You’re probably thinking, a TOOTHBRUSH? It this woman crazy? I know, I know, it does sound ridiculous. I thought so, too, until I saw how it revitalized my mother’s skin. I’m forbidden to reveal her age (seriously, she’ll disinherit me!), but I will say that I saw my mother grow a decade younger in a couple of years after regularly brushing her face with a toothbrush.
Mom’s a depression era baby and she’s great at figuring out how to achieve expensive looking results in the most economical way. She wanted to look like she was getting facials and after receiving one, the exfoliation seemed to be what enhanced the look of her skin. The esthetician had used a face brush on her and had recommended that she purchase one for home use. Ha! My mother thought.What do I need to buy an expensive face brush for when I can just use a designated two dollar toothbrush? And that’s what she did.
She got a soft bristle toothbrush and began gently brushing the skin, in circular motions all around the face and neck, and she discovered that her pores stayed clearer. Initially, the goal was to prevent acne breakouts. But after a few months, she noticed that her skin was not only clearer, it looked younger, less lined and more vibrant.
Why is this? A few reasons.
1. Brushing brings blood to the surface of the skin. The blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the skin cells. So, you are helping to “feed,” your skin when you brush it. As you do this regularly, you nourish your skin on a regular basis. If your nutrition is good, that further enhances the quality of the blood being sent to your skin tissues.
2. The exfoliating helps to slough off dead skin cells. When we’re young, the cells turnover regularly on their own, but as we age, that process slows down and the old cells cling to the surface longer, resulting in a dulling of our complexions as we age. Regular exfoliating assists the skin in this cell turnover, allowing older skin to look more like its younger self.
3. Exfoliating also draws out impurities from the pores, helping to keep them cleaner and smaller. As we age, our pores look larger. Clearing out the pores helps the skin look smoother and tighter.
4. Brushing stimulates the muscles under the surface of the skin, similarly to how they would be stimulated by a face massage. The brushing serves as a mini face massage. As you’re going over the skin, brushing in circles and up and down in certain areas, the tiny muscles under the skin’s surface are being stimulated. Blood flow to these muscle is occurring. This stimulation helps to keep these muscles conditioned in a way that they might otherwise not be. If the muscles underneath the surface of the skin remain conditioned, your face holds up better over time and there is less sagging.
When I began skin brushing, I did it just a few times a week. This is what I recommend for you as you begin. Each person’s skin is different, so you must find what works best for you. When you start, be sure to use a SOFT BRISTLE toothbrush.
Here’s what you do:
1. Wet your face and neck with warm water. You may want to open your pores by applying a warm washcloth for a few minutes.
2. Apply the skin cleanser of your choice to your face and neck. If you have dry skin, you may wish to use a moisturizing cleanser. If it’s oily, you can use something that treats oily skin. Use whatever is already working for your skin. Apply it all over the face and neck, unless it’s an acne formula, then use something less drying for the skin around your eyes. (You may want to do the eyes separately.)
3. Apply the cleanser to the toothbrush. This helps the brush glide over the skin more smoothly.
4. Begin brushing gently. Where you start is up to you, but I like to begin with the sides of the mouth. Brush clockwise and counterclockwise all over the cheeks, chin. On the forehead, you can brush in circles and also up and down. Pay attention the the area between your eyebrows, were frown lines can form. Brush in circles, clockwise and counterclockwise. If you have lines above this area, from lifting your eyebrows, brush in circles and up and down.
5. Do the eyes last. And be very very gentle in this area. If you’ve used a drying cleanser, wash it off the brush before you do the eyes and use something more moisturizing. You can even brush with moisturizer in the eye area. Put the brush on the outer part of the eye closest to your hairline, where crows feet form, and brush GENTLY in toward the bridge of the nose. When you begin, do this only about three times. As you do it more often, you use more pressure and more strokes, but begin slowly.
6. Even with light pressure, your skin is likely going to look red, depending on your skin tone. Don’t worry. The redness will subsided within several minutes. If it has not subsided after an hour, either you’ve brushed too vigorously, or this procedure is not appropriate for your skin. Start out with very little pressure and build up over time if you’re seeing good results. If your face becomes inflamed or irritated your skin may simply be too sensitive for this.
7. Always, always, always, without exception, follow this with some sort of moisturizer. Use one you’ve already been using that you know works well for your skin. If you’re brushing in the daytime, use a moisturizer with sunscreen, preferably one that has an SPF of 30 or higher. If you’re brushing at night, follow with a great night cream. Nighttime is when the skin repairs itself, so if you do the brushing, following with a night cream designed to replenish and repair, and you sleep, you’re going to get an added benefit. This is because the brushing and exfoliating prepares the skin for products to penetrate more effectively.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve begun to face brush more frequently than I did when I was starting out. Each face is unique and you will learn to feel and see what your skin requires. At first, brush no more than three times per week. Build up slowly. If your skin responds well to the procedure (you can tell by how it looks and feels) it’s okay to do it daily or every other day.
