We all brush our hair and our teeth, but why not our bodies? Dry body brushing is a great way to leave your skin feeling soft and smooth whilst helping you to relax and indulge in a little bit of self care.
What is dry body brushing?
Dry body brushing is a really quick and easy thing to add into your morning routine, and it is one of those treatments that makes you feel as though your bathroom has just turned into a spa.
It is a combination of exfoliation and massage that comes from using a dry brush to perform short firm strokes over your body.
It not only leaves you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated, but it has a whole host of benefits for your body too. It can even help with the appearance of any unwanted cellulite!
Benefits of Dry Body Brushing
Exfoliating
A lot of us exfoliate our faces regularly using a whole host of various products, from a liquid exfoliator like our Liquid Radiance Glycolic Toner, or even treat ourselves to an exfoliating mask like our chocolatey Radiance Glow Face Mask. But the skin on our bodies can often be neglected and we don’t tend to exfoliate our bodies quite as much.
Exfoliating our bodies is just as important as anywhere else. Typically, ‘healthy’ skin cell turnover is approximately every 28 days, but this can slow with age. As we get older our skin starts becoming less efficient at shedding any dead skin cells, meaning that they can sit on top of your skin and block the new cells underneath. This is why we recommend exfoliating regularly to help the process.
It is really important to make regular exfoliation a habit because it helps to prime your skin to absorb skincare products better. Meaning that all the wonderful natural and organic ingredients we put into our products here at Evolve, will work more effectively and nourish your skin the way it deserves. Also, because dead skin cells are being removed, dry body brushing helps to reduce dry and rough patches on your skin. Resulting in silky smooth skin!
As an added bonus, exfoliating is also great for preventing pesky ingrowing hairs as it helps to unclog pores and lift hairs away from the skin.
Cellulite
Nearly everyone experiences some type of cellulite, no matter what size or shape you are or what type of lifestyle you lead. In fact, around 90% of women have some level of cellulite. It is super normal and completely healthy. Whilst we can’t get rid of cellulite through topical products or massage, we can reduce its appearance.
Dry body brushing increases circulation which also causes something called ‘vasodilation’ - it causes the capillaries under your skin to widen in diamanter causing greater blood flow to the skin’s surface. This increase causes skin to ‘plump’ up temporarily which can hide the appearance of cellulite.
Boost Your Immune System
Any bad bacteria and toxins that are in our blood filter through our lymph nodes where they are then disposed of. But sometimes, this process can be in need of a little bit of a boost.
Dry body brushing helps to really stimulate the lymphatic system (see diagram), which directly assists in removing these toxins. Over time this can lead to strengthening our immune system which can help us to lessen our susceptibility to illnesses.
Energy
Dry body brushing also has a holistic element to it as well as all of its amazing physical effects. The act of body brushing itself is really soothing and comforting. It can help to take your mind off your stresses for the day and give you a chance to take part in a self care ritual. Take a couple of minutes out of the day, just for yourself, and give your body the love it deserves.
A lot of people tend to incorporate dry body brushing into their morning routine. Why? Because it can give us a great boost of energy, which makes it a perfect treatment to start your day with.
We’ve already spoken about how dry body brushing can stimulate blood flow and help to increase circulation, but did you know that this means it gives you a great boost of energy? This helps to energise not only your body but your mind and skin as well, perfect for a dreary morning boost.
The Evolve Dry Body Brushing Ritual
Our founder Laura loves dry body brushing, and here is the ritual she likes to treat herself to when she feels like giving her body a brilliant boost.
Step One
Light a candle like our Serenity Candle, this really helps to relax and adds to that luxurious spa feeling of this ritual. It is really important to find a position where you can easily reach your feet, so sitting may be a better option for some.
Step Two
Once you are comfortable you can start dry body brushing. Begin at the soles of your feet and legs, brushing upwards in short strokes. Make sure that you are always brushing towards your heart.
Make sure you don't press too hard. You want to exfoliate but be gentle so as not to break any skin.
Step Three
Repeat the same brushing pattern on your arms. You should start with the palms of your hands and brush upwards towards your heart.
Make sure that you avoid brushing on any sore, irritated or sunburnt skin.
Step Four
Move onto your stomach and back. Here, rather than upwards strokes you should brush your skin in a circular clockwise motion. You should repeat the same brushing pattern on your back too.
Step Five
Then you can move onto dry brushing your face. If you want to try this we recommend moving to a smaller and softer brush as the skin on your face is much more delicate than on your body. Move your brush in small circular upwards motion and be careful around the eye area.
Step Six
Step into a nice warm shower. This will help to wash away any dead skin cells that you have just exfoliated off your body. Once you have showered and your skin is dry you can then moisturise your skin with your favourite body cream.
Step Seven
Use our brand new 360 Smoothing Body Contour to further nourish your skin. Carefully take some time to envelop your skin in our brand new firming cream that helps to smooth, firm and tone, helping you to feel confident in the skin you’re in.
You can apply this directly onto your body, paying close attention to any problem areas. Massage it into your skin using circular motions. This little massage can extend your luxurious at home spa treat and has lots of added benefits for your skin!
This final step can help to reduce muscle tension, further improve circulation, reduce your stress hormones and help to improve your skin’s texture. Why not take the extra ten minutes to treat yourself?