I’m a big fan of exfoliation. the closer I get to the big 4-0, the more I realize that exfoliation is the name of the game.
While I like to mix up my exfoliation strategies to keep my skin guessing, one of my favorites is to use a dry brush or exfoliating facial brush to get the glow back.
I wrote a post awhile back professing my love for dry brushing my body and many of those benefits are also true for your face – you’ll just want to use a gentler brush.
Benefits of Dry Brushing Your Face:
There are a few benefits you can look forward to when dry brushing your face, besides the slightly redder skin it’ll give you for a few minutes.
Similar to exfoliating your face with a scrub or mask, some of the benefits will be immediately obvious – such as skin so soft you can’t stop petting yourself.
Other health benefits are not 100% scientifically proven, but they’re compelling enough to consider. After all, if it helps me age like Gwyneth Paltrow – then gimme the brush and let’s get started.
1. Excellent Exfoliation:
If you have an autoimmune disease like me, or you struggle with health issues that may not be diagnosed (or maybe they are), then there is a likely chance you have extra inflammation in your body.
Dry brushing your face removes the top layer of dead skin, allowing your pores to breathe and your skin to shine.
And, because you can do it on dry skin, after washing and drying your face, it’s less messy than a cleansing brush or face mask.
Score.
2. Lymphatic Drainage:
Dry brushing can also help flush out toxins that our bodies are just not effective at clearing out. This is the kind of bacteria that can create breakouts and other skin conditions.
Because of this stimulation to the lymphatic system, our bodies will be able to giddyup on the drainage, which will encourage skin healing, too.
We harbor a lot of bacteria on our face, which is why we are seeing a surge in probiotic skincare now, and dry brushing is a really affordable way to help detox the bad and encourage more of the good.
3. Improved Circulation:
You can thank all the extra blood flow for that redness and glow, too, since dry brushing increases circulation in your face.
This will give you a nice pink complexion for awhile and a bit more plumpness, too.
Make sure not to rub so much it hurts. In fact, you want to rub very gently, so you don’t damage any skin. If it hurts, ease up. And, don’t rub the same area too many times.
While it won’t feel like a massage, it shouldn’t hurt.
4. Wrinkle Reduction:
Hurrah, the gold standard of any skincare. It feels nice, but does it reduce wrinkles?
Because of the exfoliation and improved circulation, you should see younger skin! Will it last as long as a facelift?
Probably not – but you can do this much more often, for much less (pain and cost).
That’s a win to me.
When you’re finished, make sure to moisturize well. Here are some of my absolute favorite, go-to products:
- 3 New Clean Skincare Lines I’ve Been Loving!
- 9 Best Eye Creams for Sensitive Skin
- 10 Drugstore Moisturizers for Baby Soft Skin
- How To Layer Your Skincare Products for Serious Results!
How To Dry Brush Your Face:
Dry brushing your face is so easy. The goal is to be gentle and to move in small, short strokes in the direction you’d like your skin to go. On areas like your cheeks and forehead, you can move in gentle circles or if that doesn’t feel great, just gently sweep out and up.
Also, brush up the neck and jawline. To help you out, I made this little printable for you on how to dry brush your face.
Pretty easy, yes?
It’s actually very similar to how to use a facial roller. If you’ve never tried one, I highly recommend. I wrote a whole post on how to use a facial roller, too.
The difference is just that with dry brushing, you are working in a motion similar to if you used a cleansing brush that spins.
You can grab a dry brush for a super affordable price. Here are some of the most highly rated facial dry brushes on Amazon (affiliate links used):
Is It Uncomfortable?
While your goal is to make sure it is not painful – if your skin is super sensitive and you just don’t like the feeling of dry brushing, you can always switch to a softer brush.
I really like this one by Vanity Planet. It comes in a case with several options for brush heads and is super gentle. Plush, you can use it in the shower, which makes it so easy.
You’ll get very similar benefits with a cleansing brush like this vs. dry brushing your face.
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Have you ever tried dry brushing your face? What did you think?
I’ll need to share some of my favorite exfoliating products I’ve been loving lately in a future post.
If you have one I should try, mention it in the comments below!
Have a fabulous day,
E