She got a soft bristle toothbrush and began gently brushing the skin, in circular motions all around the face and neck, and she discovered that her pores stayed clearer. Initially, the goal was to prevent acne breakouts. But after a few months, she noticed that her skin was not only clearer, it looked younger, less lined and more vibrant.
Why is this? A few reasons.
1. Brushing brings blood to the surface of the skin. The blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the skin cells. So, you are helping to “feed,” your skin when you brush it. As you do this regularly, you nourish your skin on a regular basis. If your nutrition is good, that further enhances the quality of the blood being sent to your skin tissues.
2. The exfoliating helps to slough off dead skin cells. When we’re young, the cells turnover regularly on their own, but as we age, that process slows down and the old cells cling to the surface longer, resulting in a dulling of our complexions as we age. Regular exfoliating assists the skin in this cell turnover, allowing older skin to look more like its younger self.
3. Exfoliating also draws out impurities from the pores, helping to keep them cleaner and smaller. As we age, our pores look larger. Clearing out the pores helps the skin look smoother and tighter.
4. Brushing stimulates the muscles under the surface of the skin, similarly to how they would be stimulated by a face massage. The brushing serves as a mini face massage. As you’re going over the skin, brushing in circles and up and down in certain areas, the tiny muscles under the skin’s surface are being stimulated. Blood flow to these muscle is occurring. This stimulation helps to keep these muscles conditioned in a way that they might otherwise not be. If the muscles underneath the surface of the skin remain conditioned, your face holds up better over time and there is less sagging.
When I began skin brushing, I did it just a few times a week. This is what I recommend for you as you begin. Each person’s skin is different, so you must find what works best for you. When you start, be sure to use a SOFT BRISTLE toothbrush.
Here’s what you do:
1. Wet your face and neck with warm water. You may want to open your pores by applying a warm washcloth for a few minutes.
2. Apply the skin cleanser of your choice to your face and neck. If you have dry skin, you may wish to use a moisturizing cleanser. If it’s oily, you can use something that treats oily skin. Use whatever is already working for your skin. Apply it all over the face and neck, unless it’s an acne formula, then use something less drying for the skin around your eyes. (You may want to do the eyes separately.)
3. Apply the cleanser to the toothbrush. This helps the brush glide over the skin more smoothly.
4. Begin brushing gently. Where you start is up to you, but I like to begin with the sides of the mouth. Brush clockwise and counterclockwise all over the cheeks, chin. On the forehead, you can brush in circles and also up and down. Pay attention the the area between your eyebrows, were frown lines can form. Brush in circles, clockwise and counterclockwise. If you have lines above this area, from lifting your eyebrows, brush in circles and up and down.
5. Do the eyes last. And be very very gentle in this area. If you’ve used a drying cleanser, wash it off the brush before you do the eyes and use something more moisturizing. You can even brush with moisturizer in the eye area. Put the brush on the outer part of the eye closest to your hairline, where crows feet form, and brush GENTLY in toward the bridge of the nose. When you begin, do this only about three times. As you do it more often, you use more pressure and more strokes, but begin slowly.
6. Even with light pressure, your skin is likely going to look red, depending on your skin tone. Don’t worry. The redness will subsided within several minutes. If it has not subsided after an hour, either you’ve brushed too vigorously, or this procedure is not appropriate for your skin. Start out with very little pressure and build up over time if you’re seeing good results. If your face becomes inflamed or irritated your skin may simply be too sensitive for this.
7. Always, always, always, without exception, follow this with some sort of moisturizer. Use one you’ve already been using that you know works well for your skin. If you’re brushing in the daytime, use a moisturizer with sunscreen, preferably one that has an SPF of 30 or higher. If you’re brushing at night, follow with a great night cream. Nighttime is when the skin repairs itself, so if you do the brushing, following with a night cream designed to replenish and repair, and you sleep, you’re going to get an added benefit. This is because the brushing and exfoliating prepares the skin for products to penetrate more effectively.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve begun to face brush more frequently than I did when I was starting out. Each face is unique and you will learn to feel and see what your skin requires. At first, brush no more than three times per week. Build up slowly. If your skin responds well to the procedure (you can tell by how it looks and feels) it’s okay to do it daily or every other day.
