Detox Your Skin

A multilevel approach to caring for your beautiful Black skin is more than just a diet. The average person is exposed to thousands of chemical substances every day. On top of that, a poor choice in what you eat, lack of exercise, insufficient nutrition and let’s not forget a lack of water can overload your livers ability to properly detox your body.

What do you think the results will be for you? Fatigue, depression, sluggishness and guess what else? A dull complexion!

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Step 1: Permanent Beauty Means Long-Term Lifestyle Changes

So you decide to go on a detox “diet”, hoping that you can feel that burst of energy and bring life back into your dull, dry, ashy skin. Some of you will decide to participate in this ritual once a year, twice a year, maybe even every quarter.

It’s important to remember that while detoxing can certainly help you achieve your short-term beauty goals, chances are you’ll slip back into your less-than-healthy lifestyle habits, and your skin will eventually find itself looking as it did before.

So, how can you have and maintain your beautiful Black skin? It has to be a lifestyle change and choice. Because you can’t live in a bubble, how about taking a different course of action and changing the way you live? This is not a small feat, but when you decide to change how you live and what you take into your body, the rewards can be great!

Essential Lifestyle Steps For More Beautiful Skin

• Stop smoking!

• Don’t drink alcohol or drink in moderation.

• Drink plenty of water. Water is the ultimate key to detoxifying. And it’s the most basic and important element in any daily regimen. Drinking water stimulates your kidneys, liver and your digestive functions. Bringing a boost to your metabolism, water will accelerate the elimination of toxins and fat. It not only delivers nutrients to our cells and keeps our kidneys functioning well, but also aids in eliminating wastes and toxins. Without enough water to help the body flush out waste, the body is basically like a pool of poisons, resulting in many kinds of health issues including skin problems. To have glowing and healthy skin, you have to drink at least 6 – 8 glasses of water everyday. For even deeper cleansing, add a few slices of naturally-cleansing lemon to your water.

• Exercise! Salsa nights, morning swims, evening walks…they’re all good! Sweat helps rid the pores of harmful toxins…and activity, of course, helps to keep your body looking right, too.

• Eat healthy, organically-grown foods. Eat fruits and have fresh fruit juices, which are easily assimilated by your body and help in eliminating waste and reduce cravings for sugar. Eat vegetables and have fresh vegetable juices, which supply your body with vitamins, minerals, enzymes and plant proteins. Also, be sure to get in your antioxidants. They are highly beneficial to the skin, protecting it from environmental damage and preventing premature aging. Have a serving of antioxidant-rich fruits every day. Some of the antioxidant-rich fruits are blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, pears, cherries, pomegranates and plum

These are just the first steps to any successful detox program. But by reducing your exposure to toxins, both in your environment and in your foods, you’re also reducing the amount of strain on your body.

Step 2: How To Detox For Beautiful Black Skin!

Detoxing is not about starving yourself. It’s about introducing pure and healthy nutrients into you body while avoiding as many harmful elements as possible and clearing out toxins that may have accumulated in your body. This can include fasting, yes, but it doesn’t have to. There are many different detox kits, teas and herbs on the market that can be helpful as well. If you have questions on what products may work for you, talk to a dermatologist or an alternative health practioner. There are even certain foods, such as fiber-rich vegetables and lemons that can help clean your body of toxins.

A few useful detoxifiers include:

The skin is the body’s largest organ for eliminating toxins and wastes, though sometimes your pores can be clogged. Why? There are a number of reasons for it. For example, your own dry skin cells have accumulated on the outer layers of your skin without being scrubbed off. Using mineral-oil based moisturizers or wearing tight-fitting clothes can also cause your pores to clog. And as a result, your skin will look rather lifeless, dull and rough.

The purpose of skin dry brushing is to slough off the outer layers of the skin, allowing the pores to breathe and detoxify more effectively. It’s a great daily ritual to do in the morning, though some people may prefer to do it at the end of the day instead. It doesn’t really matter.

Use a vegetable-fiber bristled brush, preferably with a long handle to help you reach hard-to-reach areas on your back. Brush all over your body (except your chest and face) for about 10 minutes in a circular motion when your skin is completely dry. Don’t scrub too hard until you look all red. Use just enough pressure to make your skin feel clean and glowing. Then jump into a warm shower or bath. Try to avoid having a hot shower and bath because hot water tends to dehydrate the skin especially in cold weather.

Detoxifying Baths

Have a detox bath once a week to eliminate toxins and pamper your skin. Just add the following to warm bath water: 1 cup baking soda (to help neutralize the acids in the toxins), 1 cup Epsom salts (to draw more fluids and toxins out of the skin), 5 drops lavender essential oil (gentle antiseptic), 5 drops chamomile essential oil (anti-inflammatory and antifungal) and 5 drops lemongrass essential oil (skin revitalizer). Don’t use lemongrass essential oil, however, if you have sensitive skin.

Skin Tea

This skin tea recipe may help relieve various skin problems, including acne and psoriasis. It is also recommended for burn victims. This special skin tea consists of 1 1/2 parts dried nettle, 1 part dried calendula flowers, 1 part dried red clover flowers, 1/2 part dried symphytum leaf and 1/2 part dried lavender buds. You should be able to find these dried flowers and leaves at health food stores.

To make it, boil 1 quart of water. Remove from heat and add 4 – 5 teaspoons of tea mixture. Steep for about half an hour and then strain. If possible, try this tea after your bath – its comforting effects can help promote great sleep.

There are also various detox teas on the market, so talk to a qualified expert about one that may work for you.

Sauna

Go to a sauna once a week if you can. It not only helps eliminate toxins, but also increases flexibility in your muscles and blood vessels. Besides, sitting in a sauna is quite relaxing; your stress and anxiety tends to go away during a nice steam bath. Before you go to a sauna, however, consult your doctor if you are pregnant or have heart problems. Also remember to drink a lot of water before you get into a sauna. And if you feel ill or find it difficult to breathe, leave the sauna immediately.

Ultimately, remember that your beauty is often determined by the quality of life, your lifestyle and your habits.

By Juliette Samuel, BDO Contributing Writer

Juliette Samuel is a person who definitely knows beautiful when she sees it. Juliette has had a very eclectic career working in and around the beauty industry.

She has worked as an instructor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She has also been a Professional Image Consultant.

Currently, Juliette works as a Skin Care Therapist, acting President and Chief Nose for NYRAJU Skin Care. As such she is in charge of product formulation and development of all scents produced for the line. Juliette is also a member of NAHA-The National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy, The Society of Cosmetic Chemist and is the Fragrance Editor for BellaOnline.

What does all that mean for you? It means Juliette is ever-on-her-toes when it comes to the type of information that you want and need to know!