How to Dry Brush Your Face: A Step-by-Step Guide
Dry brushing your face takes just two minutes, but the technique makes all the difference. Brush too hard or in the wrong direction and you’ll miss the relaxing benefits. Brush with the right rhythm and you’ll start every morning with skin that looks fresh and awake.
Here’s exactly how to do it.
What you need
- A facial dry brush with soft, rounded bristles. Body brushes are too firm for the face.
- Clean, completely dry skin
- Your favourite serum or facial oil for afterwards
The basic rule: centre outwards, then down
The golden rule of facial dry brushing is simple: brush from the centre of your face outwards, and from your jaw down towards your collarbone. This follows the direction traditionally used in lymphatic drainage massage.
Use light, slow strokes. Your skin may turn slightly pink, but it should never feel scratchy or painful.
Step 1: Start with clean, dry skin
Cleanse your face, pat it completely dry and wait a moment. Dry brushing only works on dry skin: wet skin is softer and more easily irritated.
Step 2: Start at the neck
Many people skip this step, but it’s actually where you should begin. Brush with gentle strokes from just under your ears down along the sides of your neck towards your collarbone. Repeat 3–5 times on each side.
Step 3: Along the jawline
Place the brush on your chin and brush along your jawline towards your ears. A contoured brush, like the YUHI Facial Dry Brush, follows the curve of your jaw naturally. Repeat 3–5 times on each side.
Step 4: Cheeks and cheekbones
Brush from the sides of your nose outwards over your cheeks towards your ears. Then follow the line of your cheekbones from the inside out. Repeat 3–5 times.
Step 5: Forehead
Brush from the centre of your forehead outwards towards your temples. Repeat 3–5 times on each side.
Step 6: Around the eyes (extra gentle)
The skin around your eyes is the thinnest on your face. Use almost no pressure: let the bristles barely touch the skin. Brush from the inner corner outwards under the eye, towards the temple. Repeat 2–3 times.
Finish: apply your skincare
Finish with one more stroke down along your neck. Then apply your serum, facial oil or moisturiser to your freshly brushed skin.
How often?
- Weeks 1–2: 2–3 times a week
- After that: daily, if your skin responds well
- Best time: in the morning, as part of your wake-up routine
5 common mistakes
- Pressing too hard. More pressure doesn’t mean better results. Light strokes are enough.
- Brushing on wet skin. Always brush dry skin.
- Using a body brush on your face. It’s too firm for delicate facial skin.
- Brushing in all directions. Stick to centre outwards and down.
- Never cleaning your brush. Rinse it weekly with lukewarm water and mild soap, and let it dry with the bristles facing down.
When not to dry brush
Skip it on active acne, rosacea, eczema, cuts, sunburn or irritated skin, and right after a peel or retinol treatment.
Ready to start?
The YUHI Facial Dry Brush was designed for exactly this ritual. Its soft, wavy bristles and crescent-shaped wooden handle make it easy to follow every contour of your face with gentle, even pressure.
Two minutes a day. Get ready to glow.