Skin Detox – 7 Steps to Radiant Skin
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Beauty is only skin deep. Is that true? Your skin, in fact, says much more about you than just how beautiful you are. Clear, radiant skin can be a sign of healthiness and a toxin-free body. Blemished, sallow skin, on the other hand, can signify harmful toxins being ingested but not properly detoxed from the body.
I have read a great deal about skin treatments and how to achieve clear, radiant skin. Some beauty theories are pretty simple; some are far beyond complicated, and some can cost us a fortune. Unfortunately, I’m not Kobe Bryant’s wife and can’t pamper myself like a queen. I work in a cubicle from 8 to 5, five days a week. Plus, I have my freelance writing gigs to do at night and on weekends. So I came up with 7 easy and not too costly skin-detox tips for busy people like myself. It is not a one-time thing, but instead we should adopt these tips as part of our habits. I noticed an improvement in my skin, especially my face, just a week after changing my old habits.
There is not one magical product that can help your skin bloom like a miracle. Genuinely healthy skin is a result of a healthy routine and lifestyle. So let’s start!
Flush Out the Toxins
Water is the key to detoxifying. It not only delivers nutrients to our cells and keeps our kidneys functioning well, but also aids in eliminating wastes and toxins. Alex Jamieson, a holistic health counselor, mentions in her book, The Great American Detox Diet, that water is “the toxic avenger.” Without enough water to help the body flush out the wastes, the body is basically like a pool of poisons, resulting in many kinds of health issues including skin problems. To have glowing and healthy skin, you have to drink at least 6 – 8 glasses of water everyday. And I really mean water! Clean, tasteless water. Not diet soda. Not juices. Not energy drinks. A lot of people believe that by drinking soda or any kinds of liquid, they keep themselves hydrated. That is just not true. Your body needs water. And this is the most fundamental thing of all detox programs. If you don’t drink enough water on a daily basis, other tips in this article are not going to help you.
Start Your Day with an Antioxidant Berry Drink
Antioxidants are highly beneficial to the skin, as they help protect the skin from environmental damage and prevent premature aging. Have a glass of antioxidant berry drink every morning or at lunch time if you prefer. Just make sure that your berry drink contains a variety of berries or antioxidant-rich fruits, and has no added sugar or preservatives. Some of the antioxidant-rich fruits are blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, pears, cherries, pomegranates and plums.
Sweat it out
Exercise for at least 30 minutes everyday. Any kind of exercise will do. Anything you enjoy. Jogging. Strolling. Dancing. Gardening. Biking. Playing Wii sports. Anything at all. The main idea is to increase your blood circulation, relax your muscles and most importantly, get rid of excess toxins through sweating. Like I said, I have a pretty busy lifestyle, so my solution is to have a stationary bike at home. But seriously, even if you can’t afford a treadmill or stationary bike, you still should be able to find some kind of work out or activity you will enjoy doing.
Dry Skin Brushing
The skin is the body's largest organ for eliminating toxins and wastes, though sometimes your pores can be clogged. Why? There are a number of reasons for it. For example, your own dry skin cells have accumulated on the outer layers of your skin without being scrubbed off. Using mineral-oil based moisturizers or wearing tight-fitting clothes can also cause your pores to clog. And as a result, your skin will look rather lifeless, dull and rough.
The purpose of skin dry brushing is to slough off the outer layers of the skin, allowing the pores to breathe and detoxify more effectively. It's a great daily ritual to do in the morning, though some people may prefer to do it at the end of the day instead. It doesn't really matter.
Use a vegetable-fiber bristled brush, preferably with a long handle to help you reach hard-to-reach areas on your back. Brush all over your body (except your chest and face) for about 10 minutes in a circular motion when your skin is completely dry. Don't scrub too hard until you look all red. Use just enough pressure to make your skin feel clean and glowing. Then jump into a warm shower or bath. Try to avoid having a hot shower and bath because hot water tends to dehydrate the skin especially in cold weather.
Detoxifying Bath
Have a detox bath once a week to eliminate toxins and pamper your skin. Just add the following to warm bath water: 1 cup baking soda (to help neutralize the acids in the toxins), 1 cup Epsom salts (to draw more fluids and toxins out of the skin), 5 drops lavender essential oil (gentle antiseptic), 5 drops chamomile essential oil (anti-inflammatory and antifungal) and 5 drops lemongrass essential oil (skin revitalizer). Don't use lemongrass essential oil, however, if you have sensitive skin.
