Rubbing dry skin with a brush or glove before showering helps stimulate circulation, promotes purification and can reduce cellulite.
- Dry brushing for the skin: how to do it
- How to choose the best brush for skin
- How to perform the brush massage?
- Dry brushing for the skin: before and after
- Dry brushing: other therapeutic benefits
- Dry brushing: contraindications and precautions
Dry skin brushing is a very popular treatment in European spas which, however, can be done at home easily.
It is a type of massage that does not need oil, but a horsehair brush or glove, and that is beneficial for the skin, circulation and lymphatic system.
It is a preventive practice but also therapeutic of naturopathic medicine that stands out for its simplicity and effectiveness. It is considered a hardening or strengthening cure.
If done correctly, dry brushing produces many benefits:
- Cleanses the body. It exerts a stimulating action on the lymphatic system similar to that of lymphatic drainage, as it helps eliminate toxins from the body and optimize the immune system.
- Prevents cellulite and varicose veins. It activates circulation and helps detoxify, so it is also very effective in preventing and improving cellulite and preventing the appearance of varicose veins.
- Exfoliates the skin. It rids the skin of dead cells and particles of soap, creams or other substances retained in the epidermis, so that the skin breathes and can be renewed.
- Relaxes and tones. Dry brushing promotes relaxation and, in the morning, is invigorating.
DRY BRUSHING FOR THE SKIN: HOW TO DO IT
Dry brushing is a technique already used centuries ago by different cultures, among which those of the Russian, Turkish and Scandinavian peoples stand out.
It consists of a massage or rubbing carried out with some intensity over the entire surface of the body with a brush following a certain route.
The main purpose of brushing is to warm and improve skin irrigation. The objective is achieved when intense redness appears as a sign of increased irrigation and a pleasant sensation of heat is perceived.
To achieve this, move the brush on the skin with moderate and firm pressure, without lifting it until the end of the route of an area or limb, and then start again in the adjacent area.
- In general, brushing should not last more than ten minutes.
- If you do not have a brush, you can also use a horsehair glove or a soft loofah or vegetable sponge. It is important that they are of good quality and that they do not irritate the skin.
- The movements should be circular and in the direction of the heart: down when brushing the shoulders or upper back and upward on arms and legs.
- It is recommended to start with the palms of the hands and continue with the arms. Then follow the soles of your feet and continue upwards to your chest and back.
- You have to rub with the right intensity according to each type of skin and be careful with the delicate area of the bust or even avoid it.
- In areas where cellulite exists, on the contrary, brushing can be more energetic and frequent. If you want to improve cellulite or activate circulation, brushing should be daily for three weeks, alternating a week of rest so that the skin is replenished.
- But in general, once or twice a week is enough.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST BRUSH FOR SKIN
To perform a brushing, you only need a suitable body brush, glove or mitt.
The hardness of the brush or glove can be chosen according to the resistance and sensitivity of the skin. It is advisable to renew them when the bristles or fiber lose enough tone or strength to cause a reaction in the skin.
The brush should be made of natural bristles (hemp, pita …). These should be somewhat flexible and at least 2 cm in length. It can be found in natural product stores or pharmacies. A glove or mitten also works if it is rough and made of natural fiber (horsehair, for example).
To access the back, you can use a brush with a handle (some can be put on and removed) or a tape or massage band.
If they are used wet, it is advisable to let them dry preferably in the sun or at least aerate them, to avoid that over time they are a potential fungal crop.
HOW TO PERFORM THE BRUSH MASSAGE?
The direction of the massage should always be towards the heart, starting from the most distal points to this. I mean:
- It starts from the toes to the groin in front, and the buttocks and hips behind.
- It is passed to the hands and the friction is directed to the shoulders.
- The belly is brushed circularly, clockwise.
- In the back it is made from the spine outwards: first in the sacrum and a span is raised in each friction until ending in the cervical.
- Chest and neck are also brushed.
It can be repeated 3 to 6 times in a row. The frequency must be rhythmic and the intensity may increase in the following days. It is advisable to alternate three weeks of brushing and one of rest.
At first the sensation may seem unpleasant but after a few sessions the body gets used to it and the massage is pleasant and comforting. If not, you will have to look for a more suitable brush or glove.
The brushing should be finished by rubbing with a towel moistened in cold water (following the same route) or with a brief cold shower. Therefore, the ideal time for massage is when you get up, before personal hygiene.
Applying a moisturizing cream or oil after brushing and showering helps enhance the effect.
To make it faster and easier there are those who practice brushing while showering. It is still a good preventive practice, but the effect is less than if it is done dry.
