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Skin Detox - take your skin from dull to glowing!
Skin Detox, what’s it all about? As March is International Detox Month, it feels only right I should share some top tips on detoxing your skin.
The truth is, you can’t just do a skin detox – it’s all part of looking after yourself from the outside in and inside out. Your skin is the largest organ of your body, and responds to everything internally and externally. So, in order to go through a skin detox, you’re naturally going to look and feel amazing too!
We’ll look at my 5 top ways to detox your skin and help you achieve beautiful, glowing skin. The winter months aren’t particularly kind to our skin, with the changes in temperature, exposure to cold and then central heating, plus the disruptions to our normal routines that come with Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Let’s look at how you can give your skin a boost, in time for Spring!
My top 5 skin detox tips
- Nourish your skin from within
- Get your beauty sleep
- Manage your stress
- Create a healthy skin care routine.
- Get outside in nature
We’ll look at each one of these skin detox areas in turn. It’s not about being perfect, don’t try to do everything at once, as you might find it really hard to stick to.
Look for where you can make the small wins and start there. And, if you need some help, then you can book a consultation via the button below.
Foods to help with your skin detox
Nourishing your skin with food is one of the best things you can do for a skin detox. Food plays a big part in the quality of our skin, and what we see when we look in the mirror.
If you have any food intolerances, then they will show up on your skin as inflammatory skin conditions, such as rosacea, eczema, dermatitis, redness and sensitivity, hives, and even psoriasis.
Choosing foods that are anti-inflammatory and support healthy collagen production, will really help you to get glowing, beautiful skin.
As a nutritional therapist, my advice has always been to ‘eat the rainbow’. Eating as many different coloured fruits and vegetables as possible will give you a whole range of nutrients and vitamins. Check out my advice below, for foods that can really boost your skin health.
Leafy greens: Leafy greens like spinach, kale, and collard greens are packed with antioxidants and vitamins that are essential for healthy skin. These are great to add to smoothies, throw into a stir-fry or even add to omlettes.
Berries: berries are indeed a superfood! Include a variety, such as strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries into your diet. They are super high in antioxidants and have amazing anti-inflammatory properties, which help to protect and nourish your skin from within.
Avocado: Avocados are rich in healthy fats and vitamins, including vitamins E and C. I often include them in brownie recipes, and baked oats, and I also love them mashed up with lemon juice, cracked black pepper, and some chili flakes. Delicious!
Nuts and seeds: Nuts such as almonds, brazil nuts, and chia seeds, are high in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins. These help to keep your skin supple and healthy. Add them to overnight oats, or toast them for delicious toppings on salads and stir-fry too.
Fatty fish: Salmon, mackerel, and sardines are brilliant sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for healthy skin. Aim for 2-3 portions a week.
Cruciferous vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts contain antioxidants and vitamins that protect your skin from oxidative stress. Have you tried roasting broccoli? It’s amazing! I pop it in the air fryer for 10 minutes and it comes out all crispy and tastes delicious.
Citrus fruits: Oranges and lemons are great sources of vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential to healthy collagen production, and essential for your skin. I also recommend taking a high-strength vitamin C supplement, such as Advanced Nutrition Programme SkinVit C – my superhero vitamin C product!
Turmeric: This is an incredibly powerful antioxidant that has anti-inflammatory properties. I highly recommend this for anyone that is suffering from inflammation, both in your body and on your skin.
WATER: I know you’ve heard it before, but that’s because it’s super important. Your body is almost 70% water and every single process in your body needs it. Aim for 2-3 litres per day, more if you’re exercising.
Get your beauty sleep!
It’s called ‘beauty sleep’ for a reason. And, whilst you might not think this has anything to do with skin detox tips, it’s absolutely crucial! Your body repairs and regenerates whilst you sleep, it removes toxins and excess fluid, balances your hormones and basically creates harmony in your body – ready to face another day. Your body is producing collagen and focusing on repairing itself, and producing fresh, healthy tissue and hormones whilst you sleep. Not getting enough sleep can result in breakouts, brain fog, weight gain and most certainly increases inflammation in your body. It can also affect your hormone balances in your body, due to the increased stress lack of sleep causes.
TOP TIP: To find out how many hours you naturally need (somewhere between 6-9 hours), pick a time when you’re not overly tired and where you don’t need to set an alarm. It’s best to do this when you have at least two days clear. Go to bed and see what time you wake up naturally. Then you’ll know how many hours you need. So, if you naturally need 8 hours sleep and need to get up at 6am, you’ll need to be in bed by 10pm.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED – RENPHO EYE MASK: I have struggled with insomnia and restless sleep patterns for years. It’s usually stress related for me, that and an overactive creative brain! Personally, I use every feature on it – the air pressure, sound, vibrations and heat. I fall asleep quickly and easily afterwards, and manage to sleep through the night – nearly every time. Even if I do wake up, I fall back asleep very quickly. After a week of using this, I felt refreshed and as though I’d caught up on my sleep – ready to face anything. It is an investment, I know. I was fortunate enough to receive it as a gift. Granted, it’s no the sexiest of bedtime wear – but frankly, I don’t care – I need my beauty sleep!
