the skin on my body has never been softer and healthier
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free skin care · Mon Apr 09, 2007 11:46 am

I used to dry brush the skin on my body pretty regularly, but never diligently, nor every day.

For the past few weeks I've been dry brushing methodically every day before my daily shower or bath.

Today, I noticed that the scaley skin on my legs that makes the tops of my calves look 'shiny' is gone! And then I started to feel my skin all over, and it is amazingly soft and resilient. I'm never giving up on this now, because it feels SSSSOOOOO good, makes my skin soft, reputedly improves circulation and prevents cellulite, and exfoliates the dead skin on a regular basis.

For novice dry brushers, here's the deal:

1. only dry brush before, and never after, your bath or shower.

2. You MUST start at the extremities of the body (either feet or hands) and work inward in firm, long strokes. Something about blood flow to the heart...

3. Itr feels especially euphoric when you cross a 'joint' like the ankle and the knee. Totally invigorating, I like to concentrate on these areas, if using a little less pressure. I use most pressure on those areas I want exfoliated.

4. Then you proceed with shower or bath, and follow with a nice full body massage with botanical oils. You could use moisturizer, but they tend to leave a coating on the skin, which will eventually compromise your brush. I am really loving logona's apricot sage mediterranean body oil.

--try it for a week, it's wonderful! Supplemented with diderot's lymphatic drain sea salt juniper bath (in the diy recipe section), your body skin will be radiant, silky, and it will just feel invigorated. it ups the fun factor if you can get huge 1/2 lb bags of sel de guerande for 2 euros like i can (i'm in paris), but if not, i am sure any old sea salts work fine. yay!

--avalange

free skin care · Mon Apr 09, 2007 12:16 pm

forgot to post a link to the dry brush itself:

http://www.daybreaklavenderfarm.com/store/Dry-Brush-pr-16598.html

--avalange

free skin care · Mon Apr 09, 2007 12:21 pm

That sounds really interesting. I never knew what dry brushing was really. Thanks for the how to. Does it matter what kinda brush you use?

free skin care · Mon Apr 09, 2007 12:29 pm

this is my first time to know this, dry brush can be use for this! Thanks for your sharing, i will have a try!

free skin care · Mon Apr 09, 2007 12:32 pm

Thanks for the post and the "how-to". I have always heard of dry brushing but had absolutely no idea on how to accomplish this. I am definitely going to get the brush and start this. My skin can use all the help it can get.

free skin care · Mon Apr 09, 2007 12:43 pm

oh, btw, that brush i posted the link to is rather expensive. it was the first photo i found--I'm not touting it in any way. I'm sure it is nice, but i got one for 3.95 at the dept. store. They range in softness of the bristles, it's kind of a personal thing. The one I have now is pretty intense and stiff, but what I like about it is that it has a detachable long handle and a band that goes over your hand for stability.

--avalange

free skin care · Mon Apr 09, 2007 12:49 pm

avalange wrote:

oh, btw, that brush i posted the link to is rather expensive. it was the first photo i found--I'm not touting it in any way. I'm sure it is nice, but i got one for 3.95 at the dept. store. They range in softness of the bristles, it's kind of a personal thing. The one I have now is pretty intense and stiff, but what I like about it is that it has a detachable long handle and a band that goes over your hand for stability.

--avalange

Ha! Sounds like we have the same brush! I like detaching it and just using the hand strap. I find it easier to use this way, although the handle is great for getting your back. LOVE dry brushing, although I'm not always diligent at it either. I'm trying to be though!

free skin care · Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:05 pm

I just started dry brushing about a month ago, and it truly is the only thing that has really cured my lizard legs. Now if I forget to put on moisturizer after my shower, I don't automatically wake up with rough skin. That combined with a strong AHA body lotion is really transforming my skin....and for cheap (found a local place that makes a DDF knockoff for much cheaper). I follow up with Burt's Bees apricot baby oil and I am fabulously soft.

free skin care · Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:31 pm

waffle wrote:

I just started dry brushing about a month ago, and it truly is the only thing that has really cured my lizard legs. Now if I forget to put on moisturizer after my shower, I don't automatically wake up with rough skin. That combined with a strong AHA body lotion is really transforming my skin....and for cheap (found a local place that makes a DDF knockoff for much cheaper). I follow up with Burt's Bees apricot baby oil and I am fabulously soft.

there we go again, living in parallel universes!!!! i also have the cattier aha body lotion, but i've moved on to the apricot oil i mentioned above...

