You hear a lot of people talking about detox nowadays, but how about detox for your skin?
After all, your skin is one of the largest organs in your body, so taking good care of it should be a priority, right?
Now, there are a few steps that come with learning how to detox your skin. First, what goes on inside your body will largely reflect what happens on the outside. Second, what you choose to physically put on your skin will determine how well it is able to detox and regenerate new cells. Thirdly, getting into a habit of a decent skincare routine is so important. And I’ll soon explain why.
So if you’re a little less than impressed by the state of your skin, or you simply want to amp up your current routine, these glowing skin secrets are just for you.
How to Know if Your Skin Needs a Detox
It’s pretty easy to determine if your skin needs a detox.
If you’re suffering from symptoms of inflammation or irritation, your skin probably needs some help.
If you currently have any of the following complaints, you should consider a skin detox:
- acne
- breakouts
- dermatitis
- discoloration
- dull skin
- eczema
- excess oil production
- eye bags
- psoriasis
- puffiness
- rashes
- redness
- rosacea
The state of our skin is largely reflected by what is going on inside of our bodies. If your kidneys or liver aren’t functioning as optimally, your skin will reflect that. If your digestive system is bunged up, your skin will reflect that.
The healthier you are on the inside – they healthier you will look on the outside.
Now, I know this might seem a little mind-boggling to some, but our skin is an organ. And it happens to be the largest one we have. If we aren’t treating our bodies well on the inside, our skin isn’t going to be very happy.
If your skin problems have become chronic to the point that you don’t know what to do anymore – don’t fret! It is probably just something you’re eating or a product you’re using that your skin doesn’t love.
Some skin issues can also be caused by hormones that are off-whack, but this is also closely interconnected to the personal care products we use and the foods we choose to eat.
How to Detox Your Skin
Skin health starts internally. If you truly want to detox and heal your skin, you’ve got to start with what you’re putting inside your body.
Once you have that covered, then you’ll need to move onto replacing harsh skincare products with products that will actually heal and recover your skin from years of neglect.
So first, let’s start with how to clean out your diet.
Clean Out Your Diet
Cleaning out your diet is one of the first things you should do if you want to improve the state of your skin.
That means eliminating foods that trigger inflammation like wheat, eggs, dairy, soy, processed foods, processed meats, refined sugar, and vegetable oils.
Getting rid of these triggers, for me, has given me incredible skin that I wouldn’t trade for the world.
Replace these foods with healthy options like fresh fruit and vegetables, healthy fats, pseudo-grains like quinoa, soaked and sprouted nuts and seeds, as well as soaked and sprouted beans and legumes.
As you start cleaning out your diet, the stress on your liver and kidneys will greatly diminish. Your digestive tract will function better and with the increased fiber intake, it will help push out old toxic waste matter.
Eating more fresh fruit and vegetables (focusing a lot on leafy greens and herbs) will also provide your skin with nourishing antioxidants needed to support collagen production to keep your skin plump and supple.
Also, don’t forget to drink enough water! Drinking 3-4 liters of filtered water daily will help flush the digestive tract and get your liver and kidneys functioning more optimally.
Ditch The Harsh Products
If you’ve been using products with ingredient lists that you can’t even pronounce, you should maybe reduce your dependency on them.
The products you put on your skin don’t just sit on the surface. They absorb into your bloodstream and put plenty of stress on our liver and kidneys.
These products also break down layers of the skin while discouraging cellular regeneration. If you want healthy, nourished skin, you need to focus on pure products with ingredients that come from plants or are extracted from plants.
Hormonal Causes
Hormonal causes may also be the case for triggering certain skin conditions.
Perioral dermatitis, for example, is said to be largely hormone-based. I actually dealt with it for quite a while after I went off birth control pills that I had been on for 7 years straight.
If you’re dealing with hormone-related skin issues, it could either be recent changes to drugs or prescriptions you’re taking (for example, going on or going off birth control pills) or it could be certain foods you’re eating or products you’re using. Not enough sleep (5-6 hours a night), could also contribute to hormonal changes.
But how could foods or certain products trigger hormonal changes?
Animal products like meat and dairy are loaded with hormones, both synthetic and naturally occurring. If a large part of your diet consists of animal products, it could be that your hormones are being affected by the hormones from those foods.
Most chemicals found in personal skin care products or even products used around the house are hormone-disrupting. Phthalates, Bisphenol-A (BPA), Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) (found in non-stick cookware), and more, all have devastating effects on our endocrine (hormone) system.
This is why detoxing your home and switching to natural products is key. You should also do the same for your personal skincare products! If you can’t pronounce an ingredient, and it sounds awful chemically, you should probably reconsider using it.
Detox Skincare Routine
Another very important step of skin detox is getting into a routine with a solid set of products that will nourish and repair your skin. Here are a few products I’ve been using recently to help brighten, tone and infuse my skin with supportive antioxidants and nutrients.
1. Facial Steaming
Steaming your face with different herbs and botanicals is an essential component of any skincare detox routine.
I recently started using the Detox Facial Steam by Teami, and have been loving the effects. It contains eucalyptus, lemon balm, and white sage leaf to help open your pores and remove toxins that regular daily cleansers may miss.
By opening up your pores, any serums, oils or toners applied after the fact will penetrate even deeper and absorb faster for maximum benefit.
After using the Detox Facial Steam, my skin feels more plump, smooth and moisturized. I also like the added benefit of clearing out the sinuses, which eucalyptus is known best for.
While you may not steam your face every day, it is good to include this practice once a week or every two weeks.
2. Facial Rolling
Over the last few months, I’ve started including gua sha and facial rolling into my skincare routine.
It’s a great way to drain the lymphatic vessels in the face and neck to reduce puffiness and improve circulation.
Facial rolling is also known to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It helps contour the face, and naturally lifts and plumps the skin.
The Clear Quartz Facial Roller by Teami is one of my favorite skin tools. Because it is made from quartz crystal, it naturally stays cool at all times, so it provides a refreshing touch to tired skin (it also helps wake you up!).
I usually apply some jojoba oil to my skin and then roll with the Clear Quartz Roller all over my face until the oil is absorbed. I like to start from the center of my face, and then outward to assist in proper lymphatic drainage.
The Quartz Roller can also be used down your neck for lymphatic-cleansing benefits or rolled up your neck for lifting properties.
I usually roll 10 times in the same area until I cover my entire face and neck.
3. Hydrating Toners
Before moisturizing, it is always a good idea to tone your face. Toning your skin is quick, absorbs quickly and helps to remove excess dirt, traces of oil and makeup, corrects and balances the pH of your skin and controls stubborn skin conditions.
My favorite thing about Teami’s Butterfly Pea Mist Toner is that it isn’t loaded with chemicals as you’d see in most drug-store toners.
It contains just three skin-nourishing botanicals: Butterfly Tea, Witch Hazel & Aloe Vera.
So, instead of leaving your skin feeling stripped, it softens your complexion and minimizes the appearance of pores. Aloe vera is also known to stimulate collagen production in the skin, so the toner also acts as an anti-aging product.
After steaming, rolling and toning, I always follow up with plain organic jojoba oil that I’ve been using for over 10 years.
Using these products from Teami has not only helped my skin look better, but they make me feel better, too. While it does take a couple of weeks to start seeing results (as with most skincare routines), the long-awaited benefits are well worth it.
I love this trio from Teami so much that I partnered up with them to make it easier for you to try the same products I’ve been using. If you use the code “LOVEFRUIT” at checkout here, you’ll receive an exclusive 20% off discount.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Teami. I have been compensated through the Live Love Fruit network. All opinions remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company.
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