I am also a big fan of the HigherDose Go-Mat, which combines infrared technology with PEMF, to help with cell regeneration, repair and healing. I actually got this mat to help with nerve damage from a spinal procedure, but Level 1 PEMF sends me to sleep in a heartbeat, and I sleep really well at night too.
Reduce your stress levels
Stress is a horrible little monster when it comes to skin! Again, something that might not seem obvious when we’re talking about skin detox solutions, but stress really affects what you see on your skin. When you’re stressed, you have elevated cortisol levels, which is your stress hormone. Essentially, your body thinks you are under threat, and at risk. The clever thing about this is that your body prioritises in keeping you safe, and floods you with cortisol and adrenaline….to run from that tiger! However, in doing this, it reduces processes in your body that are not useful to keep you alive, namely processes that affect your hair, skin, nails, and digestion. Living in a state of continued stress means that your body isn’t working as it should, as it’s in a state of keeping you safe from danger. This is when you might start to see inflammatory skin issues, dull skin, puffy eyes, and dark circles…..you see where I’m going with this. Stress matters.
Exercise is also a big part of my life, not the crazy cardio kind from my 20’s and 30’s, but strength training and yoga. At 45 years old, I am focused on protecting my bone health and flexibility. Finding a form of exercise that you enjoy, and that makes you feel strong and healthy is incredible. Exercise is also a great way to beat stress, so get those steps and reps in!
If you’re lucky enough to have little people in your life (by ‘little’ I mean kids!), then follow their lead. Did you know that a 6-year-old laughs approximately 300 times a day?? Laughter is the ultimate stress reliever and makes us feel happy. Embrace your inner 6-year-old!
Sunscreen
Sunscreen is SUPER important for your skin. You might argue that it’s not a skin detox issue, but it really is. UV rays are the single most damaging thing for your skin, so protecting it all year round with a broad spectrum (UVA and UVB) minimum SPF 40, 4/5 star rating is essential. 365 days a year, come rain or shine! UV rays cause havoc with your skin:
DNA damage: UV radiation can damage the DNA in skin cells, leading to the production of abnormal collagen.
Enzyme damage: Damage to enzymes that help to produce collagen, which means that less collagen is produced, and the quality of collagen is lower.
Collagen breakdown: Collagen fibers are broken down by UV rays, leading to a loss of collagen in the skin and premature ageing of your skin.
You really need to protect your skin all year round, or all of your other efforts really go to waste.
Look after your skin from the outside in
Skincare can play an important role in skin detox results, but only alongside the other factors I’ve mentioned. Skin care alone won’t be enough. Here’s my top tips for products to consider:
CLEANSERS: Ingredients such as glycolic acid and salicylic can help cell turnover – great if you have breakouts, but don’t go for the strongest you can find! If your skin is sensitive then stick to a product with calming ingredients, such as rice bran oil, peppermint, or lemon balm oil.
EXFOLIATE: Exfoliating your skin is great for a skin detox, as it helps to get rid of dead skin cells and bacteria on the surface. Your skin instantly looks more glowing, and your products can work better too. Careful not to over exfoliate, use a gentle exfoliator once a week, such as AlumierMD MicroDerm Polish.
VITAMIN C is a powerful antioxidant for your skin, including products that contain this will help to boost your skin and aid healthy collagen production.
SUNSCREEN! I’ll scream it from the rooftops! Please protect your skin with a minimum factor 30spf on your face, broad spectrum (UVA and UVB), 4/5 star rating. Use it every single day.
You can find out my top skin care ingredients via the button below.
Skin Detox through nature
Spending time outdoors can help your skin detox by providing an opportunity for your skin to breathe and be exposed to fresh air, which can help to remove impurities and pollutants.
And of course, we all know that natural daylight boosts vitamin D, which is essential for healthy skin. The magic of sunlight boosts our circulation and increases the production of collagen. And when it comes to healthy skin (and anti ageing), we want to boost our collagen levels as much as possible! Collagen helps your skin to look youthful and radiant.
Being in nature is also great for reducing stress levels and bringing those cortisol levels down. I like to listen to the birds, to be a sense of calm. Did you know that birds sing when they feel safe? Beautiful, grounding thought, isn’t it?
And that's a wrap
I really hope that you found my blog on skin detox helpful. And, I hope you can see that there are many things you can do for free, to help your skin.
If you would like some help with your skin, then please get in touch. I know it can be confusing, with all of the different advice available out there. The truth is, that there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ answer, as so many factors affect your skin. I always work with my clients from the inside out, and outside in – to ensure you get the best possible results.
I offer remote services, as well as clinical treatments. My aesthetics clinic is based in Alton, Hampshire. I’m on the Hampshire/Surrey border, just 15 minutes from Basingstoke and Farnham, and I’m at the end of a direct train line from London Waterloo.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
And, if you haven’t taken my Skin Quiz yet, then click on the button below to take it. It’s fun, takes less than 4 minutes, and you’ll get immediate access to personalised results.
