Health & Wellness

Dry Skin Brushing
Nancy ShawJuly 13

A simple at home detoxifier

Being a typical busy New Yorker/single mom I was on a search to come up with easier and better ways to take care of myself. I was chatting about not having enough time to do this with Susan Shields, one of the massage therapists that work for me. She suggested I try dry skin brushing at home and I decided to give it a try and bought a brush that day.

It is quite simply just what it sounds like, before my shower each day I took a soft brush and brushed the dead skin off always using motions toward the heart. It only took 5 minutes and not only did my skin and even my cellulite looked better, I began to notice that I had much more energy. I got so excited about it as part of my daily ritual that I decided to add it to our massage menu and I wanted to share it. Dry skin brushing is an easy and effective way to help the natural detox process of the body and better yet it can be done at home with just the expense of a simple soft natural brush.

The skin is the body’s largest organ and is often called “the third kidney” because of its importance in the body’s process of detoxification and it is responsible for 10-15% of body elimination. Daily your body regenerates new skin cells leaving many of the dead ones still on the body. The brushing of the skin helps the skin regenerate more efficiently allowing the load on the kidney and liver to lessen. It also aids in blood circulation and has a profound cleansing effect on the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is an important filtration system for the body and helps to push toxins through and out of your body.

We all have the extra 5 minutes and here’s the simple how to:

  1. Purchase a natural fiber body brush, long handled ones are even better for harder to reach areas.
  2. Brush the skin from your hands up your arms several times, covering all areas.
  3. Then stroke the brush from your feet to the top of your legs in the same way.
  4. Use circular counter-clockwise strokes on the abdomen and your armpits. Then repeat these areas with counterclockwise motion.
  5. Brush the chest/breasts and sensitive areas lightly.
  6. Brush upwards on the back and down from the neck.
  7. You can also brush in a circular motion on the palms of your hands and soles of your feet.

You can follow with a shower or bath and enjoy the benefits!

Question: Have you ever tried dry skin brushing at home?
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  • Celeste

    My friend Nancy has been praising the benefits of skin brushing. I will run out to purchase 2 of them this afternoon, 1 for myself the other for my husband.

    Thanks for the concise steps.

    Healthy regards,

    Céleste

    from *Healthy* to *Healting*

  • Celeste

    I meant *Healing* oopsy trigger happy fingers

  • Suecarswell

    Wow I am going to do this right away. You make it sound so simple and you're a single mom! Love this!

  • Lisa_S_S

    Plan to start this pronto! Thanks for the tips.

  • Lauren

    What's the significance of DRY skin brushing specifically? Do you get the same benefit using a brush in the shower with soap?

    Thanks!

  • Lawsonhar

    Will the detox effect of skin brushing help with insomnia?

  • Nancy Shaw

    No Lauren, with wet brushing you don't get as much benefits because much more dead skin comes off with the dry brush because of the friction. Also the methodical upward direction in combination with the invigoration of the dry brush is what is so therapeutic for the lymph system.

  • Frances

    Is it important to for family members to each use their own brush? Do you need to wash the brush periodically, and if so, how and when?

  • Nancy Shaw

    Family members can share the brush, normally you shower or bath afterwards anyway. But that being said the brushes are really inexpensive. (about $5-$10 each) so you could buy a few for the family if your worried about it. To your second question, I would not wash it so as to keep the brush as dry as possible at all times, just replace every 3-4 months depending on how much you are brushing.