Skin Tea
This skin tea recipe belongs to Shatoiya de la Tour of Dry Creek Herb Farm and Learning Center. She said it is a beneficial tea for many types of skin problems from acne and rosacea to eczema and psoriasis. It is also recommended for burn victims. This special skin tea consists of 1 1/2 parts dried nettle, 1 part dried calendula flowers, 1 part dried red clover flowers, 1/2 part dried symphytum leaf and 1/2 part dried lavender buds. (You should be able to find these dried flowers and leaves at health food stores.)
To make it, boil 1 quart of water. Remove from heat and add 4 - 5 teaspoons of tea mixture. Steep for about half an hour and then strain. I usually have this tea at night after a bath. It is very comforting and somehow helps me sleep better (or maybe it's just me; no one said this tea is supposed to aid in a deeper sleep).
Sauna
As I mentioned earlier, sweating is a way to get rid of excess toxins from the body. So go to a sauna once a week if you can. It not only helps eliminate toxins, but also increases flexibility in your muscles and blood vessels. Besides, sitting in a sauna is quite relaxing; your stress and anxiety tends to go away during a nice steam bath. Before you go to a sauna, however, consult your doctor if you are pregnant or have heart problems. Also remember to drink a lot of water before you get into a sauna. And if you feel ill or find it difficult to breathe, just leave the sauna right away.
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Comments
Hey, Meka J, thanks for stopping by. I hope my little tips will work for your sister because it worked for me! Good luck :)
AN EXCELLENT ARTICLE.
Thanks!
Good tips given here. They will definitely help as none of them involve applying any cream or taking any medicine. That great! I too have written a Hub on the same subject but I have spoken about the diet that will help maintain healthy skin. Have a look
Hi packerpack, thanks for dropping by and commenting. I already checked out that hub of yours. It's very informative. nice!
beautiful lens, i love your lens and thanks for the information on natural ways to have beautiful skin.
Thank U for stopping by. Glad you found my hub helpful :)
I found this article very helpful thanks so much for the info.....
You're very welcome, abril. I'm glad to hear that.
Wonderful Hub on Skin Detoxification.
I love the way you pace your article. You have this voice of chic experience, something other hubs on skin care does not have. Writing from the "I," from experience, from having studied what works, and having synthesized skin care knowledge, lends you this certain authority. Nice hub on skin detox. I'm into skin care myself.
Thanks for stopping by, Anamika and Skincaresecrets :)
I love this!! :)
hi i just want to ask something about the detoxifying bath.. if u alraedy finished to have a detoxifying bath do you still need to put lotions or cream?
Yes, put lotion on your body after having a detox bath. The essential oils in the bath can help improve your skin health but you should still moisturize your skin with cream or lotion.
Wow I do like this hub. I also found out that Oil of Oregano is anti bacteria and fungal and it smells good as well and open the pres and nasal passages too.
I love dry brushing. It makes your skin tingle afterwards.
I have rocasea and so being as that is, what would you suggest as a non-oil, non scented moisturizer?
Hi Lady Guinevere!
I've read that the fragrance-free Cetaphil moisturing cream is pretty good for many types of sensitive skin including those with rosacea. But I don't know anyone with rosacea who has actually used it, so I can't tell you whether it really works or not.
By the way, I like the smell of oregano oil, too. Sooooooo nice. =D
hi ahm another question please about the skin tea.. should i used teaspoon to make a tea or what? i just bought the ingridients but i dont know how much of the dried flowers or leaf should i put.. thank you..
Yeah exactly. Use a teaspoon to measure. For example, when it says "1 part calendula flowers", you can go ahead and add a teaspoon of calendula flowers to it. I used the word "part" just to show you the ratio, in case you want to make more than 1 quart of tea.
Thanks for this hub. I haven't been drinking enough water lately. Have to remind myself to do just that!
You're welcome. Drinking enough water is the most important of all these tips! :)
These 7 tips are perfect. Thanks for great information.
Thank you for the information.
