How To: Dry Body Brushing

Health experts are always extolling the virtues of dry body brushing – and for good reason. It is an amazing way to exfoliate your skin and leave it glowing. Dry brushing jumpstarts your circulation which has a host of internal benefits. We chatted with one of the technique’s biggest fans, esthetician Jocelyn Petroni, to get her tips on how to get the best out of your brush.

1. DO IT ON DRY SKIN – AFTER A SHOWER

It isn’t called dry body brushing for nothing. It’s important the skin is dry as this increases the exfoliation process. We recommend doing it after your shower so you’ve washed away any sort of surface dirt or oil or body moisturizer that may otherwise adhere to the brush. Plus, if you’ve just had a shower your skin’s going to be soft and it is more likely that the brush will stimulate the sloughing off of skin cells.

2. KNOW YOUR STROKE

Start at your feet and work your way up. It’s important to brush in the direction of lymphatic flow, which is from the limbs to the heart. Use light, long brush strokes.

3. BE FIRM, BUT GENTLE

As for pressure, it should feel firm but not painful. Lymphatic drainage is stimulated by a light pressure. Your skin should not bee too too pink or red. Avoid delicate areas like the face, neck, décolletage and breasts.  Doing it once or twice a week will give great benefit.

4. HYDRATE STRAIGHT AFTER

If you’ve exfoliated a lot of skin cells off you may want to jump back in the shower for a quick rinse down, then dry off and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Apply an oil or moisturizer and it will soak in beautifully because you sloughed away the barrier of dry skin.

5. KEEP IT CLEAN

Because the brush is being used to slough dead skin it’s a good idea to keep it hygienic. Spray it with a mixture of water and tea tree oil after each use. If you’re using it a couple times a week you may want to replace your brush every few months.