January is the perfect time to embark on a beauty and lifestyle regime. Let us start 2016 as we mean to go on, by looking at the best way to detox our skin so that we can move through the year looking and feeling our best.
Your skin is your body’s largest natural organ, and every day it is susceptible to environmental pollutants and toxins. These can damage your skin’s protective layer and leave it looking red and irritated; it can also increase the signs of aging. Starting the year with a detoxification routine can not only reduce redness and spots, but also brighten skin. Detoxification is a long word, and it may sound like it will be a lot of work, but really all it boils down to is a few small changes to your diet and skincare routine, and you will really reap the rewards in no time.
Detoxify Your Diet
You know what they say, its what’s on the inside that counts. This is the same when it comes to your skin; you need to think about what you are putting into your body before you think about sorting out your skin. Changing the way you eat can keep your skin firm, clear up any spotty areas and even improve your teeth.
- Cut back on refined sugar – eating refined sugar causes a process called glycation, that can damage the elastin and collagen which keep your skin looking youthful. You don’t have to give up sweet things altogether – just try swapping refined sugar for stevia, an all natural sweetener that doesn’t contribute towards glycation.
- Choose your proteins wisely – nowadays many animals bred for food are treated with hormones. These hormones can cause acne in humans when they are digested. Cut down on products that may contain hormones, or switch to grain-fed beef and poultry and organic dairy products instead, to see a reduction in your skin problems.
- Eat healthier fats – there are such things as healthy fats, and these can help your body to absorb essential vitamins and maintain an ideal hormone balance. Such fats include omega-3, which is usually found in salmon, as well as olive oil, nuts and seeds.
- Think alkaline – detoxifying your body is not about eating less, it is about eating more of the right things including more alkaline-forming foods, such as broccoli, kale, pears, apples, spinach, bananas and watermelon. These help to restore the balance in your body and will give you stronger teeth, hair and nails.
- Drink more water – yes, it sounds like something your mother would say, but it works. Drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water each day to flush out toxins and keep your skin hydrated. If water is not to your taste, then why not try one of the many ‘detox teas’ that are on the market? These teas are a great way to up your water intake, and they have many medicinal qualities. One of our favourites is Twining’s Cleansing Fennel tea, which is high in essential oils that have anti-inflammatory effects to relieve bloating and indigestion. It can also help with the removal of toxins from the digestive and urinary systems – a great help to your detoxifying process.
Clarify Your Complexion
Once you have started to take care of your insides, you can start to refresh your skin on the outside. As the weather starts to improve in spring, your skin will begin to change.
- Use a clay mask – clay has a negative charge that attracts the positive charge of many impurities, such as sebum and heavy-metal residue from tap water. It pulls these towards the surface of the skin, where they will be removed when you wash the mask off. At Born, we like to use Ren Invisible Pores Detox Mask at £19, but when money is tight the Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Purifying Face Mask at £5.99, also does the trick.
- Exfoliate on a daily basis – many people make the mistake of exfoliating once a week, scrubbing vigorously and irritating their skin in the process. We find it is much better to use a cleanser with small exfoliating particles on a daily basis, to get rid of the dead skin cells that can dull your complexion. Try using Aveeno Active Naturals Smart Essentials Daily Detoxifying Scrub £5.82, or Benefit Refined Finish Facial Polish (which also contains clay) £18.50.
- Keep your skin pure – once you have done all this good work to purify your skin, make sure you maintain it by using a good moisturiser containing sunscreen on a daily basis. One of our favourites is Clinique Superdefence Daily Defence SPF20 at £39.
If you are a trans person, then Born would love to hear from you. Please get in touch today to book one of our bespoke services, or just to talk. Call us on 0161 235 0788 or email us at hello@born.uk.com