I recommend Pure3X designer health beverage drink to hydrate and stay energized.
great tips ! You are a wealth of information and you sure put it all together in a very interesting way! Thumbs up and I am going to have to link you to a few of mine;)
Thanks a lot, wavegirl! I enjoyed reading your hubs very much as well, especially the ones about the NFL =D
You rock girl! From one full time 9-5er(and full time mom) to another - super great helpful advice! I am going to get the ingredients for the tea today:)
HI, Nicole! Thanks a lot for visiting my hub and commenting =D
thanks for the tips girl, i'll definitely try those. especially now that it's summer and our skin easily gets dehydrated. great work!
Thanks for dropping by, brandyBachmann. Yep, summer is the time to show off our skin; don't let it get dehydrated. :)
Nice post. This will be of great help.
Thanks! :)
Very informative, great ideas. My teenager daughter and I appreciate your ideas. Thanks for sharing.
You're welcome. It's nice that your daughter starts taking good care of her skin at a young age. A lot of young people are just too busy studying, working, partying, etc. They don't treat their skin well, and once they reach their 30s, they already experience premature aging!
Simply amazing the categories that were sorted in for the topic. I loved the writing also.
Thank you for the tips.
Thanks, i4u. :)
Hey thanx so much for ur tips ......really informative my skin color is gone really dull and i waz worried about it . What i wanna ask u waz that the lavender oil and other oils that u mentioned in the detox bath are they really important .....cuz im not sure will i b able to get these here. Secondly the dry skin brushing ....can it be done with a loofah ? once a day berry drink iz enough or more lol sorry for lot of questions the last one iz these dried nettle , calendula flowers where cn i get them from as i dont see any herbal food store around ....any suggestions ?
Hi arcynic, thanks for dropping by. Yep, those essential oils are important ingredients for a detox bath. Don't use a loofah for dry skin brushing because loofahs are supposed to be used only when they're wet! A dry loofah can be too harsh on the skin. You can buy essential oils and dried calendula flowers at any natural food stores. If you can't find one in your neighborhood, try Amazon.com. :)
Water always has been and always will be the best way to flush out toxins. Great suggestions and tips.
Yep, something as simple as water is very beneficial for our skin health. Thanks for the read, KoffeeKlatch.
I very much agree that nice-looking skin is the result of a consistently healthy lifestyle. Thanks for the helpful list. I can see how hot yoga could easily fit into a skin detox here ;). I'd add that food and nutrition also has a huge role in skin health and that avoiding processed food can really make a difference.
Haha you are right. Hot yoga fits my skin detox tip # 3. It does help you eliminate toxins through all that sweating. :)
Great hub with a lot of good info; can't wait to read more of your hubs!
Thanks! :)
Great tips there Om..
Thank you. :)
Love your hubs! Your advice and information on how to keep your skin healthy was right on and very helpful! Thank you!
You're welcome, Regina. Glad you found these skin-care tips helpful. :)
THANKS FOR YOUR GREAT ADVICE GAL
You bet! :)
Thanks
You're very welcome. :)
Very good information and I love the recipes for the tea and the bath! They will be a lovely end to my week! Going out tomorrow to find the ingredients! Thanks, Voted up and useful and interesting!
Hi, prektjr. Thanks for stopping by. Hope you enjoy the bath and the tea! :)
Check out the foods your eating ,, just went to a allergist and found out I was eating food that I was allergic to and causeing skin problems
Good point. What we eat certainly affects our skin. Thanks for sharing, Steven.
Thanks for your valuble information
You're very welcome!
Great hub . Always suffered spots n everytime eat chocolate n over rubbish gets worse. Then when I drink loads water n have saunas for 3 to 4wks skin starts to look great so then I go back to bad habits n guess wot ? Yes bad skin! Now I've read this it's gone be water water water sauna sauna sauna!!!
Thanks for sharing your personal experience, Stu2!
very nicely written, Om Parmpoonya-- The "something-new" I learned was about the skin tea and I plan to try that-- I hope that it actually does help with getting a deeper sleep as well! Cheers! Voting you up, useful, beautiful and interesting!
Great! I'm glad you found these detox tips helpful and are going to give the tea a try! :)
These are great tips. I'm going to look into dry brushing. I've read about it before and now I feel inspired to give it a try! Thank you.
Yeah, try it, vespawoolf! You'll love it. :)
Meka J 3 years ago
Wow I definitely like this hub will will print this out for my own benefit. I was just speaking with my sister about some things she can do to get her skin clear and I definitely like what you stated!! Plus I am all about flushing out toxins..lol