Take Care Tuesday- Dry Brushing
High FRequency Facial
"If you’ve ever had a facial at Salon Patrick, you may be wondering why your esthetician starts to brush your skin after cleansing. Not only is dry brushing incredibly relaxing, but it’s beneficial to your skin, your nervous system, and your lymphatic system!
Dry brushing is using a stiff-bristled brush to exfoliate and stimulate the skin. By using the brush in a specific pattern, you stimulate the nervous system in a way that invigorates the body, leaving you feeling energetic and fresh. Dry brushing also stimulates the lymphatic system, which helps your immune system be filtering out pathogens and toxins. When you dry brush, you increase the rate of blood pumping, therefore you move lymph backup to your chest where it can be transported properly through the body again. This increased circulation gives you a natural energy boost and can gently plump up the skin.
The bristles on the brush itself are used to help loosen dead skin cells, aiding in cell turnover, making this a great method of light exfoliation.
To begin dry brushing at home, start with a dry body, hence the name :). Start at the feet and brush upward towards the heart in long, smooth strokes. Continue moving upwards, brushing the back, glutes, stomach, and chest. Brush the arms in long smooth strokes from the palms to the shoulders. If you would like to brush the face, switch to a smaller brush. Start at the neck and brush upwards from the neck to the chin to the forehead, than back down towards the chest. Ideally you’ll do this before a shower so you can wash off the dead skin cells afterward. Don’t forget to hydrate with your favorite moisturizer or body oil afterwards!
Dry brushing is a low-risk skin treatment, but those with eczema or psoriasis may want to avoid it, due to the possibilities of irritation or sensitivity. For all other skin types, dry brushing can be a great tool to stimulate your lymphatic system and gently exfoliate the skin. You can drybrush as often as you’d like, making this a great addition to you self care routine.” -Xoxo Vai