If you’re like me, the past few weeks have been hard on your wallet, waistline and skin. I’m heading into recovery mode and settling down, there are things I have to do to get my self back in order. I have dry scaly patches AND I’m breaking out. So, I’m here to share how to do a great Skin Detox so we’re all fresh faced in the new year. It’s simple, easy, and most of all, it will make us feel better after all the H=holiday goodies.
I can’t stress how drinking enough water is the first step in any good skin regimen. My esthetician tells me there are debates all over the internet about how much water you should be drinking, but I’m a firm believer in getting in at least eight cups of H2O per day. However, when I feel and look my best? I’m dividing my weight in half and drinking that many ounces of water per day. So, if you weigh 120lbs, then you’d drink 60oz.
Ayurveda, the ancient healing practice of India, also has some great ideas for getting your system moving. They suggest you get up in the morning and first thing drink a cup of warm water with lemon.
If you’re not drinking enough water, this is a great way to help get things going. The lemon has acidic and antibacterial properties. This not only helps discourage yeast proliferation, but also aids regularity. Crucial when keeping the digestive system moving and free of toxin build-up.
Go makeup free. I know how hard it is, but on my days at home, I go without makeup as often as possible. If I’m having a day with video conferences, I’ll just wear mascara and lipstick a lot of times. It makes me look pulled together, and I’m still giving my skin a break.
Feed your skin. Not with serums and moisturizers. Feed it from the inside with the food you’re eating. Dark leafy greens, berries, melon and salmon all add up to help create gleaming skin. I try to eat from each color in my daily diet. As long as I’m doing that, my skin looks better, I feel better and I know I’m doing something good for body.
Avoid sugar and processed foods. Not all sugars are bad, but processed white sugars aren’t good for you skin. Period. According to a study in the British Journal of Dermatology, we can put part of the blame on aging from a process called glycation.
Glycation occurs when sugar, not just refined sugar, are eaten and glucose hits your bloodstream. When these little molecules are floating throughout your bloodstream, they are like little burrs, but instead of latching onto your pants, they are latching on to the proteins in the blood and then form a new molecule called advanced glycation end products or AGE’s.
What does that mean in layman’s terms? The more sugar we eat, the more AGE’s we produce. I, for one, am kicking the dust bunnies in my house with disgust. I want firm, elastic skin and if I eat sugars, these little molecules wreak havoc on my skin. I want strong, healthy proteins, namely collagen and elastin.
Smoking is another skin killer. Wish I had known that years ago when I was a foolish young woman puffing away. If you do smoke? Quit now. It’s hard and will make your family and friends hate you for a few weeks. Chemicals in the cigarettes do nasty things, like break down the collagen in your skin, causing more rapid sagging and wrinkling. It also causes you to develop smokers lips — little fine lines all around your mouth. When I see young girls smoking, I want to grab my soapbox and lay down the healthy skin law.
Finally? Sunscreen. Lots and lots of sunscreen. I wear an SPF everyday of the year: 15 in the winter, a minimum of 30 in the summer. If I’m on the beach or ski slopes, I go for 50 and reapply constantly.
We have to have a certain amount of sunlight (15 minutes) daily to help boost our vitamin D levels, however any more and we’re damaging our skin. I see photos of Diane Keaton wearing hats and gloves. Sure, it’s part of her style and charm, but let me tell you what else it’s doing? Saving her skin. I’m vote we bring gloves back. It’s a feminine, retro look. People will think you’re eccentric. They won’t know you’re saving your hands (the first place to show signs of aging).
So, what does all of this have to do with the price of tea in China, or saving time? It’s the little things. If we keep up with small things and adapt them into our routine, then we save time in the long run. We also save our skin and improve our health. That’s worth all the time in the world.
Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. The above is not to be constituted as medical advice, nor should it be taken as such. I’m a self-professed beauty junkie who’s coming to terms with aging and doing all I can to stop mother nature’s march across my face.
This post was written by...
Lisa – who has written 269 posts on Daily Pinch™.
Lisa Frame is a under-organized, over-achiever. She's a freelance writer covering tech, travel, business, parenting and food. The need for more "me time" has lead her to search the seven corners of the earth in order to find the ever-elusive lazy streak without success. When she's not living online, she's pestering her husband and son in order to test their breaking point and give them something to discuss with the shrink.
