What do healthy people have in common? For starters, they work on limiting the junk that enters their body. This means cutting back on irritants to the gut and foods that trigger inflammation. But even if you don’t eat perfectly 24/7, you can do simple things to help your body’s natural filter—the liver—do its job. By boosting your body’s detoxification pathways you can help decrease and eliminate toxins in the body.
Cleansing your body is a way to recharge, rejuvenate, and renew, which will revitalize radiant skin. What’s great is there is no sweeping or mopping required for this minor “housekeeping” ritual. By adding (or eliminating) a few things in your daily routine, you can recharge your energy level, rid your body of inflammation, and remove toxins.
Here are the 6 cleansing and detoxifying tips you can incorporate into your daily routine to help your mind, body, and skin glow…
1. Cut The Sugar Out
Start by decreasing or eliminating the sugar you consume, including honey, molasses, agave syrup, and unhealthy artificial sweeteners. If you have a sweet tooth, instead of reaching for sugar-laden sweets, swap it out for a frozen fruit bar or sip on some floral herbal teas to help curb cravings. Fresh fruit is a great alternative, and the natural sugars and fiber will help nip your desires for sweets. Another way to cut the sugar is to sprinkle your foods with cinnamon instead of sugar, which adds sweetness to satisfy your sweet tooth while simultaneously helping to control your blood sugar. A related blog on the dangers of sugar can be found here.
2. Eat Fruits and Veggies
What’s great about fruits and veggies is that you don’t need any crazy detox eating plan to feel better, stat — just start filling up on more fruits and vegetables. Start swapping those nutrient-poor processed foods that are taxing your body with fruits, and vegetables. Your liver and kidneys are designed to naturally remove toxins effectively from your body. Eating more fruits and vegetables adds more fiber into your diet, which helps promote the removal of these toxins. In particular, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, etc.) contain nutrients that help with liver detoxification.
3. Drink More Water
Proper hydration is an important part of daily detox for your body (and skin!). If you don’t like plain water, infuse your water with some fresh herbs, like rosemary or mint plus some berries or sliced cucumber and citrus. Or, you can simply add Vitamin C Fizz for an antioxidant-packed delicious effervescent treat. Your body depends on water and adequate hydration for survival. Every single cell in your body requires water to function. A great way to start the day is by squeezing the juice from half a lemon into a tall glass of water to support your digestion.
4. Get Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep is as important as regular exercise and eating a healthy diet. Good sleep is detoxifying all on its own. Sleep gives your body and brain a chance to repair and clear out the toxins. Each night, while you sleep, your brain and body reboot by ridding themselves of waste byproducts that have accumulated throughout the day.
5. Movement
Regular exercise encourages circulation in the blood and lymph system, promoting a healthy detox of your body. When your lymph is moving, toxins are delivered to organs, like your liver, that process and eliminate them. Remember that stagnant lymph = toxic buildup in the body. Movement enhances your digestion, boosts mood, lubricates joints, reduces stress, and strengthens your body. Whether through an official workout or taking the stairs, do some stretching, or take a short walk. Get creative and keep your body moving and hydrated to enjoy the benefits of the added lymph and blood circulation through your body. Exercise also helps you eliminate toxins through sweating.
6. Skin Care
Multiple skin care rituals will help rejuvenate your skin and detoxify your body. I’ve included some recipes for mineral baths, dry skin brushing, and castor oil packs/rubs that are sure to help you. You can find these and other cleansing techniques in my book Clean Skin From Within.
Mineral Bath
Nothing is more relaxing than a warm bath, especially a mineral bath, which is high in magnesium. Tip: since warm baths tend to make you tired, a mineral bath may be the perfect bedtime routine. The minerals you add to your bath will help relax your muscles and get you ready for a good night’s rest.
Detoxifying Mineral Bath Recipe
¼ cup Himalayan or sea salt
¼ cup Epsom salt
¼ cup baking soda
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
5-10 drops of favorite essential oils (lavender, peppermint)
Bath Instructions:
Allow salts and baking soda to dissolve in the bathtub while filling it with warm water. Once full, add apple cider vinegar and essential oils. Soak in the bath for 30 minutes or as long as desired.
Dry Skin Brushing
For those who aren’t familiar with the technique, dry skin brushing involves a daily body massage with a dry, stiff-bristled brush. The mechanical action of dry brushing is excellent for exfoliating dry skin while improving blood and lymph circulation. And both of these are important for detoxification.
Dry Skin Brushing Instructions:
Use a natural stiff-bristled shower brush. I recommend a brush with a long handle so you can get your back. Bristle stiffness with depending on the brand, if you have extra sensitive skin, be sure to find a moderately stiff brush, and brush lightly. Start from your ankles and work in long fluid strokes upwards around each limb. On your torso, use circular upwards motions. The first few times go extra light on the pressure until you know your skin’s sensitivity to dry brushing. Be careful only to do a few overlapping strokes per area. Otherwise, you may cause irritation or even bleeding. Start this routine by dry brushing once every other day before taking a shower to wash all of the dead skin cells. Use a moisturizer after you shower that is formulated for sensitive skin and provide sexcellent barrier protection free of endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Our HYDRATE Body Moisturizer is a perfectly pH-balanced formula that locks in moisture to support replenishing your skin’s natural barrier.
A few words of caution on dry skin brushing – never brush over cuts, scraped, sores, burns, or sunburns, and not over areas of skin that may be infected or are generally irritated and red. I do not recommend dry brushing on your face or other sensitive skin areas.
Castor Oil Packs/Rubs
Castor has an unusual level of fatty acids called ricinoleic acid. It’s is an omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acid that makes up about 90% of castor oil. Ricinoleic acid has anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties which give it high medicinal quality. Castor oil is a thick oil, yet the skin easily absorbs it. Once the skin absorbs the oil, it stimulates the circulation of blood and lymph through your body. Castor oil packs can help reduce inflammation, increase liver function (via glutathione), encourage elimination, ease menstrual cramps, and boost your immune function. Here are two ways you can do a castor oil pack:
Castor Oil Rub Instructions:
Rub 2-3 Tablespoons of castor oil directly on the skin around the liver, which is on the right side of your ribcage below your chest. You can always use castor oil on any body part to help reduce pain and inflammation, but you’ll want to target your liver for detoxifying.
Cover the area with a thick towel or old flannel shirt. Place a heating pad or hot water bottle on top of the area for 60-90 minutes. The heat is an essential part of increasing circulation in the area. Castor oil packs work best with continued use, 3-4 times a week will do the trick.
These 6 different cleansing and detoxifying tips can be incorporated into your daily routine. Pick a few of your favorites to get started with and then slowly implement the others when you’re ready. By adding these into your self-care routine, you’ll be able to give your body’s detox pathways a reboot and your skin a healthy glow.
