I recently promised you I would write a few tips for this month’s Handmade Mondays based on two great new books. I’ll start with green goddess Sophie Uliano’s latest tome, Do It Gorgeously,
However, I want to use Sophie’s book to talk about a skin care tip that’s only sort-of DIY: dry brushing. I say sort-of because it requires you to purchase a brush! But otherwise, it’s totally an at-home treatment. Dry brushing is common in Europe; I learned about it when I got my spa technician certificate, since it’s a prelude to many spa treatments.
Dry brushing removes dead skin cells and thus helps eliminate ingrown hairs from waxing, but it also stimulates your whole system. You feel a tingle all over afterward, and often a bit energized, too. My classmates reported that it helped them keep their systems regular and even alleviated cellulite (Sophie agrees on that last one, though she combines dry brushing with application of homemade cellulite oil).
Sophie dedicates a page and a half to her how-to, but I’ll give you the short version: using a natural fiber brush like your typical back scrubber (I removed the long handle from mine for ease), brush your skin from foot to shoulders, mostly in long, sweeping strokes and always toward the heart (on your belly, go in a clockwise circle, following the natural path of your digestive system). I tend to do sets of three, stroking first with the brush in one hand, and then following with the my other clean hand, which soothes and helps you keep a rhythm. You can see how I do it on my arm in this super short video.
For me the biggest benefit to dry brushing is that it’s dry; when I travel, instead of bringing along an exfoliating cloth which I have to either dry out or pack wet (yuck!), I always a dry brush. Exfoliation is essential to keeping my ingrown-prone skin in a manageable state, and it really makes a difference when I can keep it up on vacation. You can see my trusty dry brush on my overnight kit, above.
If you’re interested in more about Sophie, I encourage you to check out her website, gorgeouslygreen.com or follow her on Twitter @gorgeouslygreen.
