3 Benefits of Dry Brushing & Step by Step How-To Guide

What Is Dry Brushing?

Dry brushing is gaining popularity, but did you know that it’s been practiced for thousands of years in Ayurveda?

Known as garshana in Sanskrit (pronounced ghar-shun-uh), dry brushing is a self-massage technique where you ‘brush’ your skin with a natural bristle body brush or raw silk garshana gloves. It’s so simple to do at home and can leave you feeling a little more refreshed and energised for the day ahead in as little as 5 minutes!

A key component of an Ayurvedic daily routine, dry brushing has so many potential benefits. It’s particularly helpful for Kapha body types or those who have excess ama due to its light and invigorating properties. Not sure what your dosha is? Take my free dosha quiz now!

So why should you dry brush? Let’s take a look at the top 3 benefits of this simple at home practice.

3 Benefits of Dry Brushing

1. Amazingly Soft Skin

The first and most obvious benefit of dry brushing is that it supports healthy, soft skin. The gentle motion of dry brushing massage helps remove dead skin cells and its exfoliating action also helps unclog pores. The end result? You’re left with smoother, softer and fresher skin. Keep reading to see how often to dry brush depending on your skin type and your dosha.

2. Stimulates Circulation & Boosts Energy

The benefits of dry brushing are more than skin deep. The pressure applied during this simple self-massage technique can help encourage good circulation, and in turn, a natural energy boost. Are you desperate for your morning dose of caffeine when you wake up? Skip it and try dry brushing for a few days instead!

3. Improves Lymphatic Drainage

The most prized benefit of dry brushing is its ability to support your lymphatic system. Unlike your circulatory system, which has pumps and valves to move your blood, your lymph needs movement and pressure for healthy flow. The best ways to encourage lymphatic drainage are to be active each day, drink plenty of water and practice self-massage techniques like dry brushing.

How to Dry Brush

So now you know some of the key benefits of dry brushing, let’s look at how to do it!

First, you want to make sure you have the right natural bristle brush or set of gloves. It doesn’t need to be expensive, but it should be good quality as synthetic materials can scrape your skin.

Once you have your brush or gloves, these are the simple steps you need to follow.

When to Dry Brush

It’s recommended to practice dry brushing as part of your morning routine, before you shower, as it helps you feel more alert first thing in the morning. If you just don’t have the time in the morning but would like to try dry brushing, you can switch it to the evening instead. If you have a few extra minutes, it can be really nice to add a short Ayurvedic self-massage (abhyanga) after dry brushing too!

When Not to Dry Brush

While dry brushing is generally considered safe for most to practice, it’s important to avoid in certain circumstances. If you have very sensitive skin or a chronic skin condition (like psoriasis or eczema), it’s best to skip dry brushing.

Dry brushing is a gentle practice, so make sure to apply the level of pressure that feels right for you. Always avoid dry brushing your chest and face, broken or inflamed skin, sunburn, around varicose veins, or if you have a rash or an open wound on your skin.

I found very gentle dry brushing with garshana gloves helpful in my own pregnancy to keep skin soft, but if you have any concerns make sure to check with your care provider before starting.

Dry Brushing & The Doshas

How often you should dry brush depends on your dosha. While everyone will be different, and have different time available to them, here is a rough guide on how often to practice dry brushing.

Kapha: Daily (if desired)

Dry brushing is one of the best daily practices to stimulate Kapha types. If you feel very heavy and lethargic with low motivation, dry brushing is highly recommended as a gentle practice to start your day. Kapha types are also more prone to oily skin, so dry brushing is perfect to unclog pores and combat the extra oil.

Pitta: 2-3 times per week

Pittas can also be prone to sensitive skin that can be oily at times (but usually less so than Kaphas). Pitta types can benefit from adding dry brushing as part of their weekly routine. If you are a Pitta type, you might like to alternate dry brushing with oil massage.

Vata: 1 time per week

Vatas are prone to dry skin that can feel rough or even flaky. While dry brushing can help remove dead skin cells, it’s better for Vata types to practice dry brushing occasionally. Vata types do better with oil massage as a regular part of their daily routine.

Dry Brushing for Busy Moms

So now you know the benefits of dry brushing and exactly how to do it – step by step. Will you try it out, or add it to your daily routine? Let me know in the comments below! I’d love to hear about your experience.

Dry brushing is such a quick, easy and inexpensive way to incorporate Ayurveda into your life. It takes just a few minutes and that’s why I LOVE this as an option for busy moms that don’t have the time for longer Ayurvedic practices.

Have the gloves or brush in your bathroom so you can grab them last minute before your shower and enjoy the benefits – you deserve it!