My interest in dry brushing [1] sparked on a slow Sunday morning playing with my partner Tom's cat. While I had heard that the deeply exfoliating treatment had many benefits, such as firming and toning [2] skin, I was most interested in how it would brighten the hyperpigmented areas of my body. Thanks to my 6-year-old friendship with Remi, the 8-year-old Tabby, I've received some dark marks left over by scratches I was eager to get rid of.
I decided to dry brush for one week straight and chose the Joanna Vargas Rituals Brush [3] ($30) as my tool for the experiment because of its extra-long handle. I pulled the tool out of its box and read the directions carefully. It said to "brush using long sweeping movements toward the heart" and to use daily before I hopped in the shower, and that's exactly what I did.
At my first sweep, I thought that my stint with the tool would end right then and there as the bristles scraped across my skin [4] with a slight stinging and turned it red. I stuck with it, lightening my pressure and exfoliated my entire body from my shoulders to my toes before hopping into the shower to wash off the dead skin. In just one session, my skin felt softer and looked slightly brighter.
Days three through five were much easier when it came to the pain of its use. I had finally gotten into the groove of brushing my entire body with the abrasive tool, and my skin had gotten used to the feeling. While not entirely pleasant, it became easier to disconnect from the discomfort to a point that I could catch up on the episodes of The Bachelorette [5] I'd been missing — something I couldn't do before since I thought dry brushing was a little too painful of an experience for me to try to multitask with watching a TV show.
What I found amazing was that by the end of the week, aside from the fact that my skin was baby soft and that my hyperpigmented areas looked brighter, the scabs from newer cuts I had on my arm had fallen off with zero scarring. My tan skin looked glowy and more even. I didn't experience any firming and toning, but it has only been a week, and I'm optimistic about its long-term effects. Will I stop playing with my partner's cat? Probably not — but at least there might be an at-home solution to brighten up any future scars from our sparring on my body. Check out my dry brush, ahead, along with others of different shapes and sizes to help you reach every part of your body.
Dr. Barbara Sturm Anti-Cellulite Body Brush in No 1
The strap on the Dr. Barbara Sturm Anti-Cellulite Body Brush in No 1 [6] ($37) makes the oval-shaped brush easy to grip as you sweep it across your body.
Joanna Vargas Ritual Brush
The long handle of the Joanna Vargas Ritual Brush [7] ($30) makes it easy for your to thoroughly scrub hard-to-reach areas of your body, like your back.
The Body Shop Round Body Brush
The Body Shop Round Body Brush [8] ($8) fits perfectly in the palm of your hand so you can easily maneuver it across your body.
Baudelaire Dry Brush
The handle and large face of the Baudelaire Dry Brush [9] ($10) will make exfoliating skin even faster.
Mio Skincare Natural Dry Brush
Mio Skincare Natural Dry Brush [10] ($20) has massage nodules for increased circulation and an even more pleasant experience with your dry brush.
5 Piece Dry Brushing Body Brush and Massage Set
The 5 Piece Dry Brushing Body Brush and Massage Set [11] ($22) contains five different dry brushes to help you target and exfoliate different parts of your body more easily.
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