Dry Brushing For Weight Loss – Does it work?

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I heard about dry brushing, so I bought the cheapest one I could find on Amazon. Check it out:

My first time using it, it took less than 2 minutes. I started with my feet, making upward strokes ‘towards the heart’ about 3-5 strokes per section. It was done pretty fast.

I was left all tingly, and knew it was already working for improving circulation. I then hopped into the shower and soaked for a few minutes before starting to scrub and wash off.

The amazing thing was, that all the dry skin from off of my heels. . . and I really mean all of it! just sloughed off, leaving my feet smooth as silk.

My feet were rough before. I have satin sheets, and my feet routinely tear the fabric. By the way, if you’ve never tried silky sheets before, you need to! They have changed how I sleep!

But anyways, back to Dry Brushing –

I have tried to get my feet smooth: I’ve tried pumice stones, those creepy mini graters, softening lotion… none worked great, or at least without pain.

So just for feet softening alone, I would recommend dry brushing!

But I continued for a full week to do it faithfully every single day to see what other benefits showed up.

But first, let’s talk about what studies say about Dry Brushing:

Here’s the thing. There aren’t really any good scientific studies. I am a bit of a skeptic myself sometimes, which is why I started this blog- to try out first-hand if certain claims were true. So I liked this article that is skeptic of ‘all the benefits’ of Dry Brushing. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/fashion/16Skin.html

I love the idea of detoxing the body. I grew up in an extremely ‘alternative medicine’ type of home. And sad to say, sometimes, you just don’t see the results. Ever. And all you can do is trust that it’s working (kind of like taking vitamins).

So it may, or may not, detoxify your body. but here are some things that everyone agrees that dry brushing does:

• Softens skin
• Invigorates the circulation and blood flow
• Gets rid of dead skin cells, and
• Improves the lymphatic system.

How Can Dry Brushing Help You Lose Weight?

For me personally, I lost 2 pounds this week. But I’ve been counting calories, and doing Keto. So that is pretty normal for me. If I had lost 5+ pounds all of a sudden, I could have attributed it to dry brushing.

I’m not saying that Dry Brushing can’t help in the weight-loss category.

I was feeling sluggish right before going to a 3 hour meeting. I knew it was going to be hard to stay awake, so I had this brilliant idea to do a little dry brushing before I went. And guess what?! It worked! It is a really good way to get your blood flowing, and your energy up.

This could help you lose weight if you struggle with daily fatigue, and can’t ever bring yourself to actually exercise. That boost and the tingles throughout your whole skin, can really get you moving!

And if you need help picking the right kind of exercise. . . Check out my favorite H.I.I.T workouts or my favorite 30 minute at-home exercises!

Healthy Lymphatic System: Easier Fat-Loss

The Lymphatic system is the ‘drainage system’ for the body:

• It works against gravity to move white blood cells around
• It returns plasma back into the blood stream
• It helps with immune functions
• And helps defend against infections and the spread of tumors. (lymph wikipedia)

So, if a Dry Brush can stimulate the lymph system to work more effectively, you should be healthier. And that should give you the energy and clarity to stick to the healthier things in life that can aid in your weight loss journey.

Fun Fact for Women Only:

I don’t know why I have to warn people away from a very natural occurrence, but I’m going to talk about my period for a moment.

After using the dry brush for 4 days, my period came 3 days early. Which is incredibly unusual. I’m always within a day of my set time. It made me wonder if all this stimulation of the lymph nodes moved things along quicker and helps with PMS. And the short answer is ‘Yes, probably’. Here is a quick article about it

Ok, so after a lengthy study of the lymphatic system, I may have to rescind what I said earlier about the ‘detoxification’ myth. The lymph systems job is to detoxify. And if you get clogged lymph nodes, toxic stuff can get stuck. So IF dry brushing gets your lymph system moving and unclogged, then YES it would help detoxify your body. (I like this article)

Adding Dry Brushing to your Daily Routine:

After just one day of using the dry brush, I was telling my family members they have to try it. After one week of trying it, I’ve decided to start handing out dry brushes as gifts whenever I get the chance.

You can get the cheap handheld one like I did, or you can spend a few extra dollars and get one with a long handle. I can’t quite reach between my shoulder blades with the one I have now, which bothers me a little. Plus the this one with a long handle has two brushing sides. . . I’m not sure what the other side does, it’s on my wish list to buy myself.

It isn’t hard to add this invigorating regimen to your daily routine. Just take a few minutes before a shower, and brush yourself off (always up towards the heart). I think you will notice a difference in your skin’s overall health, and possibly the inside of you will notice health benefits as well.

So even though the idea of dry brushing for weight-loss might not be completely accurate, losing weight could very well be a side affect of energizing your health levels.