A pure and natural approach to skin restoration is always best and can enhance the surface of the skin, while rejuvenating the layers beneath for a complete skin detox. Organic remedies work with your body’s native defence systems to cleanse and rejuvenate your skin from head to toe.

The Sauna Solution

Saunas have been used for hundreds of years for skin detox and overall health. Both wet and dry sauna treatments increase your heart rate and maximize blood flood to the skin and more circulating blood brings the benefits of increased oxygen and nutrients to the skin. The skin’s toxins are also released through sweat, to rid the skin of impurities for complete skin detox. Saunas are extremely safe when used properly and involve no chemicals or artificial ingredients. However, be sure to drink plenty of water to re-hydrate after a sauna.

Soothing Salt Baths

Bathing in pure and aromatic salts is also an ancient skin secret. A salt solution stimulates circulation and blood flow to the skin and simple Epsom salts open pores, which allows your inner toxins to be released. Bath salts with minerals can also create an overall feeling of well-being, which can ease stress-related skin breakouts. Adding minerals like magnesium or baking soda can enhance the skin detoxifying properties of salt baths.

Miracle Masks

Facial masks are a great way to quickly refresh your look and aid skin detoxification. Homemade ingredients often work just as well as expensive commercial preparations, without the added chemicals and preservatives. With hand-made preparations created from natural ingredients that you choose, you can be sure that your treatment is safe, natural and effective.

Start by cleansing the skin with pure witch hazel solution. Mix an egg, a tablespoon of organic honey and warm water until it forms a paste. Apply to skin and leave on for 10-20 minutes. Organic clay masks are also effective at drawing out toxins, opening pores and detoxifying the skin. Commercial clay mask preparations are acceptable, but look at the ingredient list before purchasing, to make sure there are no added chemicals.

The Power of Touch

Massage and skin stimulation are a natural, low-tech method to beautify and detox your skin. Facial massage relaxes your muscles and releases the toxins within. Facials also optimize blood circulation and loosen dry, dead skin cells on the surface. If you can’t afford a professional facial treatment or massage, try using a skin brush or exfoliating cream on the surface of your skin instead. Rub vigorously for several minutes for the best effect.

Becky Mackay is an online writer, with a keen interest in health and lifestyle. For more tips on beauty, health and weight loss visit her Twitter page @FreshHealth11

Home Spa Detox

Don’t you sometimes feel that you would like to spend a weekend relaxing and indulging yourself  at a health spa? In these busy days of trying to balance work, family and social commitments it’s often hard to find time for ourselves. Some “me time” is important to counteract the stresses of today’s hectic lifestyle.  But the high cost of a health spa can often make it impossible. So let’s look at how you can have a 2 day home spa detox.

Set aside a weekend or 2 days when you have no commitments. If you have children try to get a grandparent or friend to have them for the weekend. The most important thing about the weekend is that you feel relaxed and not guilty about spending time on yourself.

Get yourself organized before the weekend with everything you will need for the 2 day home spa detox. If your diet is full of processed or junk food you should try to cut down on them during the 2 weeks before you start the weekend detox. Reduce regular tea, coffee, soft drinks and alcohol. Try to find ways of getting more fruit and vegetables into your diet. Eat more fruit instead of high fat and sugar snacks. Drink more pure water.

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Your home spa detox is going to consist of:

• Fresh fruit and vegetable juices

• Salads

• Vegetable Soups

• Water & herb or green tea

• Moor Mud bath and detox drink.

• Skin Brushing

• Relaxation (get out your favorite relaxation tapes or CD’s)

• Deep breathing

• Stretching exercises or Yoga

• Massage (either book one or get a partner or friend to give you a relaxing massage)

• Walking

• Swimming, if you can find a non-chemical pool

You will start the 2 day detox on Friday evening and have a one day juice fast on Saturday and eat raw fruit, raw and cooked vegetables and vegetable soup on Sunday. The detox includes 1 or 2 Moor Mud baths with a Moor Mud detox drink.

