The brush-off: Why dry brushing is back

MANILA, Philippines - For the past three weeks, I’ve been obsessed with the idea of going on a juice cleanse. By obsessed, I mean doing meticulous comparisons among local juice delivery services, hoarding juice cleanse recipes and convincing my mother a cold press juicer is everything. (Currently I am torn between the Hurom juicer and the Matstone juicer.) Basically, I’ve done everything except go on a juice cleanse because some part of me is mortally afraid of parting with solid foods past lunchtime.

And now, as a prelude to my war with toxins, I’ve decided to try dry brushing, which is gaining popularity among the liquid fructose set. According to Dr. Denice Moffat of NaturalHealthTechniques.com, skin functions like a third kidney, and is responsible for a fourth of the body’s detoxifications each day. Dry brushing is an ancient ritual practiced in Greece and Japan, which gently exfolitates, while aiding the skin in the detoxification process. The purported benefits of dry brushing range from the obvious, such as exfoliation, stimulation and improved circulation, to the miraculous: a strengthened immune system, tightened skin and toned muscles, improved digestion and cellulite reduction. For skeptics, that may be stretching it, but for homeopaths, it makes sense.

According to Dr. Moffat and other dry brush enthusiasts, the recommended method of dry brushing is either circular or using long strokes in the direction of the heart. The only area of the body that requires unique strokes is the stomach: You must use counter-clockwise strokes (from right to left), in the same direction your intestines coil. You may start from top to bottom or the other way around, as long as you always brush towards your heart. This is because dry brushing aids lymphatic drainage. Lymph is responsible for bringing our cells nutrients and removing waste, while lymph vessels pump lymph throughout the body and back to the heart — dry brushing supposedly speeds up this process. Dr. Moffat says that after a dew days of dry brushing, which stimulates the lymph vessels to drain toxic mucoid matter into organs responsonsible for detoxification (gut, kidneys, liver, etc.), you may pass a gelatinous mucoid material in your stool, which is a sign that the intestinal tract is renewing itself and that the immune system is being strengthened.

To a certain extent, traditional doctors would agree that the claims of dry brushing aren’t completely bogus. Dr. Tina S. Alster, a clinical professor of Georgetown University Medical Center, told The New York Times that like any other exfoliation method, dry brushing does remove dead skin cells, increase blood flow, aid the lymphatic system and address bloating. However, she also counters that exercise also increases circulation and that a massage also stimulates lymph vessels and decreases bloating. Dermatologists also disagree point blank when it comes to claims that dry brushing reduces cellulite. (Sigh.) While dry brushing may not live up to all of its claims, there is only one real risk: Overdoing it may lead to red, irritated skin. Before working it into your daily morning routine, start off with dry brushing twice weekly and needless to say, avoid open wounds and areas affected by psoriasis and eczema.

With this information in mind, I booked the two-hour Hanakasumi Nourishing Ritual at Neo Day Spa, one of the few local spas that offer dry brushing. My therapist worked the brush up and down in large, circular motions as I lay on a plastic-covered massage bed (the plastic is later removed for the massage). The brush she used had natural bristles, which weren’t abrasive, but pretty still intense. Ideally, if you’re going to dry brush at home, you’re supposed to do it in the shower so that you can rinse off the dead skin that sheds. Seeing as it would be impractical for my therapist to bathe me in the massage room, she applied a cherry blossom rice powder scrub instead. Unlike other spa treatments I’ve experienced, where body scrubs are rinsed off while moist, my therapist worked in the scrub until it dried out and the exfoliating beads could be brushed off. The clumps of rice powder that fell to my side, spa manager Nyssa Feredo explained, also contained dead skin cells. Afterwards, any remaining debris was wiped off with warm exfoliating towels.

After dry brushing, your skin is going to feel dry, so applying moisturizer is recommended. My therapist took her time with this one by applying body butter using a dreamy Qi Tranquility Massage, which is a modern version of the hilot. First, the superficial results: The three-part exfoliation process practically guaranteed that my skin would be super soft after. The soles of my feet were smooth and even a couple of the bumps I used to feel on the backs of my arms (what my mom would call butlig) were gone. Also, while I don’t really have particularly dark knees and elbows, after the treatment, they were considerably lighter, even pinkish — something the at-home lulur scrubs I bought never accomplished over months of use. But how did I know that my body was detoxified? “Water retention,” Cecily Mabasa, the managing partner of Neo Day Spa, answered. Apparently it was common for their clients to go the bathroom right after getting the Hanakasumi ritual. So that explains the disproportionate amount of sprinkle in my tinkle after, considering I only had a tiny bottle of water in the morning.

While Nyssa recommends spacing out the Hanakasumi ritual over seven to 10 days, if you practice dry brushing at home, you can probably get this done every month, especially if you don’t have anybody at home to help you brush hard-to-reach areas. “It would be best to have it done sometimes by someone else. It becomes more even, especially if you’re trying to exfoliate,” she explains, not to mention not having to deal with your balled-up DNA samples that fall to the floor after. Whether you prefer dry brushing yourself or having a professional do it for you, dry brushing has enough benefits that make it worth the 10 to 15 minutes it takes to get it done, especially if you’re not the the type to exercise or get a massage regularly. It may not be the homeopathic panacea some people proclaim it to be, but hey, that’s what juice cleanses are for, right?

* * *

Neo Day Spa is located at G/F Net One Center Building, 26th Street corner 3rd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City and Ki by Neo Day Spa at 35 Wilson Street, Greenhills West, San Juan City. For more information, visit Neospa.net.