What health benefits can dry brush massage bring? |

Dry brushing of the body has its roots in ancient times

Centuries ago, most civilizations developed various rituals to care for and beautify the skin. In ancient Greece, metal scrapers were used for this purpose, with which the body was rubbed. Popular in Ayurveda was the “garshana” ritual consisting in massaging the skin with silk or linen gloves before bathing.

To this day, Finns use birch twigs to improve the condition of their skin, with which they sweep their bodies while in the sauna. In Japan and China, the dry fruits of the luffa or Egyptian lures were used to rub the body. The dried luffa fruit, now more commonly known as Luffa, is still commercially available. So we can successfully use them for dry massage.

The skin is the largest organ in our body

In an adult human, the area of ​​the skin is about 2 square meters. The outermost layer of the skin, which is the epidermis, is notoriously exfoliated. Every day we get rid of its older and unnecessary layers in the amount of a few grams, which is even about 2 kg per year. Dead skin cells constitute the major part of the dust in our homes.

Due to the fact that the epidermis is constantly exfoliated, the skin can be renewed in regular cycles of about 28 days. This is good news for all those who would like to improve the appearance of their skin. Its condition is influenced by many factors, and the ones we have control over are the diet and care. If we take care of these two elements, we can recover a completely new, nice skin in a month.

Dry brushing your body is a quick way to improve the condition of your skin

If we have concerns about the appearance of our skin, and so far we have paid little attention to it, it is time to change our attitude. The condition of the skin is our external showcase. In summer, we will no longer be able to hide its imperfections under several layers of clothes.

If we already know that skin renews itself in about a month, it’s time to take matters – or rather a brush – into your hands and start working! All you have to do is devote to the brushing ritual from 5 to 10 minutes a day, and the first results will appear even after a week. After thirty days, thanks to this ancient method of care, our skin will regain its radiant appearance, it will become extremely smooth and pleasant to the touch.

9 reasons why you should use dry brush massage

1. Natural peeling – when brushing the body, we remove dead epidermal cells, which helps to smooth the skin. Thanks to this treatment, it is also better prepared to moisturize and absorb the beneficial nutrients contained in lotions or natural oils. We should not be surprised if we see layers of dust in our bathroom after dry brushing – this is our old, unnecessary skin. In its place, a new, healthier and prettier one will be created. A dry brush massage will accelerate the renewal of beautiful skin.

2. It stimulates better blood circulation – about 1/3 of the blood flowing through our body reaches the skin. If we lead a sedentary lifestyle, the skin cells will not be well nourished by the weaker circulation. Dry brush massage is a great way to stimulate blood circulation in the skin. Thanks to the slight irritation during such brushing, our skin will be a bit red. This is a sign that the blood has started to circulate more intensively in her. In this way, the nutrients carried by the blood reach the skin faster and more efficiently.

3. Supports the lymphatic system – which is responsible for cleansing the body of toxins and unnecessary metabolic products. The lymph circulates thanks to the movement of the muscles. If we sit too long, we are inherently small-minded – the lymph becomes dense, more slimy, and may not function properly. Burdened with toxins, we become sluggish, lethargic, bloated and without energy. Dry brush massage perfectly stimulates lymph circulation, thanks to which the removal of toxic substances becomes more efficient and faster.

4. It adds energy and puts you in a good mood – perhaps it is due to increased blood or lymph circulation. In addition, the awareness that we spend a few minutes taking care of our body is a positive energy injection for us. If we perform such a massage with a dry brush in the morning, we will wake up faster than after drinking the first coffee 😉 Additionally, you can perform this ritual to the accompaniment of your favorite music, which will make brushing even more enjoyable. By associating a dry brush massage with a lot of fun, there is a chance that we will stay in this habit for longer.

5. It can be one of the elements of an anti-cellulite treatment – most descriptions of dry brushing mention the reduction of cellulite as one of its advantages. However, there are no confirmed studies on this subject, so the effectiveness of only the brush massage itself in getting rid of cellulite is questionable. Perhaps in the first stage of this problem, when cellulite is still not very visible and permanent – some women managed to get rid of the orange peel. In other instances, anti-cellulite treatments include various practices, such as changing your diet, exercising, firming creams, and improving blood circulation. We can stimulate the last element thanks to brushing the body.

