How to Detox and Cleanse Your Skin.

Most of us know that our skin is the largest organ in the body, but how many of us know how to properly detox and cleanse our skin? Every single day, our skin comes into contact with a bunch of grime like pollution, bacteria, and toxins that settle on our skin and proceed to clog pores. As fun as that sounds, hard pass. If you want to achieve clear and beautiful skin, it’s about what you put into your body, as well as the products that you apply on your skin.

Master the art of detoxing your skin in six steps:

1. Water, water, water.

There’s a reason why we hear this recommendation time and time again. Drinking more water helps to flush the body’s toxins and keeps the skin staying hydrated. If you’re looking to cleanse your liver while you’re detoxing your skin, add a teaspoon of lemon juice or lemons to your water.

While drinking a lot of water is great, you’ll also want to monitor your other liquid intake. As much as Starbucks frappuccino and espressos feel like a daily gift, it’s not doing any favors for your skin. Say goodbye to coffee and other caffeinated drinks and hello to water and healthy skin!

2. Eat clean.

It's easy to find excuses for why we choose to not eat well, but there’s an equally compelling list of reasons why we should eat clean. One of my favorites? It makes it easier to achieve healthy skin. Let this serve as a gentle reminder that eating clean does not mean cutting out all unhealthy food from your diet, but choosing to eat unhealthy foods in moderation.

Get in the habit of packing your fridge with nutritious fruits, greens and healthy fats. If you’re always on the go, make smoothies packed with chocolate protein powder and bananas or a strawberry and blueberry mix!

Be kind to your body and aim to reduce your intake of refined sugar, dairy, processed foods and fried foods. While it might be hard to avoid eating that delicious burger you saw all of your co-workers diving face first into yesterday at lunchtime, it’s not impossible. Your skin will thank you for it later, I promise!

3. Exfoliate.

More often than not, we forget about the benefits of exfoliating our skin. If you’ve ever noticed that your skin is starting to look like it’s on the dry and rough side, old skin cells may be piling up on the surface of your skin. Exfoliate your skin to combat this problem. 

4. Steam your skin.

No steam shower? No problem. Boil hot water on the stovetop,  and then transfer the water to a big bowl. Place your face over the bowl, drape a towel over your head and shoulders, and let the water steam your face for approximately 10 minutes. This process will help open up and purify your pores and make it soft to the touch. Say hello to softer, clearer skin. Yaaaaass. 

5. Implement masks into your beauty routine.

A mud mask or a clay mask is a must if you’re looking to detoxify the top layers of the skin. Clay and charcoal masks are great for penetrating deep into the skin and bringing all of the grime up to the surface.  Not only will mud masks help in getting rid of impurities, but they'll unclog your pores and rejuvenate the skin. Aim to use mud masks no more than twice a week. Leave it on for 15 minutes, wash it off with warm water and then pat dry for best results. Your skin will thank you. 

6. Protect Your Skin.

I’ll admit that I’m a big fan of hitting the beach and soaking up the sun. I'm from San Diego after all. However, I always try to limit how long I’m out in the sun for. In addition, I make it a point to put on moisturizer (with SPF 30) everyday, and reapply sunblock every two hours to protect my skin. Tip: Even when it’s gloomy outside, you should still apply sunblock!

Which of these detox methods are you most likely going to try?