Today, everyone’s keen on jumping on the detox wagon – whether it is a digital detox or relationship detox (yes, that’s a thing, google it!) – and the word’s being overused a lot. However, that shouldn’t stop you from doing a detox if you feel you need it. Usually, after vacations or holidays, when people eat, drink and enjoy to their hearts’ content, they feel the need to give their body detox to get rid of toxins that can result from overindulgence. Skin detox works similarly, too.
When you feel that your skin has become excessively dull or looks very tired owing to your lifestyle and environmental factors, then giving it a detox can help it rejuvenate and recover.
What Exactly Is a Skin Detox
To put it across simply, detox means removing toxins. Since that’s already taken care of by kidneys and the liver, how does a skin detox work? According to experts, when we talk about skin detox, we use the term metaphorically rather than in the literal sense.
When you do not care for your skin regularly, you might notice dullness, blemishes, redness and more on it. This is where a skin detox comes in. What people actually mean when they talk about giving their skin detox is thoroughly cleansing, caring for the skin, treating it with the right products and following the right habits. It’s about what you can do to the surface of the skin to protect it. Skin detoxes may also include restricting the use of certain skin products that aren’t working for you.
Why You Should Do a Skin Detox
Pollutants in the air, chemicals in the water, eating junk food, excessive drinking, dirt, makeup – all of these factors can dull your skin and show up on your face in the form of breakouts, inflammation, redness and dry skin. Giving your skin a detox can reduce damage to the skin and make it healthier.
Here are a few reasons you should try a skin detox:
- It hydrates the skin
- It rejuvenates the skin and removes impurities from its surface
- It cleans the pores of the skin
- It clears the skin off blackheads and blemishes
- It improves the texture of the skin, makes it firmer
How to Do a Skin Detox
To give your skin detox, you won’t need to rush to a store to buy expensive skin care products or any fancy equipment. Instead, there are several other ways you can do it. Making small changes to your diet, altering your skincare routine, working out are just some of the easy ways to help rid your skin of impurities. These techniques can easily be incorporated into your daily or weekly skincare routine, and they will keep the surface of the skin clean and help your body from the inside out as well!
1. Drink lots of water
This is going to be the first tip you’ll read in every skincare guide out there, and trust me, it’s not overrated! Drinking water is the key to plump and healthy skin, and it’s the best way to detoxify your skin and body. It flushes out toxins from the body, keeps the body hydrated and maintains the skin's elasticity. Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water every day, and notice the difference for yourself.
2. Have a balanced diet
If you want clean and clear skin, then you have to watch what you eat. If you love junk food, sugary snacks and aerated drinks, then you must control your portions. As much as possible, stay away from desserts, fried foods and sugary drinks. For a good skin detox, add more vegetables, fruits and nuts to your diet. Including walnuts, sunflower seeds, fatty fish, avocados, sweet potatoes and broccoli will give your skin a healthy radiance.
3. Workout regularly
If you are one of those people who hate working out, well, this might be bad news for you! However, if you want to do a good skin detox, you cannot miss exercise! Working out regularly has immense benefits for your skin, apart from keeping your body in good shape. Exercising keeps the heart rate up and increases blood circulation, thus delivering oxygen and nutrients adequately to the skin and keeping it healthy. It also promotes collagen production, which keeps the skin looking younger.
Moreover, the sweat released while working out can open up the pores of the skin, releasing excessive oils that might be trapped in there. Besides, have you noticed how amazing a post-workout glow is? Wouldn’t it be amazing if your skin glowed like that, all the time?
4. Get adequate sleep
While getting a good night’s sleep is crucial for your overall health, it seems there might be some truth to the whole ‘beauty sleep’ thing. When you sleep, your skin repairs and rejuvenates itself. Basically, it goes into restore mode, repairing damage, creating new skin cells and removing toxins. That is why, for healthier and more beautiful skin, you need to get your eight hours of beauty sleep.
5. Reduce your sugar intake
As tempting as sugar-based food is, eating excessive sugar may harm your skin. We all know that eating a lot of sugar is not advisable for the body, but you also need to know that sugar can lead to inflammation in the body, resulting in acne flare-ups. It may also worsen existing skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Moreover, sugar also contributes to the ageing of the skin, so it’s best to limit your sugar intake if you want younger-looking skin.
6. Hydrate your skin well
Just as water hydrates the body, a good moisturiser hydrates the skin. In fact, regular usage of moisturiser should be a part of your skincare regimen. Using an oil-free moisturiser twice a day prevents premature wrinkles, fights skin damage and increases the firmness of the skin. Moisturising the skin on a regular basis also prevents drying of the skin, so make sure you include it as a part of your skin detox.
7. Exfoliate regularly
Exfoliation is the process of removing dead cells from the surface of the skin, and doing this is necessary because although the skin sheds dead cells every month, sometimes they don’t shed completely. This makes your skin dry and leaves flaky patches on it. This is where exfoliation helps! Regularly exfoliating your skin can prevent clogged pores, and in the long run, it can increase the production of collagen, thus giving you vibrant skin.
8. Treat yourself to facials
If you think facials are just a waste of time, let us tell you, they are an integral part of a skin detox! Getting a facial is not just a pampering session for the skin; it is much needed. It cleanses your skin thoroughly, improves the blood circulation on your face and rejuvenates it! Moreover, it tightens the skin, makes it firmer, eliminates under-eye bags, and leaves your skin feeling soft.
Follow these steps for an effective skin detox, and you’ll be gifted with radiant, healthier skin.
Written by Nisha Shah on Dec 17, 2021
Writer, avid reader and a lover of all things creative is the best way to describe Nisha Shah! Equipped with a degree in Journalism and a certification in Digital Marketing, she brings a distinct perspective to her writing. With experience in content covering a range of topics from health to travel and beauty to food, she manages to bring something interesting and yet easy-to-read for her readers. When she's not writing, you can find her curled up with a book and coffee, bingeing on movies and TV shows, experimenting with photography and lots more!