It sounds like old-fashioned snake oil: a virtually free way to improve health and promote beauty in just five minutes a day. But even taking these claims with more than a grain of salt, a broad range of wellness practitioners swear by the practice of dry body brushing.

“Variations of skin brushing have been practised for thousands of years,” says Dr Bruce Berkowsky, an American naturopathic medical doctor who advocates dry body brushing. “For many centuries, the Japanese employed vigorous skin brushing with loofah sponges as a prelude to their traditional hot bath, and among the Cherokee Indians, skin brushing with dried corn cobs to enhance skin beauty and durability was once a traditional practice.”

“Dry brushing can be traced back to the Vedic cultures, and the Romans practised a combing of the body,” adds Anne Bramham, founder of the American Spa Therapy Education & Certification Council. “Modern naturopathy and hydrotherapy practices from the 18th century also embraced dry skin brushing.”

The claimed benefits of the regular practice of dry body brushing include toning of the skin through exfoliation, increased circulation and detoxification, the reduction of cellulite, stress reduction and even an extended lifespan. “Healthy connective tissue and muscles are products of efficient nutrient support and oxygenation, which are promoted by regular skin brushing,” Dr Berkowsky says. “This enhanced circulation is evidenced by the skin flush and feeling of warmth that brushing imparts.”

Sloughing cells

The most obvious effect of rubbing the bristles of a brush against the skin is to physically remove the top-most cells through mechanical friction. Dr Berkowsky explains that the outermost layer of skin serves to protect the underlying layers and is continuously shed and replaced via the multiplication and upward movement of living skin cells. “Inactive, ageing skin does not shed dead cells as easily as youthful skin does, so it is susceptible to cellular build-up, which accounts, in part, for the dry, thick, leathery look of older skin,” he says.

During the practice of dry brushing you may well see cells coming off the skin as a dry powder. Jodie Smith, who works for a company that specialises in making all-natural body brushes, explains why dry bristles are so effective at aiding exfoliation: “Wet bristles clump together, but dry bristles are evenly dispersed and remain firm,” she says. “If you look at a plant bristle under the microscope you will see that it is full of imperfections — these ‘hooks’ are very effective at gathering the dead skin.”

Waste removal

“The skin is the largest eliminatory organ and engaging in regular dry body brushing for approximately five minutes every morning brings nutrients and oxygen to the outer layers of your epidermis, helping it to function optimally,” says Pam Stone, who helped to design a detox program and says dry brushing is key to the detoxifying effect of the program. “Exfoliating the skin while it’s dry gets rid of more skin cells and also allows the skin to breathe. Circulation is boosted as the blood comes the surface, but the movement of lymph is also encouraged, which is the primary way in which waste is removed from the body,” she says.

Essentially, the lymphatic system is the body’s garbage disposal. Lymph removes interstitial fluid from tissues, absorbs and transports fatty acids to the circulatory system and transports immune cells to and from the lymph nodes. Unlike the circulatory system (in which the heart keeps the blood in constant motion), the lymphatic system relies on movement of the body to push the fluid on its way. The stimulation of the lymphatic system by dry brushing helps to remove viruses and bacteria from the body so the nasties that cause illness and inflammation are more efficiently disposed of.

“Beauty is only skin deep”

Even if she was aiming to be philosophical rather than anatomical, Dorothy Parker was spot on. Like it or not, the skin shows the first signs of ageing. “The dermis provides nutrients and moisture to all the skin layers and lends it contour and flexibility,” explains Dr Berkowsky. “When the dermis ages, its connective tissue fibres rigidify, lose resilience and even break into pieces, causing the skin’s support muscles to lose tone and volume and the skin to dehydrate.” Dr Berkowsky explains that skin brushing excites the muscles and nerves of the skin. “The gentle stretching of connective tissues afforded by proper skin brushing helps to increase and regenerate the production of collagen and elastin fibres,” he says. Another feature of ageing is decreased gland function. “The oil secreted by the sebaceous glands coats the surface of the skin and prevents excessive water-loss through evaporation,” Dr Berkowsky explains. “Proper skin brushing stimulates both the oil and sweat glands, and in this way contributes to the restoration of moist, supple skin.” Dr Berkowsky describes how the process of brushing also strengthens the pores, reducing pore enlargement and flaccidity that contribute to the loss of skin tone associated with ageing.

On an anecdotal level from her personal practice of body brushing for more than 10 years, Jodie reports that her issues with ingrown hairs diminished because of the daily gentle exfoliation.