Dry Skin Brushing: Benefits and How To
By Dr. Mercola
Many people carefully tend to the skin on their face, regularly exfoliating, cleansing, and moisturizing.
But when's the last time you tended to the skin on the rest of your body?
Your skin is your largest organ, after all, and there is one simple step you can add to your morning
routine that can greatly improve its health – dry skin brushing.
I'm not only referring to your skin's aesthetic appearance, either (although many would agree this is
important to). The benefits of dry skin brushing go beyond skin deep, offering whole-body benefits to
your health.
Dry Skin Brushing: 7 Key Benefits
Your skin is a complex system made up of nerves, glands, and cell layers that, when healthy, serves
as a buffer that helps protect your body from extreme temperatures and chemicals.
It also produces antibacterial substances to protect you from infection and enables your body to
produce vitamin D when exposed to the sun. Your skin even contains densely packed nerve cells that
act as messengers to your brain, making your skin a crucial part of your interactions with the world
around you.
Another crucial role your skin plays is supporting optimal detoxification. But if your skin is overrun with
toxins or dead skin cells, it will not be able to eliminate wastes from your body efficiently.
This is where dry skin brushing can be invaluable, not only in brushing off dead skin cells but also in
activating waste removal via your lymph nodes. Beyond this, dry skin brushing offers multiple benefits
including:
1. Stimulate Your Lymphatic System
In your body, your lymphatic system is the system responsible for eliminating cellular waste products.
Hundreds of miles of lymphatic tubules allow waste to be collected from your tissues and transported
to your blood for elimination, a process referred to as lymphatic drainage.
When your lymphatic system is not working properly, waste and toxins can build up and make you
sick. Lymphatic congestion is a major factor leading to inflammation and disease. By stimulating your
lymphatic system and helping it release toxins, dry skin brushing is a powerful detoxification aid.
2. Exfoliation
Dry skin brushing removes dead dry skin, improving appearance, clearing your clogged pores, and
allowing your skin to "breathe."
3. Increase Circulation
When you dry brush your skin, it increases circulation to your skin, which encourages the elimination
of metabolic waste.
4. Reduce Cellulite
Dry skin brushing may help to soften hard fat deposits below the skin while distributing fat deposits
more evenly. This may help to diminish the appearance of cellulite.
Dry brushing is also said to help reduce cellulite by removing toxins that may break down connective
tissue, although some believe the effect is temporary (and mostly a result of skin become more plump
and swollen after brushing).1 The Huffington Post reported:2
"When we'd heard dry skin brushing was an effective method for reducing cellulite, we knew we had
to include it in our anti-cellulite road test. Sure enough, it was indeed one of the more successful
ways to smooth away less-than-perfect spots on your legs."
5. Stress Relief
The act of dry brushing has been described as meditative (especially if you do it in a quiet space) and
may reduce muscle tension, calm your mind, and relieve stress. Many compare it to a light wholebody massage.
6. Improve Digestion and Kidney Function
Dry skin brushing may go even deeper, helping to support your digestion and organ function.
According to one skin care and spa expert:3
"…many naturopathic doctors use dry brushing to help with bloating because massaging the lymph
nodes helps the body shed excess water and toxins. One of the immediate effects of dry brushing is
smoother skin, but it can also help improve digestion, kidney function, and more."
7. It's Invigorating
Many people become "addicted" to dry skin brushing (in a good way) because it simply feels so good.
Along with glowing and tighter skin, regular dry skin brushers report feeling invigorated after a quick
session.
Dry Brushing: How to Do It
First you'll need a high-quality dry brush. Look for one with bristles made from natural materials. They
should feel stiff but not overly so. Ideally, choose a brush with a long handle so you can reach your
entire back and other hard-to-reach spots.
Dry skin brushing should be done daily for best results, or even twice a day if you like. Try
incorporating it into your normal daily routine, such as doing your brushing before your morning
shower and then again after work (avoid doing it too close to bedtime, as it may leave you feeling
energized).
When brushing, always brush toward your heart, which is best for circulation and your lymphatic
system. You can brush your entire body (including the soles of your feet). Start at your feet and work
your way up your legs to your arms, chest, back, and stomach. Avoid brushing your face (unless you
have a special brush designed for this delicate skin), your genitals, or any areas with irritations or
abrasions (including varicose veins).
The pressure you apply while brushing your skin should be firm but not painful (avoid "scrubbing").
Your skin should be pink after a session (not red or irritated) and you can brush for as long (or as
little) as you'd like. An average dry brushing session may last between two and 20 minutes.
Try It… You'll Probably Get Hooked
The investment in dry skin brushing is small – you can find a high-quality brush for under $20 – but
the pay-off is large. If you've never tried it, you're likely to be pleasantly surprised. As one new
devotee described in the Examiner:4
"I've only been at this for about two weeks, but I've already experienced many of the benefits listed
above. For one thing, dry skin brushing just feels really good. It's one of those miraculous practices
that manages to be both relaxing and energizing all at the same time. For another, it cured my
cellulite! …Dry skin brushing also helped heal some ingrown hairs and some innocuous though
unsightly bumps on my arms. My skin is softer and no longer dry or flakey. Additionally, though I'm
not sure whether or not it's related to dry skin brushing, I must say that I've been sleeping better and
experiencing less 'brain fog' throughout the day!"
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Taken from Mercola.com, Take Control of Your Health
This information was brought to you by Everything Zen.
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