Lymphatic Drainage Facial Brushes: Benefits, How They Work & Why Your Skin Will Thank You
Cecily Braden Lymphatic Brushes gained so much popularity this year that they won the Marie Claire Beauty Award for “Best Face Massage Tool of 2025”
I don’t know how I didn’t see this coming, but lymphatic drainage facial brushes are one of the biggest beauty and skincare trends right now. They gained a lot of popularity in the year of 2025 and will continue to grow. And for good reason! The lymphatic brush is an innovative tool that gives us both health and beauty benefits.
Not only are these brushes a go‑to tool for helping with puffiness and sculpting, but they also support your skin’s health by encouraging lymph flow just beneath the surface. Massaging with these brushes triggers a response in our bodies that calms our nervous system, resulting in reduced inflammation caused by stress.
In this post, I break down what this brush is, how it works, and why it deserves a place in your self‑care routine.
scrub me secret: in 2024, I took a 2-day-long hands-on and theory class that educated me more about the lymphatic system and guided me on how to use these lymphatic brushes. This class was led by Cecily Braden; she had just recently brought these brushes to market, and there was NOTHING like them out there. This year, she won the Marie Claire Beauty Award for best facial massage tool. How cool!
What Is a Lymphatic Drainage Facial Brush?
The lymphatic brush is a revolutionary massage tool designed to help support and enhance the flow of lymphatic fluid in the face and body.
Unlike traditional massage tools like gua sha stones or rollers, this brush has one focused job: to help move lymph fluid just beneath the skin with a delicate, light touch. This specific light touch is best for lymphatic drainage massage to be effective.
It typically comes in different sizes (face and body), and is used with slow, intentional movements for best results. I use the large body one for some massage movements on the neck and forehead, as well as the body.
There are now quite a few knock-offs of Cecily’s Brush; hers is particularly special because it’s made with eco-friendly, recycled materials, and the brush is made from skin-safe poly fibers. The packaging that the brushes come in and the brush handle are recyclable. Quality matters!
scrub me secret: Cecily’s brush design is a patented design, so any dupes you see out there on Amazon, Temu, TikTok Shop, etc are technically illegal knock-off designs. We need to support the original creator and give her her flowers!
Why Lymphatic Movement Matters for Your Skin
Your lymphatic system acts like a drainage network throughout your body, collecting excess fluid, toxins, and waste, then helping to move it toward lymph nodes for filtering.
When this system slows down (from lifestyle factors, stress, or lack of movement), fluid can linger, contributing to puffiness, uneven complexion, and dull skin.
Massage with the lymphatic brush can set our parasympathetic nervous system into action, taking our body out of “fight or flight mode.” This stress reduction results in less cortisol and inflmmation, benefiting our skin and body.
scrub me secret: these nervous system benefits, inflammation reduction, and cortisol reduction results also benefit our immune system. bonus!
The Benefits of Using a Facial Brush
On the left is before lymphatic brush massage and on the right is after a 40-45 minute lymphatic brush massage
Reduced puffiness and fluid retention. This is especially helpful for under-eye bags, an overall puffy face, and fluid retention in the jawline that leads to a double chin.
Brighter, more radiant skin glow. This is thanks to boosted circulation and the reduction of lymphatic fluid with toxins in it.
A more sculpted, lifted look because of the fluid reduction.
Stress relief and a calming self‑care ritual that feels luxurious. And we all need that in today’s world.
scrub me secret: I love using gua sha stones for facial massage, but some people find it a little bit hard to get the hang of using them. Or they don’t feel they can get results from their at-home gua sha massage. These brushes are a little bit more user-friendly and provide visible results for more people who use them.
How It’s Different from Other Tools
Unlike gua sha stones or jade rollers, a lymphatic brush’s shape and bristles are specifically designed to support lymph movement rather than deeper tissue massage or circulation alone. So, while gua sha stones, our hands, rollers, and other tools can provide a bit of lymphatic drainage while also working on deep release and tissue stimulation, they cannot provide the same level of specific lymphatic drainage that the brushes can.
How to Use Your Lymphatic Brush (Step‑by‑Step)
Cecily Braden’s Lymphatic Brush website is the place for all your tutorials! I will link any tutorials I film here in the future. I definitely want to film some for my YouTube.
scrub me secret: we want to use the lymphatic brush on our skin with no product. cleanse your skin, mist with a hydration mist if you want to and use the brushes on clean skin. Then apply moisturizer or oil afterward.
When Not to Use a Lymphatic Brush
This is what I learned during my class ⤵️
If you have deep vein thrombosis, active infection, active cancer, congestive heart failure, or certain systemic health issues, lymphatic massage isn’t recommended.
Always check with a professional if you aren’t sure whether it’s right for you.
Look at these amazing results from Lucy’s facial and lymphatic brush treatments! Less inflammation, more contour, radiant skin, and a more youthful appearance
Lymphatic Brush Facials
I absolutely love incorporating the lymphatic brush into my facial treatments. I combine lymphatic brush work with targeted skincare and sometimes other massage techniques to give my clients the results they desire.
Here are a few of the results we see after a facial treatment using the lymphatic brush:
🌟 A more radiant glow
🌟 Less redness - a more even skin tone
🌟 More contour and definition in the decolletage, neck, and face
🌟 Less inflammation
🌟 An overall deep relaxation feeling
Yes, this tool may be trending on TikTok right now, but I definitely would not say it’s a trendy tool. It’s an innovative tool that’s going to help improve our skin and improve our overall body health as well. I believe this tool will only gain in popularity and cement itself into the esthetics/wellness world as more time goes by. I can’t wait to unlock what other capabilities it may have; I know there are going to be some people who will find new ways to utilize it.
On the left is before massage and on the right is after a couple visits for the signature facial massage that included gua sha and lymphatic brush massages
I love the lymphatic brush and other facial massage tools because they really speak to my philosophy of skinimalism. Skinimalism means having a purposeful, quality, minimal skincare routine. Products that are effective but not too many. And treatments that improve skin health while also working on improving how we look. Healthy and confident is the goal!