Health Benefits of Dry Brushing
Dry brushing involves gently massaging the body with a natural bristle brush to help exfoliate the skin, stimulate the lymphatic system, and increase circulation. This self-care ritual has grown in popularity over the years, but it’s actually an ancient Ayurvedic medicine practice from India.
Today, Ayurvedic practitioners still practice dry brushing with raw silk gloves—called garshana (“friction by rubbing”)—as a lymphatic massage and exfoliation treatment.1
National Ayurvedic Medical Association. Garshan & abhyanga bodywork training.
Dry brushing at home is a fairly easy practice you can do at home if you’d like to improve the appearance of your skin. However, no solid research proves dry brushing’s potential lymphatic benefits have detoxifying abilities.
Here’s what we know about the benefits of dry brushing, plus how to get started.
Exfoliates the Skin
Dry brushing a mechanical exfoliation technique, which is also sometimes known as physical exfoliation. Physical exfoliation involves using a tool or scrub to slough off dead skin cells on your skin’s surface (aka your epidermis).2 Built-up dry skin cells can make skin appear rough, dry, and dull.3
When you dry brush, the bristles immediately help shed any lingering dead skin cells. This process helps remove buildup and increase cell turnover, revealing smoother skin texture and a more radiant skin tone.3
However, physically exfoliating the skin with a dry brush can also temporarily disrupt your skin barrier—the protective barrier made of skin cells (keratinocytes) and protein (keratin).4 Your skin barrier helps hold water to your skin, so dry brushing can be naturally drying.3
May Improve Lymphatic Drainage
Dry brushing is often used as a form of lymphatic drainage massage and may help stimulate the lymphatic system similarly. Lymphatic drainage massage involves gently massaging the body in circular motions to move built-up lymph fluid that causes swelling.5
After blood flows to your tissues and organs, lymph (lymphatic fluid) is left behind and moves to your lymph nodes. Your lymph nodes help keep you healthy by removing harmful bacteria, waste, and abnormal cells.6 However, if your lymph nodes are damaged, lymph can build up—causing swelling in the arms and legs called lymphedema.7
Still, no research proves dry brushing can help clear built-up lymphatic fluid. There is also no evidence that improving lymphatic drainage with dry brushing can detoxify the body.
May Improve Blood Flow
Researchers haven’t tested dry brushing’s effect on blood flow. However, dry brushing is similar to lymphatic drainage and massage techniques, so it likely offers similar circulation benefits.
Massage, in general, helps put enough pressure on the skin to help improve blood flow to the surface of the skin and deep arteries.8 A small 2017 study also found that manual lymphatic drainage massage on the legs improved blood flow to deep and surface veins on the skin.9
Improved circulation helps provide oxygen-rich blood to support healthy tissues and organ function. Increasing blood flow can also help improve energy and benefit people with inflammatory conditions that limit circulation.10 Lymphatic drainage massage research has also found the practice helps relieve swelling and pain related to poor blood circulation.11
May Reduce Cellulite Appearance
Dry brushing is not a cellulite cure, and it is not a dermatologist-approved cellulite treatment. Still, dry brushing may help reduce the appearance of dimpled skin by improving blood flow—which can temporarily plump the skin. Since dry brushing is a lymphatic massage technique, it may also offer similar cellulite benefits.
A 2022 study found the technique helped reduce cellulite in participants who had thigh liposuction.12 A 2012 study—that did not involve cosmetic procedures—found lymphatic drainage massage also helped improve cellulite appearance, but it only included 10 women.13 Research on the benefits of lymphatic drainage massage for cellulite reduction is generally flawed. There are also no dry brushing studies to prove it has any cellulite-reducing abilities.
How to Dry Brush
Dry brush practitioners typically recommend a natural bristle brush with soft, dense bristles. Skip the plastic and synthetic bristles that can be too abrasive and irritating. A dry brush with a hand strap can make handling easier, while a long handle can help you brush hard-to-reach areas like your back. Choose what works best for you!
Dry brushing is a simple process that combines exfoliation and lymphatic drainage massage techniques. Don’t worry if you don’t do it perfectly every time. You can also skip areas you don’t wish to dry brush. Follow these steps to get started:2514
Remove your clothes and stand in a tub, shower, or other comfortable area.
Start with your feet and move up your legs. Brush the skin with gentle pressure in small, circular motions. Focus on areas for about 30 seconds.
Continue dry brushing in circular motions up your body to the buttocks and back.
Repeat the process, starting with the hands and moving up the arms to the shoulders. While dry brushing, think about moving up the body and toward the heart.
If you desire, dry brush the stomach and move up to the chest, avoiding sensitive areas like the nipples or breasts.
After dry brushing, take a lukewarm shower to remove dead skin cells. (Hot water can dry out your skin!)15
Follow up with a moisturizer or lotion to help seal in moisture and hydrate skin.15
You can dry brush day or night, but the increased circulation may help you feel more awake in the morning.10 The entire process should take about 5-10 minutes. How often you dry brush depends on your skin sensitivity. Like other forms of physical exfoliation, you can dry brush anywhere from one to three times a week.2
Side Effects and Risks of Dry Brushing
As a form of mechanical exfoliation, aggressive and frequent dry brushing can damage and dry out your skin. Some potential side effects of dry brushing include:162
Microtears that increase the risk of skin infections
Redness and irritation
Dry skin
Acne breakouts
Dry brushing is also not ideal for all skin types. Dry brushing can be too irritating if you have dry, sensitive, or acne-prone skin—or you have a skin condition like psoriasis and eczema. If you have a darker skin tone or are prone to developing dark patches (hyperpigmentation), aggressive dry brushing may form more dark spots.2
Even if you don’t have sensitive skin, you should always avoid dry brushing already sensitive or dry areas, including rashes, open wounds, and sunburn. It’s also best to skip dry brushing areas where you apply prescription retinoid cream, retinol, or benzoyl peroxide products that can dry and peel skin. Combining dry brushing with these topicals can lead to acne breakouts and make dry skin even worse.15
Don’t Forget to Clean Your Dry Brush
Dry brushes can harbor bacteria and gunk. A clean dry brush will decrease your risk of an infection. After each use, wash your brush with mild soap and water, rinse it, and let it air dry. Don’t leave it in a damp area like your shower, which will only let bacteria thrive.16
A Quick Review
The only proven benefit of dry brushing is exfoliation. But since it shares similar techniques to lymphatic drainage massage, dry brushing likely helps improve circulation and lymphatic drainage. Dry brushing is easy at home and takes only a few minutes. Just make sure you avoid dry brushing if you have dry, sensitive, or injured skin.