Then, if time permits, the ideal is to rest ten minutes naked and well covered in bed, until the pleasant “stinging” of the skin and its reddish coloration disappear. If it is not possible to rest, dry and dress right away.
A precondition is that the environmental and body temperature is pleasant. In summer there are those who prefer to practice it with the window open.
It is a preventive practice but also therapeutic of naturopathic medicine that stands out for its simplicity and effectiveness. It is considered a hardening or strengthening cure.
If done correctly, dry brushing produces many benefits:
- Cleanses the body. It exerts a stimulating action on the lymphatic system similar to that of lymphatic drainage, as it helps eliminate toxins from the body and optimize the immune system.
- Prevents cellulite and varicose veins. It activates circulation and helps detoxify, so it is also very effective in preventing and improving cellulite and preventing the appearance of varicose veins.
- Exfoliates the skin. It rids the skin of dead cells and particles of soap, creams or other substances retained in the epidermis, so that the skin breathes and can be renewed.
- Relaxes and tones. Dry brushing promotes relaxation and, in the morning, is invigorating.
DRY BRUSHING FOR THE SKIN: HOW TO DO IT
Dry brushing is a technique already used centuries ago by different cultures, among which those of the Russian, Turkish and Scandinavian peoples stand out.
It consists of a massage or rubbing carried out with some intensity over the entire surface of the body with a brush following a certain route.
The main purpose of brushing is to warm and improve skin irrigation. The objective is achieved when intense redness appears as a sign of increased irrigation and a pleasant sensation of heat is perceived.
To achieve this, move the brush on the skin with moderate and firm pressure, without lifting it until the end of the route of an area or limb, and then start again in the adjacent area.
- In general, brushing should not last more than ten minutes.
- If you do not have a brush, you can also use a horsehair glove or a soft loofah or vegetable sponge. It is important that they are of good quality and that they do not irritate the skin.
- The movements should be circular and in the direction of the heart: down when brushing the shoulders or upper back and upward on arms and legs.
- It is recommended to start with the palms of the hands and continue with the arms. Then follow the soles of your feet and continue upwards to your chest and back.
- You have to rub with the right intensity according to each type of skin and be careful with the delicate area of the bust or even avoid it.
- In areas where cellulite exists, on the contrary, brushing can be more energetic and frequent. If you want to improve cellulite or activate circulation, brushing should be daily for three weeks, alternating a week of rest so that the skin is replenished.
- But in general, once or twice a week is enough.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST BRUSH FOR SKIN
To perform a brushing, you only need a suitable body brush, glove or mitt.
The hardness of the brush or glove can be chosen according to the resistance and sensitivity of the skin. It is advisable to renew them when the bristles or fiber lose enough tone or strength to cause a reaction in the skin.
The brush should be made of natural bristles (hemp, pita …). These should be somewhat flexible and at least 2 cm in length. It can be found in natural product stores or pharmacies. A glove or mitten also works if it is rough and made of natural fiber (horsehair, for example).
To access the back, you can use a brush with a handle (some can be put on and removed) or a tape or massage band.
If they are used wet, it is advisable to let them dry preferably in the sun or at least aerate them, to avoid that over time they are a potential fungal crop.
HOW TO PERFORM THE BRUSH MASSAGE?
The direction of the massage should always be towards the heart, starting from the most distal points to this. I mean:
- It starts from the toes to the groin in front, and the buttocks and hips behind.
- It is passed to the hands and the friction is directed to the shoulders.
- The belly is brushed circularly, clockwise.
- In the back it is made from the spine outwards: first in the sacrum and a span is raised in each friction until ending in the cervical.
- Chest and neck are also brushed.
It can be repeated 3 to 6 times in a row. The frequency must be rhythmic and the intensity may increase in the following days. It is advisable to alternate three weeks of brushing and one of rest.
At first the sensation may seem unpleasant but after a few sessions the body gets used to it and the massage is pleasant and comforting. If not, you will have to look for a more suitable brush or glove.
The brushing should be finished by rubbing with a towel moistened in cold water (following the same route) or with a brief cold shower. Therefore, the ideal time for massage is when you get up, before personal hygiene.
Applying a moisturizing cream or oil after brushing and showering helps enhance the effect.
To make it faster and easier there are those who practice brushing while showering. It is still a good preventive practice, but the effect is less than if it is done dry.
Then, if time permits, the ideal is to rest ten minutes naked and well covered in bed, until the pleasant “stinging” of the skin and its reddish coloration disappear. If it is not possible to rest, dry and dress right away.
A precondition is that the environmental and body temperature is pleasant. In summer there are those who prefer to practice it with the window open.
