If you want to avoid issues like dull skin, cellulite, and ingrown hairs, you should be exfoliating your body occasionally. Sure, you could use a body scrub and loofah in the shower to get your exfoliation on, but if you truly want baby-soft skin at all times, then you should also be adding a dry brushing tool to your skincare routine.
Best Dry Brushing Tools
What is Dry Brushing?
Dry brushing is a method of exfoliating and massaging your body and face. It's incredibly simple to do and you only need your hands and a firm dry bristle brush to reap the various skincare benefits, including improving the appearance of cellulite and increasing elasticity, according to Joanna Vargas, celebrity facialist and founder of Joanna Vargas Salons and Skin Care.
“Dry brushing increases blood flow, which is healthy, but its main purpose is to stimulate collagen production, which will help to thicken the skin and lessen the appearance of fat cells,” she says. “It also dramatically increases elasticity, so it’s great for lifting and toning a problem area.”
Tammy Fender, a holistic skin specialist, has incorporated dry brushing into her skincare routine for 10 years. “I love the way dry brushing polishes and softens the skin, whisking away dullness at the surface and allowing body treatments to absorb more deeply. But it’s also a great boost for the lymphatic system, which is the body’s detoxification mechanism,” she says.
Dry brushing can also help rid your body of toxins that cause stress, according to Fender. She says this technique encourages the movement of lymphatic fluid, which flushes away impurities that make us feel sluggish and leave our face dull or puffy.
Dry brushing requires a relatively low commitment, to boot! Fender says you only need 2 minutes a day to exfoliate and massage your entire body.
Tips for Using a Dry Brush
Vargas recommends using a dry brushing tool before you get into the shower in the morning. “Start at the tops of the feet and brush upward toward the heart,” she says. “Spend extra time on areas that tend to be more stagnant, like the inner thigh, and don’t forget to include the backs of the arms and back. Dry brushing immediately increases circulation, so you will feel warmer when you're done.”
Although this process is 100% natural, it might feel odd stroking the skin from bottom to top in an upward motion. This method is recommended to stimulate the lymphatic system, which increases blood flow, improves digestion, and sparks energy through the body.
Other benefits of dry brushing include the reduction of ingrown hairs and removal of dead skin in order to reveal a glowing, youthful complexion. “It’s also a beautiful, simple ritual that will be a daily reminder that taking good care of yourself will make your confidence soar,” says Vargas.
How We Chose
The Best Products beauty team has the luxurious task of trying out just about every beauty product under the sun, including dry brushes. So, to compile this guide, we scrubbed and buffed our skin from head to toe with each and every one of these dry brushes. Through testing, we can personally vouch for these products.
Learn more about how we test products, from the questions we ask our testing team, to the types of products we feel are actually worth testing, to the overall time we put into our testing process.