With detox becoming a booming fad, it only makes sense to do a detox for your skin, the biggest organ of the body. You might have heard of people paying to do expensive detoxes, here’s a list of different detoxes that are inexpensive, doable at home and will leave your skin glowing.

Dry Brushing

This is an exercise that is extremely undervalued but has such a high payoff. Do this every morning before taking a shower. Take a soft bristled body brush and brush your skin gently from your legs to your neck in a circular motion. Keep it dry, do not use any lotions or liquids as you want the dead cells to fall off and the dry brushing to open the pores. Brush in a circular anticlockwise motion for about 15 minutes total. Then, once your pores have been opened, massage sesame oil onto your body and let that seep in for five minutes before you step into your shower.

Bath Detox:

Everyone’s work life is so consuming that no one has time to sit and clean their body every day from the pollutants they’re exposed to at work or while commuting. This is why a detox bath is a great problem solver as it kills two birds with one stone. Instead of stepping into a hot shower, just fill up a nice bath with warm water and pour 2 cups of epsom salt, and 1 cups of baking soda in there. This way, you get to unwind after a long day at work, and so does your skin. Do this around three times a week.

Clay Masks:

Choosing the right clay mask is a risky choice, especially for acne-prone people. The safest option would be to go for natural clay masks, especially montmorillonite clay, which gently removes the pollutants and leaves the pores clean but doesn’t have the roughness of a scrub.

Detox Water:

The outside is a reflection of what’s going on inside. So, if you are dehydrated and don’t supply your body with the right nutrients, your skin will be left looking dry and flaky. So, instead of adding a new detox regime to your schedule, why not just add the nutrients you need in your water? Slice up two lemons, and half a cucumber and put in your water bottle that you’ll be taking to work the next day. Soak it in your water overnight and make sure you drink the whole thing by the end of the day. This will act as a cleanser and a hydrator and keep your skin feeling great.

Diet:

Calling this a diet would be an overstatement. There are some substances that are a lot harder to filter in the body, which can lead to acne and zits on the outside. One of the main things to be avoided is refined sugar. This would include carbonated drinks, certain dairy substances and acidic foods and substituting those with water, soy and more vegetables. Foods with alkaline minerals, like magnesium and potassium will help in keeping your skin bright and hair strong. Add nuts with healthy fats like walnuts to you daily breakfast.

Health Benefits

Aside from glowing skin on the outside, skin detox is actually very beneficial for your overall health. Our organs were never meant to filter the pollutants and toxins that we are exposed to in the present. Internally, the liver takes most of the brunt of this, so detoxifying the organs internally will decide how your skin looks on the outside. The liver is not just the body’s detoxifying organ, it also plays a dual role in digesting food, it not only filters food, it also stores fat. This means that the more unhealthy food you consume, the more fat and toxins will be present in the liver and no matter what workout regime you go on, it will be very hard to lose any weight. Hence, detoxes helps in weight loss primarily because it cleanses the liver of the fat and toxins.

                                                                                                                                                         Dr. Sudheendra Udbalker, MBBS, DNB is a Consultant- Dermatology with Fortis Hospital , Bangalore

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Articles authored by medical specialists reflect the professional opinions and expertise of the respective specialists. The views expressed in these articles are solely those of the author.  We do not endorse or take responsibility for any diagnosis, treatment, or advice provided in these articles. Always consult your healthcare provider for personalized medical guidance and treatment.