Every January we hear the same old thing – it’s time for a detox! But what does that actually mean? Read on to find out the truth behind the ‘detox’ trend.
You can’t control detoxification
Detoxification is a bodily process controlled entirely by the liver – it removes harmful substances from the blood, and they are naturally excreted in the urine. Eating plenty of vegetables and living a healthy lifestyle is all you need to do support your liver’s natural functions. You can’t make it work more efficiently than it normally does!
Avoid detox teas and juice cleanses
It’s strange that sugar is so demonised, and yet juice cleanses still exist, because fruit juices are mainly sugar, with vitamins but very little else! Juice cleanses do nothing but make you cranky and mess with your blood sugar levels. We say: avoid. But that’s nothing compared to the current trend for ‘detox teas’. These teas contain diuretics and sometimes even laxatives, to give the impression of weight loss and ‘detoxification’. This can dehydrate you and wreak havoc with your digestive system.
Be careful with charcoal
Activated charcoal is a very trendy ingredient nowadays – from ice cream and lattes, to toothpastes and pills. But charcoal should be approached with caution – it is extremely powerful and can absorb all sorts of compounds, including vital dietary nutrients and even medications. There’s no need to consume charcoal because your body does a fine job of dealing with toxins itself, so we recommend avoiding it.
Water is the only real dietary ‘detoxifier’
When we talk about ‘flushing out’ toxins, it’s actually pretty literal. Toxins leave the body through urine and sweat, so your body detoxes most efficiently when well hydrated. Drinking enough water really is the best thing you can do to help your body ‘detox’. But again, make sure you don’t overdo it! Two litres a day for an adult is plenty.
It’s different for the skin
Now here’s where we get confusing… almost everything we’ve just said about the body? It’ isn’t true for the skin. This is because the skin is subject to so much environmental interference that it does actually require you to step in and help. Your skin’s only job is to protect the body – it doesn’t care how many spots, wrinkles or blemishes it has! But of course, we do care. So here are a few things you can do to help detox your skin…
Use a charcoal product
Unlike inside the body, charcoal can’t absorb anything important from the skin, so you can use products like cleansers and masks to absorb pollution particles, as well as leftover cosmetics and sweat that could block the pores.
Find Your Local SkinBase™ Therapist
SkinBase™ is the leading microdermabrasion treatment. With over 2,000 accredited salons and spas in the UK & Ireland, there’s bound to be a salon near you.
Are you a beauty professional, and would like to offer SkinBase™ treatments? Find out more.
Exfoliate efficiently
Manual exfoliation is the most effective way to detoxify the skin. By physically removing dead skin cells, deeply embedded grime, excess oil and pollution particles, your skin is left completely clean of every possible toxin! SkinBase Microdermabrasion is an excellent way to deeply exfoliate the skin – it’s gentle but more effective than any scrub you could use at home. This is thanks to the specialised handset which passes a fine jet of abrasive crystals across the skin to loosen and lift away dead skin cells and grime. After a Microdermabrasion Facial, the skin is radiant, smooth and soft, and it looks better and better with every subsequent treatment. Microdermabrasion also stimulates the circulation, which helps to reduce puffiness, and improves collagen production to firm and smooth the skin. So what are you waiting for? Find your nearest SkinBase therapist here and detox the right way!
image:istock.com/CharlieAJA
