Dry brushing is a ritual that has been practiced by many cultures for thousands of years. It has been commonly practiced in Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine and in ancient Greece and Egypt. The brushing of the skin in a particular flow, stimulated the lymphatic system and promotes detoxification. Dry brushing stimulates the sensitive nerve endings in the skin which can help open the flow of the nervous system, promote energy and enhance overall relaxation. In addition to the wonderful health benefits of dry brushing, it is also a way to gently exfoliate the skin by brushing off any dead skin cells that can make the skin look dry and aged. Ancient Egyptians practiced dry brushing regularly before bathing to keep their skin soft and radiant.
How to Dry Brush
While you can simply brush your skin in any fashion to remove dead skin cells, there is a process that should be followed if you are dry brushing to stimulate lymphatic circulation and promote detoxification. This process encourages flow and stimulation to the primary lymph nodes in your armpits, groin, ankles, behind the knees, the inside of your elbows and in your wrists. Here’s how to do it.
Selecting a Brush
First, you’ll need to select a natural fiber, soft bristle brush. A brush with a handle is nice for getting to the hard-to-reach areas like your back and shoulders but any style will do. Here’s a versatile set of brushes I recommend. You will want to brush firmly enough to get a slight reddening of the skin but not so firm as to scratch or damage the skin.
Before you shower, stand on top of a towel to catch the dry skin particles as they are sluffed off or you can stand in the shower with the water off allowing the dry skin tissue to fall to the floor of the shower and then later be rinsed away when you are done. You will brush each area of skin approximately 7 strokes in the direction at outlined below.
Upper Body
Begin by brushing 7 strokes above the breast and 7 strokes below the breast from the sternum to the armpit. Then continue with 7 strokes brushing from your waist up to your armpit, from your hands to your shoulders, from the base of the neck over your shoulder to your clavicle, and the upper back from the spine outward to your armpit. Repeat this process on both sides of your body.
Legs and Hips
For the legs, start with 7 circular strokes on each side of the groin in the inguinal region to stimulate the lymph nodes and open the flow. Then brush from toes to heels, circular around your ankles, from your ankles to the knees, circular around the knees, and then long strokes from the ankle to the hip, and then from the outside of your hip toward your groin.
Lower Back & Buttocks
For the lower back and buttocks brush from the center of your buttocks outward toward the hip and then from your lower back upward toward the should blades. This is where the long-handled brush comes in handy.
Abdomen
For the abdomen, brush small circular movements around your belly button in a clockwise motion gradually increasing the size of the circles until you’ve covered your entire abdomen.
Face
For the face start at the top brushing your forehead from your hairline down toward the eyebrows, from the bridge of your nose outward to toward your hairline, from your cheek bones down toward our chin and from under your nose downward toward your lips.
When done, rinse with warm water and moisturize your skin. For me personally, dry brushing gives me a natural energy boost, probably because of the stimulation of nerve endings and increased blood flow. For this reason, I don’t recommend dry brushing before bed.
If you have sensitive skin or skin conditions, choose a soft brush and reduce the pressure as you are dry brushing. Avoid brushing any areas with eczema or other skin conditions and open wounds. Do not brush the skin more than once or twice weekly to allow for any microscopic scratches to heal. To avoid pulling and damaging the skin, never brush skin when it’s wet or moist.
Dry brushing is a wonderful self-care ritual for pure detoxification and to keep the skin soft, subtle, and vibrant.
