Detox your skin!

The cold weather may be taking its toll on your skin, now’s the perfect time to give it a real treat

So, it’s a new year, and as with all new years, many seem to be making resolutions to lose weight and get in shape. But if you’re anything like me, you might want to kick things off a little more gently, such as this week long skin detox. 

We’d all like clear, glowing skin, but in the grey winter months, skin can often become blemished and sallow, especially if we’ve overindulged during the festive season! Follow this week detox whenever your skin needs a boost to leave it hydrated, healthy and radiant.  

Detox from inside out

Whatever skin problems you may have, be it breakouts, premature ageing, tight, dry patches, open pores or excessive oil – this detox is for you! As well as treating your skin from the outside, to improve the condition of your skin, consider what you’re putting in your body. Increase your intake of fruit and veg and drink lots of water, as this will help cleanse you from the inside out. 

Reduce your intake of alcohol and caffeine and switch to fruit tea, but if you can’t get by without any caffeine, try green tea for a healthier option. To help boost your liver and kidney function, drink teas that include lemon, ginger, burdock, dandelion and nettle. These will also help reduce puffiness around the eyes.

Flush it out

Improve your skin’s condition by flushing out any toxins by drinking lots of water. Water’s so good for your hard working kidneys and helps them process waste, while delivering nutrients to our cells. Removing waste from your system will directly reflect in the condition of your skin. Drink around six glasses of water a day to start to see the benefit. 

Massage it out

A massage is a fantastic way to let go and relax, even if it’s just for a short amount of time. Either get your partner to give you a massage, or treat yourself to a professional hour or half hour back neck and shoulder massage. This will not only release tension, but also to encourage the elimination of waste from the body, by stimulating the lymphatic system.

Ask your masseur to use massage lotions that include relaxing essential oils such as lavender, orange, ylang ylang, rosewood, spearmint, chamomile bergamot or frankincense. 

Body brushing

Toxins are eliminated from the body through the pores, so if there are blocked, it can hinder the process. It also means that they can’t absorb any of the goodness from your moisturisers or serums. Blocked pores may be responsible for skin conditions such as rosacea, spots, and even premature ageing. Help ensure pores aren’t clogged, by doing regular dry body brushing. 

Use a soft fibre brush to gently brush dry skin once a day, which will scrub off any dead skin cells. A brush with a long handle will help you get to those hard to reach places, as you brush the skin with a circular motion. If the skin goes red, you’re brushing too hard and avoid the face and breast area, as the skin here is more delicate. Follow up by a shower or bath to rinse off all of the dead skin. 

Moisturise intensely 

Your skin may be feeling the effects of the extremes of going from the cold winter weather, into warm, centrally heated buildings, which may leave it feeling dry, tight and even flakey. 

If you’re suffering with dry skin, treat it to an oil-rich moisturiser, putting on a good layer of night cream each evening, with something a bit lighter during the day. Give it intensive treat with facial serums to help create a barrier to protect your face from the cold wind. 

Always use specially formulated eye creams for the delicate eye area. Using a general facial moisturiser around the eyes may actually increase puffiness. 

Light exercise 

A great way to eliminate toxins from the body is through exercise. Now, I’m not one for vigorous jiggling around, but I understand it’s important to keep active, to get your heart rate up and to keep flexible. If you’re like me, try more gentle activities such as yoga, pilates and walking.

Although these aren’t high intensity exercises, you still need to break into a sweat, which will help the waste leave the body through the pores. Also, try activities such as yoga, where you focus on your breathing, which is another way to help to cleanse the body as it too can stimulate the lymphatic system. A regular trip to the sauna, will also have the same effect and it’s also good for the blood vessels. 

Personally, my favourite form of exercise to do while I’m detoxing, is walking. Not only is it good to break into a sweat with a little power walk, but going out in the fresh air is so good for the mind and body. Feeling good on the inside, will show on the outside and give your skin that bright, healthy glow.