How To Detox Your Skin During The Hot Summer Months

The recent Covid-19 pandemic has made self-isolation the new norm. The lockdown has given us the time to connect with our families and co-workers at a more personal level. More and more people are realising that they can survive happily with little at hand. And since we are all staying at home with no hurry to rush to work, this is the perfect time to pay heed to our skincare needs and detox our skin from inside out. Come summer and we often complain about dull, stressed and tired looking skin. Disrupted schedules are the culprit behind it and so it is essential to detox your skin for a healthy and radiant glow that it deserves.

Why Should You Detoxify Your Skin?

Detoxifying means removing impurities and toxins from the body. Detoxifying your body will give you more energy, improve skin health, restore firmness, appearance and tone, and help you get rid of problems such as dry skin, itchy skin, rashes, blemishes etc. The skin is the mirror of how your body is feeling. The extra indulgence with food and drinks that you have been enjoying in the lockdown period can lead to breakouts, oiliness and make your skin extra dull. Even stress in your brain shows up on your skin in the form of clogged pores.

Thankfully, our kidneys, liver and colon are naturally equipped to remove harmful substances from the body. But a little help from you will do your skin a whole lot of good. 

(Also read: How To Get Rid Of Acne From Your Face Naturally)

^{Detoxifying means removing impurities and toxins from the body}

Don't worry, you don't have to wait for the lockdown to be over to rush to a spa. There are simple things you can do at the comfort of your home to detoxify and reclaim your skin:

1. Do a weekly facial detox

Take some time out for your skincare routine. Dedicate a week to detox your face by removing all impurities, toxins, pollutants, and dead skin cells from your skin. Here is how:

• Cleanse at least twice a day. If you have dry skin then use an oil cleanser, a water based cleaner gel will be suitable for oiler and acne prone skin. If you have a specific skin problem then consult your dermatologist for the right product to use.

• Steam your face: Steaming opens the pores and allows crucial ingredients to penetrate the pores and remove the grime. Make your own steam pot the traditional way by boiling a pot of water and hovering your face above the bowl. Don't forget to drape a towel over your head. Do this for 10 minutes.

• Use serums to hydrate your skin morning and night. Use a serum right in moisturiser and sunscreen during the day and night serums should be the healing ones.

2. Drink lots of water 

Coffee, juice, alcohol is not water. Swap your morning tea or coffee for green tea and completely cut down on juices and alcohol during the detox week.

(Also read: Ginger And Garlic For Beauty: Effective Home Remedies For Gorgeous Skin And Hair)

^{Drink adequate amount of water to stay hydrated}

3. Follow a clean diet

Forget about experimenting with rich and heavy food. Instead use food items that will aid skin rejuvenation such as broccoli, watermelon, bananas and kale. The calcium, magnesium and potassium in these items will keep the skin strong, while healthy fats like walnuts will make the skin glow. Remove sugar and processed food from your diet.

4. No makeup

A skin fasting will help detoxify your skin from inside out. Let your skin breathe naturally and throw the toxins out by avoiding the dependency on the skin care aides. Without the overload of products, the pores will become healthier and the skin will retain its natural oils. You can do this every other weekend.

5. Home remedies

Your pantry ingredients in the lockdown can help you the skin detox routine easily:

• Take apple cider bath: take one cup of raw apple cider vinegar, along with two cups of epsom salt. Soak for 20 minutes. This is great for getting some relive from psoriasis and eczema.

• Make some detox water using fruits: Citrus fruits help boost collagen formation and are rich in antioxidants. Strawberries are rich in ellagic acids and folate that neutralise damage caused by free radicals, apples soften the skin, cucumbers hydrate, watermelon flushes toxins from the body, aloe vera clears the gut, and papaya helps in speeding up cell regeneration.

• Leave some rice in water for a few hours and use this water as a toner to wipe off the impurities.

^{Take apple cider bath to get relive from psoriasis and eczema}

6. Homemade face masks

You can use the following face masks to pull impurities from your skin:

• Mix banana with a teaspoon of orange juice and plain curd. Apply and leave for 20 minutes. Vitamin A in banana will take care of the blemishes and Vitamin B will prevent ageing. Vitamin E in will help build the skin's resistance to UV damage.

• Grate one cucumber and mix with some yogurt to make a face mask. Cool it in fridge and use on the face once a week. Natural minerals in cucumber will hydrate the skin and protect it from drying.

• Mix one egg white with lemon juice and honey. Egg whites are rich sources of vitamins that help hydrate the skin, repair the tissues, eliminate free radicals and toxins from the skin, and reduce acne.

• Exfoliate your skin by mixing some brown sugar/salt with coconut oil (oily skin) or olive oil (oily or combination skin). Add few drops of lemon juice and scrub your face for 5 minutes. Be gentle and move in upward directions.

^{Use face masks to pull out impurities from your skin}

7. Exercise regularly

Exercise regularly and include yoga and meditation in your daily routine. A detox done right and your skin will be better than it was ever before. Your skin will look smoother and suppler and you won't need to use harsh skin care products.

About the author: Dr Rinky Kapoor is a consultant dermatologist and surgeon at The Esthetic Clinics. 

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