8 ways to detox your skin
Skin-loving rituals
Besides what we eat and drink, there are other regular rituals that can be added to a daily or weekly routine to foster healthy skin, says Shannon Dunn.
1. Exercise
Daily exercise keeps the blood flowing, ensuring healthy circulation and assisting the skin to dump toxins through sweat. Brisk walking is a great way to start, or spend 20 minutes each morning on a rebounder. These mini trampolines help to boost circulation while toning internal organs, as well as the skin. Bikram (or hot yoga) is also a great way to accelerate and support the body’s natural detox mechanisms.
2. Enjoy an epsom salt bath
Taking a warm bath, two to three times per week, with half to one cup of epsom salts can help detoxify and soften the skin, all the while relieving stress, soothing muscles and replenishing the body’s stores of magnesium and sulphate.
3. Apple cider vinegar soak
Add a cup of apple cider vinegar (make sure you find a brand, such as Bragg’s, that includes the ‘Mother’) to your epsom salt bath. This combination helps to draw out toxins through the skin and support the body’s natural detoxification process.
3. Dry body brushing
This simple act of dry brushing before each morning’s shower is a powerful way to stimulate the lymphatic system and boost circulation – both essential for detoxification. Brush in small circles, starting at the soles of your feet, up towards your heart, before continuing from each hand, up the arm toward the heart. When brushing the stomach area, be sure to work in a clockwise position. Always use a natural-bristled brush.
4. Infrared sauna
Infrared saunas are a great way to accelerate detoxification, with toxins flushing out, through sweating, from a cellular level. A mere half-hour session can help to rid the body of congestion and improve circulation while eliminating other toxins, including heavy metals and radioactive nasties. It’s also a great way to improve blood oxygenation.
5. Use food-grade hydrogen peroxide (3%)
Rubbing three per cent food grade hydrogen peroxide on your skin after a shower helps deliver oxygen through the pores. Adding a cup of 35 per cent food-grade hydrogen peroxide to a half-filled bath will also support the body’s detox efforts.
6. Drink herbal teas
Having a selection of specific skin-loving herbal teas at your fingertips is a great way to drink more water, with the benefit of herbs. Organic supermarkets often stock a range of teas specific to detox that also help foster beautiful skin. Dandelion, elderflower, calendula, red clover and goldenseal are just some to keep an eye out for. Try Tinderbox Blood Tonic Tea.
7. Take bentonite clay
Clays have been used for centuries to help ward off illness and detoxify the body internally and externally. Take good-quality bentonite clay internally to flush the system of heavy metals and toxins. It can also be used as a nourishing face mask.
8. Use coconut oil
The best and one of the healthiest ways to moisturise your skin is with cold-pressed extra-virgin coconut oil. Naturally antibacterial and antifungal, coconut oil is a brilliant all-over moisturiser that feeds the skin and body rather than overloading it with petrochemicals and preservatives that are commonly found in mainstream skin care.
Shannon Dunn is a wellness writer and eco beauty editor. Email her at shannon@ecobeautyeditor.com