6. It improves the condition of the skin while losing weight – nothing makes us feel worse than dangling skin devoid of radiance. Unfortunately, it may happen that the skin becomes ugly, loose and unsightly when you lose weight too rapidly. Then the brush comes to the rescue, thanks to which we can stimulate the skin to regenerate and metamorphosis faster. Consistency, regularity and a comprehensive approach to the subject matter. Remember that brush massage alone is not able to prevent hanging skin, if we do not have muscles under it, which we could lose by losing weight too quickly on a very low-calorie diet.

7. It helps in the treatment of skin suffering from follicular keratosis – in Latin, this problem is called keratosis pilaris and consists of excessive keratinization of the hair follicles, which are blocked by excess keratin. Then, small lumps, dry crusts and darker thickenings appear on the skin. They can affect the arms, buttocks, thighs and calves. Colloquially, the legs affected by this disease are called “strawberry legs”, and if the problem concerns a larger area of ​​the body, they are sometimes called “chicken skin”. Dry brush massage removes dead epidermis along with excess keratin, thus unblocking the hair follicles. The kerotisis pilaris treatment can be multi-stage, and one of its important ingredients is peeling, which can be done by brushing the body.

8. This treatment is ecological and minimalist – the only element that we have to invest in is a good brush. So we save on expensive peelings, we do not pollute the planet with used cosmetic tubes. And most importantly – we use the same brush for a very long time. Minimalism and ecology in a nutshell.

9. We burn calories when brushing – the concept of NEAT is more familiar to us thanks to my last article. Perhaps dry brushing the body will not be such a spontaneous movement, if we plan it 😉 However, 10 minutes of vigorous brushing of the skin will contribute to an increased, XNUMX-hour energy balance. Every activity counts, even if it lasts just a few minutes.

How do we perform a dry brush massage?

We start with the right foot and brush the calf, thigh and right buttock with sliding movements. Then we change the leg and do the same with the other leg. Next, we massage the right hand and hand with the brush – from the outside and inside. We do the same on the left hand.

It is very important to adjust the pressure level to the right one. If this is our first time in our life or the first time after a long break from not brushing – it is worth applying gentle pressure so as not to damage the skin.

Massage the abdomen with circular movements, clockwise. The breasts and cleavage as well as the neck have thinner skin, so here you have to be especially careful and do it gently. If we have a brush on a stick, we can also massage the back.

It may happen that the first time is not the most pleasant, because the skin has to get used to this ritual. It should get easier and more pleasant every day 😊 At the beginning, the brushing time should be shorter – 5 minutes. It can be doubled later.

What are the contraindications for brushing?

• if we have birthmarks, warts and moles – they should be avoided during the procedure
• if we suffer from skin diseases such as acne, eczema, psoriasis
• during the occurrence of mycosis of the skin – if they are small fragments, we can avoid them when brushing
• if there are wounds, irritations, burns on the skin
• if we have varicose veins and a tendency to break capillaries

When in doubt, always consult specialist doctors.

What must be done after brushing the body?

A very important step after a massage with a dry brush is a shower, thanks to which we will wash off the remains of dead skin from the body. If we are motivated to achieve faster results, we can use an alternating shower: warm and cold, which will further stimulate blood circulation and regeneration processes in the skin.

After such a refreshing shower, it is necessary to apply moisturizing lotions or oils. If we suffer from keratosis pilaris, creams with urea and vitamin A are recommended, which will thoroughly nourish and moisturize our skin.

Which brush to choose for dry massage?

Of course, the best ones are made of natural bristles. Tampico brushes, i.e. with agave bristles, are quite popular. The choice of accessories in this topic is huge. The shape of the brushes can be very diverse. You can also try Luffa, mentioned at the beginning of the article. Sisal cord (Caribbean agave) gloves are also suitable for this type of practice. Below I present to you my personal dry massage accessories.

Remember to wash your brush in a baby hair shampoo or other mild detergent once a week to avoid the accumulation of dead skin, bacteria or fungi.

Summation

The subject of dry scrubbing is as old as the world and the people living in it, who have always looked after their skin. Today, we have access to numerous skin care methods, both more natural and less. Dry brush massage seems to be a fairly simple procedure. All you need is a nice brush in your hand … and let’s go: shuffle, shuffle, shuffle 😉 Let’s brush our bodies to enjoy the vibrating, smooth, radiant skin for the coming summer and the following seasons. I hope that each of us will be delighted with this ritual and its effects.