Moor Mud Bath & Mud Detox Drink

Mud treatments have been used for thousands of years for healing many different ailments. They are popular through out Europe and are making a big comeback in various parts of the world. One of the most famous muds comes from Neydharting Moor in Austria. The Moor Mud  known for it’s healing powers was analyzed and found to contain many valuable organic minerals, vitamins, amino acids, plant hormones and fatty acids.

A mud detox drink does not sound very nice but I can assure you that it does not taste or smell bad. You  just mix 1 teaspoonful into a glass of water or juice if you prefer. Drink it about 30 minutes before the bath.

Before the bath get your bathroom warm and have several large warm towels ready.  Run a warm to hot (but not too hot) bath and mix in the mud well, following the instructions on the container.

Relax in the bath for 20 minutes. When you get out pat yourself dry leaving as much of the mud on as possible.  The effect of the hot bath, increased circulation and mud will help you sweat out toxins. Relax for another 30 – 60 minutes  before showering off. Have an early night.

Do not have a hot bath if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, heart problems or serious circulatory disorders or are prone to fainting unless you have consulted your doctor.

Here is your 2 day detox plan:

Friday evening meal:

6.30 – 7 pm Make a large salad. You can include cooked vegetables as well as raw. Eat it slowly and chew it well. Drink filtered or good bottled water or herb teas during the evening.

8.30 – 9 pm

Moor Mud Detox Drink & Bath.

Saturday

8 am 8 oz glass of warm water with the juice of 1/2 a lemon.
8.30 am Skin Brushing followed by contrast shower
9 am 8 oz Fresh fruit juice
10 am Stretching exercises or Yoga
10.30 am Water or herb or green tea
11 am 8 oz Fresh vegetable juice
12 pm Water or herb or green tea.
1 pm 8 oz Fresh vegetable juice
2 pm Water or herb tea or green tea
2.30 pm Massage time or go for a brisk walk/ swimming
3 pm 8 oz Fresh fruit juice
3.30 pm Relaxation with CD or tapes.
4 pm Water or herb tea .
5 pm 8 oz Fresh fruit juice
6 pm Water or herb tea
7 pm 8 oz Fresh vegetable juice
9 pm Moor Mud Detox Drink & bath.
10 pm Get an early night.

Sunday

8 am 8 oz water with the juice of 1/2 lemon
8.30 am Skin brushing followed by contrast shower
9 am Fresh fruit breakfast
9.30 am Water or herb or green tea
10 am Stretching exercises or Yoga
10.30 am Snack of fresh fruit and a few almonds
11 am Go for a brisk walk or swimming
11.30 am Water or herb or green tea
12.30 or 1 pm Lunch – large raw and cooked vegetable salad or vegetable soup
3 pm Relaxation exercises and deep breathing.
4 pm Snack of fresh fruit and a few almonds
4.30 pm Water or herb tea
5 pm Cup of fresh vegetable soup
7 pm Meal of vegetables and rice
10 pm Get an early night

Juice recipes

Melon Juice makes a great start to the day.

Water Melon Juice

Watermelon juice is an excellent cleansing drink .  Include some of the green part just under the rind as well as some seeds together with the pink flesh. You can also juice a small (2 inch or 3 cm square)  piece of the rind.  Only include seeds and rind if the fruit is organic.

Here is a green juice recipe for you to try:

Ingredients:

1 whole cucumber
4 sticks of celery
2-4 handfuls of spinach
8 lettuce leaves
Any other green leaves

Wash everything well and put through juicer. Add half an apple or a carrot if you find the taste too strong.

Detox Plan

Alter the times of the plan to suit yourself and change the times you go for walks and do the relaxation. If you want to reduce the costs or can’t get Moor Mud you can have an Epsom Salt bath instead.

Try to switch off from the outside world and concentrate on yourself for a change.  Ask a friend to join you. By the end of the weekend you should be feeling much more relaxed and ready to tackle the week ahead. Try to make this home spa detox a regular part of your life.

