Is dry brushing worth adding to your daily skincare routine?

Dry brushing is growing in popularity as a skincare ritual, but experts warn that it may cause harm if people try it without understanding its purpose and risks.

The Real Benefits

Dr Swetha Sridhar, medical director at Dr Swetha's Skin Sutra Clinic, notes that the main benefit of dry brushing is physical exfoliation. The bristles can loosen and remove dead skin cells from the skin surface to leave it temporarily smoother and softer. The friction also increases blood flow near the surface to give the skin a temporary flushed look.

Limits and Risks

However, there is little scientific proof for wider claims that dry brushing detoxifies the body, improves lymphatic drainage, cuts down cellulite, or changes skin texture for long. The human body already removes waste through the liver and kidneys. Using too much pressure, brushing too often, or picking very stiff bristles can damage the skin barrier and lead to irritation, dryness, redness, and tiny cuts. People who have sensitive skin, eczema, psoriasis, active acne, rashes, cuts, or other inflammatory skin problems should avoid brushing over those areas.

How to Do It Safely

For anyone who still wants to try it, gentle brushing on normal skin works best, followed by a moisturizer to bring back hydration. It should only add to standard skincare like daily moisturizing and sun protection, rather than replace it. Anyone who feels ongoing redness, burning, itching, or irritation should stop doing it at once.

Context

Dry brushing involves using a stiff-bristled brush on dry skin before bathing, a practice that draws heavily on wellness trends popularized on social media. Dermatologists generally advise treating social media skincare fads with care to protect the skin barrier from unnecessary irritation.