Dry Brushing: A Step-By-Step Guide + The 3 Best Skin Benefits

Read on below, and you might consider practicing yourself.

However, there are a few healthy skin benefits we can get behind:

Here, a step-by-step guide to the ritual, courtesy of holistic esthetician and dry brushing expert Amity Spiegel:

Finding your perfect dry brush is highly subjective. You want a stiff bristle but nothing too abrasive: Most recommend a boar bristle brush as that will have the right texture, but if you're vegan, you should consider synthetic bristles. There are options that have a long handle or none. It's up to personal preference, but many find it easier with a handle as it will help you hit those hard-to-reach places, like on your back. However, others say they like the control of a handheld brush. Ultimately, it will be your call. For the advanced-level dry brushers, you can find options with ionic copper fibers as well, which allegedly help to detox the body even more, but those can be too harsh for first-timers.

You'll need to be completely nude. It’s best to do before a shower, as you’ll be lifting up dead skin cells that you'll likely want to wash off right after. On that note: Consider standing in the shower itself, so flakes don't go flying all over your bathroom. Also, many claim it's energizing for them—if you're one of those people, make this part of your morning routine.

The strokes should be medium pressure—you want to feel something happening without irritating the skin. Long strokes are the best since you are trying to push up lymph fluid, and that requires a delicate and rhythmic touch. You'll also want to do each pass more than once and overlap sections while brushing. Think of it like moving along each limb like a spiral staircase. Along bends (like your joints) or smaller areas, you will switch to shorter, quicker movements. 

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Much like you start with the feet, start with the hands and go across toward the heart. Do a similar routine as you did with the legs: Brush the back of your hands, work around the forearm, and then around the upper arm. Be mindful to treat under the upper arms with extra attention, as that's where many lymph nodes are (as a rule of thumb, you'll want to always pay attention to areas with lymph nodes). 

You'll want to be extra gentle, as it's more delicate skin. Also, here you're deviating from the bottom-up technique—as you are above heart level. Start at the jawline and move down toward your chest. Finish by going over your heart in a circular motion to end your routine. 

This will help clean the body of the dead skin cells that have come loose during the brushing process. As your skin is thoroughly exfoliated, be mindful of how you are washing it—skip the scrubs and abrasive loofahs. 

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You're not going to see any difference unless you are diligent—as with any routine.