Q: Should I try dry-brushing to get smoother, softer skin?
A: For those of you who have never come in contact with a skin brush, it looks like a giant, stiff-bristled wooden toothbrush. Regular brushings will slough off dead cells more effectively than your typical in-shower scrub, and, when done vigorously enough, can help improve the body’s circulation. The downside? They add another full step to your shower routine. The swirling cloud of dead, dry skin can also make a bit of a mess in your bathroom. My suggestion is to pick up a Korean “Italy” towel.
These palm-size, 100 percent viscose cloths will be be familiar to anyone who’s ever gone to a Korean bathhouse and endured one of those infamous full-body scrubs. The rough-textured towels slough off skin just as effectively as body brushes, but do the job much more efficiently, as they’re meant to be used in the shower on wet skin. If you crave the full-on, rub-your-skin-nearly-raw experience, soak in a bath first to open pores, then use the towel to thoroughly scrub yourself, using no soap or other bath product (once a month is safe — any more and you won’t have any skin left). For everyday use, pair your towel with a dollop of creamy cleanser (like Olay’s Ultra Moisture wash), which will make for a slightly less abrasive experience. Either way, it will get skin super soft and definitely get the blood moving.
