Beyond its benefits for the skin, this ancient Ayurvedic practice is incredible for your overall health and wellness and is one of the most effective ways to boost circulation and drain your lymphatic system. Dry body brushing is one of my very favourite beauty rituals, and now is the perfect time to work this ancient wellness practice into your winter skin routine.
What is dry body brushing?
Also known as Garshana, dry body brushing is an ancient Ayurvedic practice designed to stimulate cell turnover, detox the body, increase lymphatic drainage and boost blood circulation to help sweep the system of toxins- dry body brushing’s benefits for the skin are an added bonus!
This style of massage is performed on dry skin, ideally using a natural bristle dry body brush.
How to dry brush your body
To use a body brush for dry skin brushing, set aside 5 to 10 minutes before your shower. Beginning at the soles of your feet, use the brush in gentle yet firm, long upwards strokes and work gradually up the body as though you are using a traditional exfoliant. After dry brushing your lower body, move on to your arms and hands. Next, work the brush over your back, abdomen, chest and neck ensuring you avoid the delicate skin on your face.
Afterwards, have a shower to rinse and wash away any dry and dead skin cells, then apply your favourite moisturiser or body oil from top to toe.
What are the benefits of dry skin body brushing?
- Exfoliation
One of the important benefits of dry body brushing is exfoliation. It's a fantastic way of getting rid of dead skin cells and it helps your skin really glow! As we age our skin becomes less effective in ridding itself of dead skin, so exfoliating becomes extra important! Dry body brushing has a huge list of benefits for your skin and circulatory system. It promotes blood flow to the heart by stimulating your skin and the capillaries that lie beneath it. Dry body brushing may also help to clear pores and remove any toxins that shouldn't be found in your body! Clear pores also means any moisturiser or oils you apply afterwards will sink deeper and work like magic to give you amazing, smooth, supple skin!
After exfoliating with a dry body brush, I love using a scrub in the shower to really get rid of dead skin! We have a great range at Nourished Life to choose from. One of my favourites is Weleda's Birch Body Scrub. Not only does it contain birch which is a fantastic way to improve the smoothness and suppleness of skin, but it also works hand in hand with dry body brush to help skin tone and reduce cellulite! If you want to find out more about the magic of birch, check out this blog post I wrote about the benefits of birch!
- Preventing Cellulite
Cellulite is something most of us will have to deal with at some point in our lives, so why not take one simple step to help prevent it! Dry body brushing helps break down fatty deposits within the skin, releasing waste and reducing the appearance of cellulite. It does this by stimulating circulation and eliminating excess fluid which can make skin appear lumpier. So simple and effective! If you want to learn more about how to reduce the appearance of cellulite, check out this blog post I wrote on the natural way to banish cellulite!
- Lymphatic Drainage
Lymph is slow moving fluid in your body which removes toxins and waste from your internal systems and returns it to your blood stream. While every day functions such as exercise, breathing and blood circulation all assist in the lymphatic process, dry body brushing is a great way to give it a boost and get your body looking and feeling better! Dry body brushing helps the process of eliminating waste in the body by using lymphatic stimulation. The lymphatic system relies on manual stimulation to encourage blood flow. When you use a dry body brush over your skin in circular motions, you are encouraging this blood flow and ridding the body of any toxins that have built up.
What is the best dry body brush to buy?
Here at Nourished Life, we not only have an amazing Hydrea Dry Skin Body Brush but we also have a great range of body scrubs which will work in tandem with your Dry Body Brush to leave your skin looking and feeling supple and smooth!
The Hydrea Dry Skin Body Brush is made with fine plant bristles which works effectively to remove any dead skin while still feeling gentle and not scratchy! This brush is so easy to use and may help improve the lymphatic system, exfoliate skin, improve circulation and boost energy levels. What's not to love!
I personally like to apply the Mukti Bioactive Body Elixir after dry skin body brushing. This blend of natural, active oils works to protect the skin from free radical damage, speed up the cell renewal process and maintain youthful elasticity. It’s the perfect end to my skin ritual and, combined with dry brushing, my skin has never looked better!
Shop our full range of natural body brushes and scrubs here.
