I'm sure you are all familiar with the word Detox, especially at this time of the year...
I'm sure you are all familiar with the word Detox, especially at this time of the year. My inbox has been flooded with offers to join one detox or another since New Year's Day. 'New Year, New you', 'Undo the damage you did during the festive season' etc. You know the ones I mean!
Our bodies are designed to detoxify but the stress we place on them daily can mean that our elimination organs are over-stressed and often unable to keep up with their important role.
Interestingly, most of the Detox emails I have been receiving focus purely on eating and drinking. Now, I agree that making good choices surrounding food and drinks is absolutely essential to living well. If your choices are bad, your toxic load is increased and your quality of life and overall performance is decreased. That said, numerous other factors contribute to your toxic load. Over the next week, I am going to devote several blog posts to reducing your toxic load and assisting the body with detoxification. Today my focus is on the skin.
Assisting detoxification by focussing on the skin.
The skin is your body's largest organ of elimination — think about that, your body's LARGEST organ of elimination. It can eliminate over half a kilo of waste every day and we can assist this process in many ways. Below are my 4 favourites:
1. Dry Brushing — Stimulating circulation and opening up the pores can be achieved using a dry brush. By brushing the skin with a stiff brush when it is dry, we remove the top layer of dead skin. This is where dirt and acid builds up.
2. Epsom salt baths — Adding 500g of Epsom Salts to a warm bath and soaking for at least 20 mins is a perfect way to draw waste fluid out of your body. I tend to finish with a rinse in a lukewarm or cool shower.
3. Feed your skin — If you want to reduce your toxic load, you must be mindful of what you are putting on your skin. I choose coconut oil as a moisturiser, paw paw as a lip conditioner, homemade face masks made from oatmeal, egg, avocado and honey, raw sugar or sea salt as an exfoliant. Ensure at the very least that your products are free of harmful chemicals such as parabens, mineral oils, SLS and ALS.
4. Enjoy some sun — Gift yourself the gift of full-spectrum early morning or early evening sunlight. Not only will you build up Vitamin D levels, you will also help assist the removal of toxins through your skin.
Treat your largest elimination organ with the respect it deserves. Brush, Bathe and Nourish your skin and reap the rewards.
Stay tuned for my next post on detoxing your environment.
Meg x