As a skincare enthusiast, I love testing out different things that help promote radiant skin! But today I’m not reviewing skincare products. Instead, I’m sharing the benefits of two different ancient beauty rituals: dry brushing and gua sha. These little tools might just be the thing you need to amp up your self-care routine!
Chances are that you’ve heard at least a little bit about these beauty tools. If you’re brand new to it or simply curious about their benefits, this blog post is for YOU!
Dry Brushing
Dry brushing originated in India over 5,000 years ago. Using a firm-bristle brush, you gently massage your skin in an upward motion to increase circulation, exfoliate the skin, and to aid with lymphatic drainage. Dry brushing also helps with diminishing the appearance of cellulite and improves skin radiance.
How do you do it?
You can dry brush your body or your face! Just make sure you use the right type of brush. It’s also important that your skin is completely dry, so brush before you shower or before cleansing your face.
When dry brushing your body, start at your ankles and brush in long circular motions that go in the direction of your heart. If dry brushing your face, gently massage in small circular motions, avoiding the delicate eye area.
How often?
As a general rule of thumb, don’t dry brush more than 1-2x/ week. Over-exfoliating can lead to skin irritation and compromise the skin barrier. Be gentle, as the bristles are firm. Make sure to wash it 2x month with soap and water.
How does it benefit me?
- Boosts circulation
- Sloughs off dead skin cells
- Increases blood flow
- Stimulates lymphatic system
- Reduces appearance of cellulite
Are there drawbacks?
Dry brushing isn’t for everyone and isn’t recommended for those with extremely sensitive skin, rosacea, or eczema. Also, it can irritate anyone’s skin if overdone.
Where do I get one?
I got my Face Brush from Carelav on Amazon. Their brushes are made with eco-friendly materials, including boar bristles and a cherry wood handle. I love the small size and how durable it feels. Being new to dry brushing, I was nervous that the bristles would be too rough and irritating, but its the right amount of firmness. I gently massage my face with this brush 1x a week. It’s a quick, easy, and affordable tool.
Body Brush – I got mine at my local Marshall’s but you can find them on Amazon, Dermstore, and most personal care shops.
Final thoughts.
When it comes to exfoliation, I still prefer my chemical and physical exfoliating products; however, I love that dry brushing may help stimulate lymphatic drainage, rid the body of toxins, and boost circulation. For those reasons, I’ll continue to use my dry brush a few times a month!
gua sha
Gua Sha is an ancient Chinese medicine technique. Using a jade stone and your favorite facial oil, you can gently stroke or “scrape” your face to stimulate the lymphatic system, boost circulation, and allow skincare products to absorb better. Other benefits include brightening dull skin, encouraging collagen production, and helping prevent and smooth wrinkles.
Gua Sha can either be a mindful practice you incorporate into your routine or something relaxing you do while watching Netflix. But make sure you learn the proper technique first to make sure you get the results you’re looking for!
How do you do it?
Sometimes a photo is way more helpful than text. That said, I loved this graph from Subtle-Style.
The gentle pressure of the strokes will begin to relax your face muscles and release any tension. Here are some tips:
- Use on freshly cleansed skin
- Use 4-5 drops of facial oil to allow the jade stone to glide on the skin
- Repeat each stroke 4-5x
- Can be done morning or night
- Chill in the freezer overnight and soothe your eye area the next morning
- Clean with soap and water
Are there drawbacks?
It’s not easy and you need to learn how to use the gua sha’s proper technique as it is the key to getting the results you’re looking for.
Here’s a tutorial that I found super helpful:
Where do I get one?
The Detox Market ($45), Herbivore ($18), Skin Gym ($32)
Final thoughts.
I’m still a bit slow to get the technique completely down, but it’s a relaxing and soothing self-care activity. It also made me aware that I hold a lot of tension in my neck. I will be using gua sha more consistently to release muscle tension and improve lymph draining, which help promote brighter, clearer skin.
