t mentioned that I use it BEFORE getting in the shower. That’s why it’s called a “DRY brush.” We had a good laugh! And now he knows not to use it in the shower again.
Now on to the list of 5 changes I’ve noticed since I started dry brushing.
My acne scars disappeared
I started dry brushing in high school which is when I had many acne scars on my face, mainly on my cheeks. I started using the facial brush consistently in the mornings, and sometimes in the evenings when I washed my face before bed. All the acne scars eventually disappeared and I felt a lot more confident. You won’t see results after a day or two, but if you are consistent then it will pay off.
Shaving has better results
Have you ever gotten those very small pieces of dead skin at the base of the hair follicle after shaving your legs? Yeah, so have I. I could never understand why I got them. Then I discovered that dry brushing before every shave helps eliminate them! Dry brushing exfoliates the dead skin in the first place, so the razor glides more smoothly and doesn’t leave the pieces of dead skin afterwards. Now I make sure the dry brush before every shave. Having sharp blades on your razor is another key to this problem.
My pregnancy stretch marks are lighter
Even though I didn’t get many, I still got some stretch marks during pregnancy nonetheless. It’s said that it is safe to dry brush during pregnancy, but I just didn’t make it a priority for some reason. A few months after my son was born, I started dry brushing more consistently again and after about a month, I noticed that the stretch marks were starting to fade!
Now, they are barely noticeable, and I know it was because of dry brushing. I think it’s very interesting that it’s suggested not to scratch during pregnancy because it can cause stretch marks, yet dry brushing is said to be okay during pregnancy because it will help minimize stretch marks! Just something to think about…
My skin is so much softer
I love feeling how soft my skin is after dry brushing and showering. I wish I could say I dry brush every day, but it’s more like two or three times a week at this point just because I’m busy. I know that it makes a difference, though, because I’m not the only one who notices. When we’re cuddling, my husband will sometimes say, “You dry brushed today, didn’t you?” Now that’s proof that it really does work!
It helps wake me up in the mornings
When I dry brush, I always seem to feel more awake and like I have a little more energy. It makes my skin tingle and I feel fresh and ready for the day. I have told people that it wakes me up similar to how rinsing my face with cold water does – except that dry brushing wakes up my whole body, not just my face!
I am very pleased with my dry brushing results and would highly recommend it. Remember, the best time to start is now!
If you’d like to learn about HOW to dry brush, you will find many helpful articles by just searching it.
If you decide to take a shot at dry brushing, I’d love to hear your thoughts about it in the comments! Or if you already do, I’d love to hear about your results as well.
Here are some good ones to try if you don’t have one already.
As a chiropractor, I have had numerous pediatric patients who are super sensitive to certain textures of clothing. I always recommend the parents add in dry brushing to their daily routine. It helps every.single.time! Great stuff!
Very interesting! I had never thought of doing it for sensitive skin, but it makes sense!
I am totally trying this asap !! I didn’t even think about the benefits for a better shave
Definitely worth it! I regret every time that I begin to shave and realize I haven’t dry brushed first.
I am totally going to get myself one of these asap. Sounds brilliant!
Do it! You’ll love the results.
This is fantastic and I’ve never heard of it!! I have terrible skin, and I will definitely give this a try!!! (:
Yeah, definitely give it a try! It might feel uncomfortable at first because it’s so scratchy, but you’ll get used to it and begin to love it!
Oh interesting. I bet it would help to get rid of all the dead skin cells. I have some stretchmarks to try it out on!
After rinsing off the dead skin that has come off, it’s really helpful to put lotion wherever you dry brush. I find that it helps keep my skin softer for longer.
This is actually the first time that I have heard about dry brushing. Will look it up!
I’m glad I introduced you to it!