--avalange

p.s. anyone else who does this feel the amazing euphoric feeling when you dry brush over your ankles, knees, or armpits? am i just a freak? it feels like i am doing something really good for my body.

p.s.s. my cat is laying on me and just gently clasped my typing hands in his sweet little white paws. irresistible! aren't i just totally dorky???

free skin care · Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:39 pm

I stumbled on drybrushing several years ago when I had a drybrush and massage at a spa and decided to research the holistic uses. I firmly believe in it and love the way it makes my skin feel. It's great this time of year as a prelude to self-tanning lotions and gels as well. It really helps them go on better with less flakiness or streaking.

free skin care · Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:40 pm

I recently bought a dry body brush but cannot get on with it, firstly i am lazy and can't be bothered but it hurt like hell. I used very light sweeping strokes and held the brush parallel to the skin but it just scratched me. I looked like my cat had attaked me and there was no way i was pressing to hard.

free skin care · Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:42 pm

wickawer wrote:

I recently bought a dry body brush but cannot get on with it, firstly i am lazy and can't be bothered but it hurt like hell. I used very light sweeping strokes and held the brush parallel to the skin but it just scratched me. I looked like my cat had attaked me and there was no way i was pressing to hard.

Perhaps the brush that you are using is too hard - maybe you could try one with softer bristles?

free skin care · Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:48 pm

I bought a louffa (spelling?) for drybrushing. However, I think I need to get the brush that looks like the one you posted. The one I got is too rough and left lots of scratches. Also I often forget to brush before my shower. Sad

free skin care · Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:23 pm

I'm gonna have to look for a dry brush and try this out. Only problem is I'm just so tired when I get home from work that all I wanna do is go straight to bed. Anyway, how often should you dry brush?

free skin care · Tue Apr 10, 2007 11:15 am

I just ordered my brush -- can't wait to start trying this!

free skin care · Tue Apr 10, 2007 11:56 am

I just went to Ulta and got a nice body brush. The bristles are soft so they won't scratch. The brush was 5.99. It's their Earth Therapeutics brand. So I can't wait to start dry brushing. I thought that is was a good price. At least it won't be too much a waste of money if I can't keep up with the additional morning procedures to so with all the rest.

free skin care · Tue Apr 10, 2007 12:49 pm

Can you do this before bed rather than before the morning shower?

free skin care · Tue Apr 10, 2007 1:47 pm

I have also been dry brushing for about 9 months now and can confirm that it does wonderful things for my skin esp. my neck. I use a very soft natural bristle. I think it works by improving microcirculation and fells great.

free skin care · Tue Apr 10, 2007 2:58 pm

I use a damp wash cloth and massage my body using the shower gel, during my shower. Like Avalange described, I start with my feet and work upwards and end with the tips of my hands. After drying myself, I use decleor body oil. My skin is much smoother and soft after I have started this routine. Cellulite is less too. I hope this works just as well as using a body brush. Any one who has tried both methods?

Avalange, you described 'how to' very nicely.

free skin care · Tue Apr 10, 2007 4:40 pm

I'd think you'd want to wash off all the dead skin it loosens up, that's why they say to do it before a shower. I tried it for a while but often didn't remember until I was already in the shower.

avalange, how long do you do it for, and how do you keep your brush clean? I have no storage in my bathroom, sucks! No shelves, no counters. All these gadgets and devices, and no where to keep them.

free skin care · Tue Apr 10, 2007 6:47 pm

I find that if I use a heavy moisturiser on my body then when I body brush before my next shower it doesn't seem as effective.

I absolutely love body brushing though, and it's worth spending the extra 5 minutes or so doing it before you bathe.

free skin care · Tue Apr 10, 2007 6:49 pm

I've tried dry-brushing but it aggravated my eczema and made it worse. Sad

My mother who doesn't have eczema, does this everyday and her skin is smooth as silk. Just a word of caution for fellow eczema sufferers.

free skin care · Thu May 17, 2007 1:18 am

Thanks a lot for your sharing!
It's wonderful to have such result at this cost. Very Happy

free skin care · Thu May 17, 2007 1:53 am

dollbird wrote:

I've tried dry-brushing but it aggravated my eczema and made it worse. Sad

My mother who doesn't have eczema, does this everyday and her skin is smooth as silk. Just a word of caution for fellow eczema sufferers.

Thanks dollbird. I thought about giving dry brushing a try, but after your advice, I'm not so sure anymore.

free skin care · Thu May 17, 2007 2:05 am

Hi Lynn,

I wouldn't recommend dry brushing on any skin that has any problems--I even avoid a healed scab on my knee when I do it. I can totally understand how it would aggravate eczema, but you could just avoid that area if you like!

re: storing the brush and cleaning it--I never really clean mine but I just like replacing it after a few months with a new one. I also hang it on the wall in the bathroom--there is a little loop on my brush, which makes it really handy!

re: using moisturizer and dry brushing--I think it is so much more effective to use a nice body oil with dry brushing rather than a moisturizer with silicones, parabens, or any other ingredients that might coat your skin and dry it out. Our skin is a living organ, it makes sense that it would respond so well to stimulation and nourishment.

--avalange

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