Brush It Off

I had heard about dry brushing for what seems like ages before I finally got around to trying it. It’s one of those things that I instantly regretted not trying sooner. I’m addicted to it now! There’s a long list of benefits to dry brushing, but the best benefit is just seeing how good your skin looks and feels after you’ve done it for a little while. Plus as cheesy as it sounds, I find it very invigorating and a great primer for my skin before showering. 

So you’re probably wondering what this does for your skin and why you should be doing it. First, this is a method of exfoliation and opening your pores before bathing. Not only does it slough off dead skin but if you spend a little time on areas with cellulite, you will see a pretty big improvement! It helps to break cellulite down, improve blood flow to area, and tighten your skin. In addition to the visible results, dry brushing actually helps aid your body with Lymphatic Drainage, which helps you rid yourself of toxins that have accumulated.

The biggest result I see is how clear my skin is. In the spirit of over-sharing, I have Keratosis Pilaris, which is a really fancy name for those little red bumps you see on the back of some people’s arms. I actually get it mostly on my thighs which is worse in my opinion, because what 15 year old girl wants to be asked over and over about why she has such bad razor burn? I’ve tried a lot of things over the years, including some prescription creams and the only thing that ever worked was some super toxic lotion. Remember 10 years ago, the old Jergens that was supposed to stop your hair from growing? Yeah, it got pulled from the shelf pretty quick so I’m sure it was some kind of toxic stew but it helped. So I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this.. Yes! Dry brushing has helped tremendously with it. I mean it’s almost unnoticeable now, but if I get lazy and skip a few days, it starts to creep back in. 

Ready to get your skin glowing? There are a few things to keep in mind before you get started:

• First, make sure you use a brush with natural bristles (not synthetic). They have the right amount of firmness to stimulate your skin.
• Always work towards your heart- like start with your feet working your way up and then arms working your way towards your body, etc. 
• Be sure to use long strokes rather than scrubbing back and forth. I do use circular strokes on my feet and hands however.
• I’m sure some people would tell you differently, but I personally avoid sensitive areas (um.. I’m sure you know what I mean)

I use this dry brush but you can easily find one at any drug store or Target. So have you tried dry brushing before? What are your thoughts on it?