I Tried Dry Body Brushing Every Day For A Month – Here’s What Happened

If you’re absolutely baffled by the prospect of dry body brushing – essentially running a prickly brush over your limbs – I hear you. Until a month ago, I thought it was just another wellness fad, but then I discovered that functional health doctors and celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley swear by it, citing a host of potential skin and health benefits. So, naturally, I decided it was time to put it to the test myself.

So, what exactly is it? “Dry brushing is an ancient Ayurvedic self-care practice involving a massage with a dry, stiff brush,” says Dr Ireny Salama, aesthetic doctor and surgeon at The HVN. “The method exfoliates the skin, boosts circulation, stimulates lymphatic flow, and helps detoxify the body.”

And if you’re consistent, you’ll see results pretty fast. “With daily use, you’ll notice smoother and brighter skin fairly quickly,” says Dr Ireny. “Although benefits such as improved circulation might take longer and are subjective.”

Plus, results are impacted by your lifestyle, too. Marie Reynolds, renowned holistic health and skin expert, says that you have to look at your diet and lifestyle to see results on the skin. “If you’re drinking, smoking and eating lots of fast food, there’s not much point in body brushing,” she says. “After all, the skin is one of the largest detoxification organs.” Point duly noted.

So, read on to discover my verdict on dry body brushing, plus the best dry body brushes to shop right now for your next self-care sesh – just don’t forget your body moisturiser or body oil afterwards.

Meet the experts

How I tested

I spent a month testing a handful of dry body brushes at home, using one for a few minutes each morning. I’ve only included the dry body brushes that I believe are the absolute best on the market, taking into account five-star customer reviews, high-quality materials and, of course, my own hands-on testing. I also considered both price and efficacy, testing brushes across a wide range of retailers and price points to offer a variety of options. Lean more about how we test here.

Why you can trust me:

I’ve spent the past five years working as a shopping writer, with two of those years writing for Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar and ELLE, before joining Glamour. Over that time, I’ve put an almost excessive number of beauty products to the test. It’s given me a strong sense of which beauty trends are fleeting viral TikTok moments and which products genuinely deliver on their promises – and, crucially, are worth spending your money on.