Ward off cellulite and ingrown hairs by adding in this simple step into your beauty routine

25 January 2019

By Fashion Quarterly

Photo by Stephen Tilley for Fashion Quarterly Issue 1, 2018

We won’t beat around the bush on this one — it’s dry brushing.

It sounds like a harrowing task that counts stinging and scratched skin as inevitabilities, but dry brushing is nothing of the like.

In fact, the motion of lightly brushing your skin upwards from your feet towards your heart has a range of benefits. This is why we recommend making it a permanent morning ritual before a shower – it has been touted as an effortless way to get softer, more toned limbs, sans the gym and a hefty line-up of products.

#1 It helps your lymphatic system (and cellulite formation! Hallelujah!)

First and foremost, dry brushing encourages your lymph – the fluid that transports and drains pathogens such as bacteria from the tissues in your body – to circulate. This detoxification process helps stave off fluid retention, proving to slow down the rate at which cellulite formulates! The results have been trumpeted: skin is left smooth and plumped, and discolouration is kept at bay.

Cactus Brush, $40 from The Body Shop; Dry Body Brush, $17 from Manicare; Bodecare Deluxe Dry Brush, $50 from Oh Natural.

#2 It helps prevent ingrown hairs

The gentle buffing from dry brushing eliminates ingrown hairs and discourages them from re-forming. If you’re in the midst of a hair-removal treatment course, it can also lift away targeted hairs.

#3 You’ll have more energy

The reason dry brushing is a necessary part of your morning skincare routine is that it stimulates blood to move throughout your system. On a granular level, it also speeds up the flow of oxygen. All of this healthy circulation has a much-praised result: an increase in the amount of energy you have.

#4 It’s chemical-free exfoliation

For those with skin that is sensitive to chemicals or ingredients common in gel and peel exfoliators, dry brushing offers a chemical-free way to slough off dead skin and remove trapped dirt in pores.

Tips: To ensure dry brushing doesn’t irritate your skin or cause micro-tears, make sure to lightly brush (rather than a scrub) your skin in long upward motions. The sweep around your body should only take a few minutes. If you don’t want to use your brush dry, use it in the shower when it’s wet. Alternatively, add a small amount of body oil to the brush and sweep over your body after you’ve had a warm shower.