Skin Detox
A skin
detox is essential to your health and wellness. The skin is
the largest major organ of elimination in your body and responds well
to detox programs. The skin is often
overlooked when considering overall health and wellness unless, of
course, there is a specific skin condition that needs to be
addressed.
Skin offers many functions such as:
- regulating temperature
- providing a protective barrier
against harmful substances
- eliminating waste from inside your
body
- absorbing oxygen, carbon dioxide
and nitrogen
- waterproofing and prevents fluid
loss
- feeling sensations like hot, cold,
vibration, pressure and pain
- storing water and fats (lipids)
So, it’s important to keep your skin
healthy and functioning optimally. There are many activities you do
daily to aid stimulate and detox your skin. Many are activities that
you don’t even need to think about. Skin
detoxing is easier than you think.
To help the skin
detox, many of the same principles are used in a doing a
general body detox. Many of the principles are found in the detox diet section. The principles and activities are listed below:
- Eat a healthy, whole foods
diet:
- All produce should be fresh and
organic when possible.
- At least half of all vegetables
should be eaten raw. The other half should be lightly steamed or
baked.
- Avoid soda and artificial
drinks and beverages, aromatic teas and stimulant beverages such as
coffee, mint tea, black tea and peppermint tea.
- Avoid foods high in sugar,
especially refined sugars, high fructose corn syrup and artificial
sweeteners.
- Avoid foods with colors, dyes,
preservatives, flavor enhancers and smoked foods.
- Take 1/2 hour to eat each meal,
eat slowly and chew thoroughly.
- Eat plenty of berries that are
high in antioxidants. They help skin detox
by reducing free radical damage to the skin cells and reduce
premature aging. Antioxidant-rich fruits include are blueberries,
blackberries, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, pomegranates and
plums.
- Essential fatty acids (found in
health fats) are a must for healthy, youthful skin. They help
maintain the integrity of cellular walls, and allow transference of
waste and water. They help maintain your skin’s buoyancy and
moisture.
2. Drink plenty of water daily to
cleanse and moisturize your skin.
- To function optimally your body
requires over two quarts (64 ounces) of water every day, in addition
to water found in foods you eat.
- Sip your water evenly
throughout the day. This allows the water to get into your tissues
and prevents dehydration. Guzzling will keep you running to the
bathroom all day.
- Drink room temperature water,
not ice cold.
3. Get enough sleep.
- Sleep 7-8 hours every night.
Your cells repair and generate during sleep.
4. Sweat the toxins out while you
exercise. If you do aerobic exercise for a minimum of 20 – 30
minutes, it will improve your skin detox
by increasing circulation and allowing wastes/toxins to be released
from your blood. The following are some example aerobic activities:
- Brisk Walking
- Running
- Bicycling
- Swimming
- Skating
- Athletic Dance
- Hiking
- Rowing
- Stair climbing
- Elliptical Machines
- Cross-Country Skiing
- Jump Rope
5. Skin Brushing
– helps improve circulation and stimulate the skin. Skin
brushing has been practiced in many cultures over many years,
as part of their daily hygiene routine. The benefits of skin
brushing as a skin detox are
provided below:
Benefits of Skin
Brushing
- Assists skin exfoliation and
removal of waste: Removal of dead skin cells opens skin pores,
allowing for efficient removal of waste products.
- Decreases the quantity of
bacteria on the skin surface: Bacteria are normally present on
the skin surface. Layers of dead skin provide a habitat for them to
flourish, resulting in a toxic load of bacterial debris that the
body needs to handle.
- Enhanced lymphatic drainage:
The lymph system removes waste fluids and is an important component
in the circulatory system. Skin brushing
invigorates the lymphatic drainage and its effectiveness in
eliminating waste.
- Enhances and supports venous
system: By helping the veins move blood from the extremities
back to the heart.
- Improves the movement of
nutrients and oxygen into the skin: By enhancing the lymphatic
and venous drainage, skin brushing improves the movement of
nutrients and oxygenated blood into the skin.
- Improves skin tone, especially
in aging skin: By removing dead skin cells, stimulating the
surface oil and sweat glands and enhancing circulation, the tone and
suppleness of aging skin is enhanced.
6. Bathing / Soaking – Skin
detox can be enhanced by bathing in warm water at least once
per week. This will pull toxins out of the skin as well as promoting
relaxation and moisturizing skin. Add 1 - 2 pounds of Epsom salts, 1
cup of baking soda, plus one cup sea salt to bath water and / or Add
1/4-1/2 cup liquid Bentonite clay to bath water. Drink plenty of
water during and after the baths.
7. Saunas and Steam Baths - aid
elimination for skin if done in moderation, once per week. This is
great to promote sweating and toxin elimination for the skin. These
are also great for moisturizing the skin and relaxation.
For more information related to
specific organ detox programs or detox
diets…
Home > how to detox > skin
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