In the past few years, skin brushing has gained more and more interest due to its numerous benefits. It is just like a relaxing therapy for the body that doesn’t cost much money but delivers astonishing results. Before we proceed to how skin brushing before bed reduces stress, let’s first learn about what it is.
What is Skin Brushing?
As its name sounds, skin brushing involves brushing your entire body with a soft bristle brush in circular motions. Just like you brush your hair, you have to brush your skin in the same way. Skin brushing is also known as dry brushing. In this type of brushing, you don’t make the brush or skin wet. Instead, you just pick up a brush and start brushing it on your dry skin without applying anything else.
How Skin Brushing Helps Relieve Stress
Surprisingly, skin brushing is famous for reducing stress. Skin brushing reduces a person’s stress in the following ways:
Improves Blood Circulation
Dry brushing works wonderfully by improving the circulation of blood in the body. As a result of brushing on the skin, the skin cells get an improved supply of blood, oxygen, and minerals. The fatigue and tiredness go away from the cell, and they get proper nourishment. When the circulation of blood also improves in the central nervous system, it triggers the pleasure-causing hormones. This helps in relieving the stress and making a person feel good and stress-free.
Exfoliates Dead Skin Cells
Another benefit of dry brushing is that it helps exfoliate the dead skin cells and leave our skin light, fresh-looking, and healthier. When the extra burden of skin residue goes away from our skin, it makes us feel good about ourselves. In this way, it causes the feeling of happiness and gratefulness for having beautiful skin while reducing the stress.
Relaxed and Calm Sensation
Dry brushing also does wonders by creating the sensation of being relaxed and calm. When we keep brushing our skin, it gives us a soothing effect and activates the hormones that control the stress-causing cortisol. In this way, the stress level of a person starts to reduce through dry brushing the skin.
Step by Step Guide to Skin Brushing
To enjoy the benefits of skin brushing, you must learn the right way of brushing your skin. Brushing your skin is slightly different than brushing your hair. When we brush our hair, we brush in straight motions that are from top to bottom. In contrast, when we brush our skin, we brush in circular motions that slightly move from bottom to top. Here are the following steps that you must follow to reap the benefits of skin brushing:
Start brushing from the feet and move upward.
When you start brushing, try to start it from your lower body, such as your feet. Move the brush in smaller but circular motions and bring it upwards in circular motions slowly. Repeat brushing on one area at least 2-3 times and then move to the next part. When you brush your arms, make the circular motions using the brush from the edges of the hands towards the center of the heart. Then, slowly come to the neck and face.
Use a soft bristle brush for the face.
When you start brushing your skin on the face, try to use a different brush with softer bristles. This is important because the outer skin layer of the face is very sensitive and it may get irritated. However, dry brushing is safe for your face if you do it in the right way with the right brush and don’t have any skin issues.
Take a bath.
Keep in mind that the overall procedure of dry brushing should not take more than 10-15 minutes for the best results. Once you are done with skin brushing, take a bath with lukewarm water. It is important because skin brushing removes the deal skin cells from your skin along with the other dirt or residue. If you don’t take a bath, they may cause bacterial outbursts on your skin.
- Moisturize
When you finish bathing, use a good moisturizer on your skin. It should nourish your skin and help it regain its moisture and strength.
Skin Brushing is Not for Everyone!
Although skin brushing is very advantageous for relieving stress, unfortunately it is not for everyone. People with extra sensitive skin or with acute acne should avoid skin brushing. Otherwise, they make themselves more prone to bacterial outbursts and skin issues.
Therefore, you should only proceed with skin brushing if you don’t have any skin conditions. Do it in the right way and observe the results after a few days of brushing your skin. Frequent skin brushing before bed would dramatically reduce your stress levels and make you feel lighter and happier.
