Rejuvenate your skin with Dry Skin Brushing- procedure and advantages

What’s the first thing you do after waking up? “Go back to sleep”, murmurs a voice inside my head for I am self-confessed lethargic soul inhabiting this planet. Okay, on a serious note, don’t we brush our teeth? Of course, yes. And then, what is the next thing that we brush? Our hair else we’d look like a long-lost relative of Albert Einstein, at least I would. So, why deprive our skin of the virtues of brushing?

Dry skin brushing may sound a fancy term but scratch the surface and it’s a no-nonsense self-explanatory term. our skin is typically brushed towards the heart, starting from the feet and hands and brushing towards the chest. In a nutshell, it is simply brushing the skin in a particular pattern with a dry brush, usually before showering.

Dry skin brushing is an ancient Indian secret and has long been a part of Ayurveda’s cleansing philosophies. Ayurveda is a 5000-year-old science that originated in India and is believed by many to be the oldest healing science. Didn’t I tell you that we have been blessed with a treasure trove of natural remedies?

But why should we do so? Because it is going to give your skin a new lease of life which it rightfully deserves. Don’t believe? Glance over its virtues.

1. Aids the process of exfoliation: Tired of those high-end and extortionate bath scrubs or exfoliators that do not fetch you the results that they flamboyantly claim to? Shuddered to look at the price tags of those scrubs that make your credit card or wallet cry? Make way for dry brushing for when it comes to exfoliating your skin, the after-effects of using a dry brush are simply put- unparalleled.

Why? Because the process of running a firm, natural bristled brush over the skin helps loosen and remove dead skin cells, thus naturally exfoliating your skin.

2. Cleans the pores of your skin: While exfoliating our skin, we are effectively clearing out all the oil, dirt and residue from skin’s innermost pores rendering it squeaky clean. Even though it is not recommended to dry brush one’s face yet if you have a delicate brush, go for it but be extremely gentle and cautious.

3. Kicks stress: The act of dry brushing is deemed a calming, soothing and relaxing exercise (especially if you do it in a quiet space) that may reduce muscle tension, calm your mind, and relieve stress. Personally, I consider it a makeshift, at-home low budget spa treatment of sorts that does not burn a hole in my pockets and can be done at my whim!

4. Makes the skin tight, taut and radiant: As we age, our bodies become less effective in shedding outer layers of dead skin cells. This build-up of dead skin cells can result in the formation of thick, dry and somewhat shabby look, which is quite common with mature skin. In addition to exfoliating this outer layer of our body, dry skin brushing sets into action our sweat and oil glands, providing more moisture to the skin. In short, it keeps our skin vibrant and free from breakouts. Doesn’t that ginger you up?

You need just one tool to get started. And that’s nothing but a dry brush. Bear a point in mind that the brush’s fibres should be natural and not synthetic. It should have a long handle so that it reaches all parts of your body conveniently. Next, comes a natural question-

How to do Dry Skin Brushing?

1. Grab your natural dry brush. Do not drench your skin in water. It is called “dry skin” brushing for a reason!

2. Commence brushing your skin (begin from the feet) in an upward direction. Move over from the feet to your thighs, stomach, and arms.

3. Brush several times on each area, overlapping as you go. Be V-E-R-Y gentle.

4. Take care as you brush over more sensitive areas, like breasts. The more you dry brush, the less sensitive your skin will become. Continue for roughly 10 minutes and it’s done.