Skin Detox: How To Smooth And Refresh Your Complexion
Detox diets are everywhere but what about a skin detox? After over-indulging in tasty treats and lounge time, why not start fresh with a fresh face. Whether you’re dealing with dullness, uneven skin tone, blemishes, dry skin or all of the above, here are our recommendations for a full skin detoxification.
What Is A Skin Detox?
A skin detox is simply the process of nourishing your skin both externally and internally to reveal a smooth and healthy looking complexion. During this process, impurities, pollutants and dead skin cells are removed as much as possible in order to revitalize your skin and get it back to normal. As the deeper layers of the skin take four to six weeks to surface, a skin detox is not a quick fix solution. To truly see results, healthy tweaks made to your skin routine and lifestyle needa month or two to fully reset.
Why Should I Detox My Skin?
To learn why you should detox your skin, we went right to our inhouse experts. Eminence Organics Product Support Team Lead Alicia Hawthorne explains that “the benefit of detoxifying the skin is that it allows the skin a fresh start. Detox stimulates a healthier environment for the skin and can encourage increased production of collagen and elastin. These changes can help increase cell turnover and improve the skin barrier overall.” If you’ve been snacking on sugary treats or slacking on drinking water, you may find that you’re experiencing glycation (a process that slows down collagen and elastic production) and seeing inflammation in the skin. A skin detox will target these issues and help balance the skin.
The benefit of detoxifying the skin is that it allows the skin a fresh start. Detox stimulates a healthier environment for the skin and can encourage increased production of collagen and elastin.
Kick Off With A Spa Facial
To start detoxifying your skin, book a treatment at your closest Eminence Organics Spa Partner. A professional treatment will ensure deep cleansing and prepare the skin for optimal results from your home care products. If you’re suffering from breakouts and/or pore congestion such as blackheads, whiteheads and milia, Alicia recommends requesting that the esthetician perform extractions to unclog the pores. If you’re suffering from sensitized, dry or dehydrated skin, communicate this to your esthetician as well. Detoxifying treatments don’t equate to “drying the skin out” and, as Alicia notes,“spas will generally have detoxifying treatments on their menu for face and body that they can customize based on your needs.”
Boost Your At-Home Skin Care Routine
In addition to professional treatments, a solid daily skin care routine - along with weekly at-home treatments - are essential to your skin detox. Look for products that draw out impurities while also hydrating the skin. During this process, don’t panic if you experience breakouts. This reaction shows that the skin is purging itself of pore clogging debris and is a normal part of the detox process.
The products we are recommending for home care feature some award winners from our Microgreens Detox and Eight Greens Collections. While you don’t have to follow this exact routine, the products below are recommended by Alicia and Natalie for their ability to deep clean pores and improve the look of skin texture.
Double Cleanse
If you aren’t already double cleansing, a skin detox is the perfect time to include it in your routine. Double cleansing is the perfect addition as it lifts away grime and helps purge the pores. Containing our potent Detoxifying Microgreens Complex, our Stone Crop Cleansing Oil is a fantastic choice for the first cleanse. This silky oil removes impurities both on the skin’s surface and clogged deep within pores, yet is gentle enough to remove makeup from the delicate eye area. For the second cleanse, our Charcoal Exfoliating Gel Cleanser draws out dirt and other impurities to encourage the look of smoother skin.
Exfoliate Up To Three Times A Week
In addition to gentle daily exfoliation, a deeper resurfacing helps pump up the process by diving deeper into the pores. Our Stone Crop Oxygenating Fizzofoliant also contains microgreens and works well for all skin types. Those with normal to oily skin types can use this exfoliant up to three times a week, while those with dry or sensitive skin should aim for once or twice per week. Alicia explains, “This is a powder to foam exfoliant that gently buffs skin to decongest and refresh pores with oxygen and stone crop. For breakout prone and congested skin types, this exfoliant is ideal to soften the debris that clogs pores.”
Product Picks
Tone Twice A Day
Toning the skin is a key step in any skin care routine, as it hydrates while balancing the pH level of the skin. In addition to prepping the skin to better absorb further treatment products, a toner also delivers a dose of ingredients to leave the complexion glowing. For combination to oily skin types, our Red Currant Mattifying Mist contains our proprietary Youth Shield Antioxidant Complex to revive the look of dull skin while also mattifying the T-zone. For normal to dry skin types, the Stone Crop Hydrating Mist is a revitalizing toner, containing stone crop juice to naturally brighten the skin's appearance.
Use Special Treatments
Special at-home treatments and face masks will make a huge impact on your detox process. As Natalie recommends, our Lotus Detoxifying Overnight Treatment helps to minimize transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and will revitalize the skin overnight. This lightweight gel cream features unique jojoba oil spheres that break upon application to hydrate the skin. This can be worn in several ways:
- As a “serum” treatment by applying thinly under your night moisturizer
- As a “cream” treatment by applying thickly over your night serum
- As a daytime treatment by applying a light layer under your SPF cream
When it comes to masking, our Eight Greens Phyto Masque - Hot can do no wrong. With paprika to invigorate the skin, this spicy face mask promotes healthy looking skin. Battling the look of any breakouts, signs of aging, texture and large pores, this green wonder is a must have when purifying the skin.
As Natalie mentions, charcoal is like a magnet for pulling out debris and refining pores and a great ingredient to include in detox skin care. In an interview with American Spa Magazine, Eminence Organics International Trainer Brian Goodwin discusses the many benefits of charcoal to detoxify the skin, noting that charcoal is “especially effective at removing the pollutants, allergens, dust, and more from the skin and putting a stop to the inflammation and free radical damage they can cause.”
Using any one of these treatments will work wonders for your skin. While the Lotus Detoxifying Overnight Treatment can be used daily, limit use of the face masks to one to three times per week. When it comes to charcoal face masks especially, daily use is likely to dry out your complexion and throw off your skin’s natural oil production.
Take Care Of You!
In addition to external care, the best results from a skin detox come with internal care too. As Natalie describes in the video, alkaline rich foods are fantastic for helping the skin glow. Choose produce rich in calcium, magnesium and potassium to keep skin strong. Some tasty options are:
- Pears
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Watermelon
- Bananas
Healthy fats (like omega-3’s) will also keep your skin supple, so add things like avocado and walnuts to your snacking roster. Natalie let us know that “with diet, - once you make changes and the body starts to readjust - breakouts might be inevitable. Continue with your detoxification regime, as this too shall pass.”
In addition to eating more fresh produce, ensure that you’re protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful rays, drinking enough water and sleeping well. This will help regulate your skin’s oil production and cell turnover rate. Lastly, make time for wellness practices (like yoga, for example) which encourage blood flow and reduce stress, both of which are reflected in your skin.
From the skin care products you use to the foods you eat, all of these small changes work together to reset your skin and revive your complexion. Have you completed a skin detox before? Do you have any tips on acing the process? We’d love to hear from you! Share with us in the comments below or on social media.
This article was written by Jen Wynn in January 2019.