One of the many benefits of aerobic exercise is that it helps detoxify the body. Aerobic exercise promotes sweating – and sweating encourages toxins to leave the body through the skin. Most don’t know it, but the body is really supposed to be eliminating two pounds of toxins each day – just through the skin. Aerobic exercise is needed to make this happen and it’s important that the skin is able to breathe properly to release those toxins, which can be easily accomplished by regular dry skin brushing.

Skin brushing is a technique where the skin all over the body is brushed daily, in the direction of the heart, to remove any dead skin so the skin can breathe freely. Dry skin brushing compounds the benefits of aerobic exercise by making sure that the toxins wanting to leave the body in the sweat can actually make it out the body.

In addition to encouraging the removal of toxins through sweating, aerobic exercise stimulates the lymphatic system, which is another important detoxification channel. The lymph is similar to blood, and it brings nourishment to our cells and carries away cellular waste. But, unlike other the blood which is pumped by the heart, lymphatic requires movement from exercise to function properly. The movement of aerobic exercise moves our lymph and keeps it from becoming stagnant and collecting waste. It also encourages the removal of waste from our cells. Just as water becomes dirty when stagnant, so too does our lymph.

Old lymph, with cellular waste, is dumped in the colon for so it can leave the body quickly. Therefore, to get the biggest bang for your detoxification buck from aerobic exercise, you can also do colon cleansing to ensure that old lymph and cellular waste leaves your body. Many health problems are caused by a dirty colon in the first place, so cleaning your colon can also be an important health measure – one just as important as aerobic exercise.

Soaking in an Epsom Salt bath is a good way to relax or relieve cleansing reactions you may get when you are on a detox diet program. Epsom Bath Salts is a name for crystals of magnesium sulfate (sulphate in the UK) which can be absorbed through the skin and has many benefits. They were named after the town Epsom in  England which apparently contains high concentrations of magnesium sulfate in its water.

Detox with sulfate

One of the body’s detox pathways known as sulfation (sulphation) uses sulfate and and some people lack it. The sulfatation  pathway is an important route for the detoxification of environmental chemicals, food additives, some drugs and toxins coming from the bowel . It is also used to detoxify normal body hormones such as thyroid and estrogen so they don’t build up.

People with conditions such as multiple chemical sensitivities, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, autism and rheumatoid arthritis have defects in the sulfate pathways and benefit from getting more into their bodies. Soaking in an Epsom salt detox bath 2 or 3 times a week is an excellent way of supplying the sulfate.

Epsom salts are probably better known for their laxative properties. Although magnesium can be absorbed from the digestives system sulfates are not well absorbed at all. Rosemary Waring a researcher from Birmingham University, England  has shown that there is an increase in sulfate in the blood stream after a soak in an Epsom Salt bath.

Magnesium for detox

Magnesium is an often overlooked mineral that is needed for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It is involved in energy production in each cell which enables the cell to perform many of its essential functions
including self cleansing. The enzymes involved in the detox process also rely on adequate magnesium. A diet high in fat, sugar, salt and processed food depletes magnesium. Stress reactions use up a lot of magnesium too.

Making the Detox Bath

Use 1 – 2 cups per bath. Dissolve the Epsom salts in hot water and soak for about 15 -20 minutes. Do not be tempted to add any other ingredients as this alters the chemistry of the bath. After the bath immediately go to bed for at least 3 hours or all night under plenty of covers to sweat out toxins. If you don’t like the feel of the salts left on your skin you can have a quick shower to rinse them off. It’s a good idea to wrap yourself in a big fluffy cotton towel. Shower off after your rest  using natural soap and finish with cool water to close the pores.

Don’t have the water too hot if you have any heart problem, high blood pressure, very low blood pressure or are prone to fainting  Make sure you have someone around to help you in case you feel dizzy or faint. You can have a cold towel handy to wrap around your head if you get too hot. Don’t forget to drink plenty of pure water to replace the fluid lost by sweating.

As well as sweating out toxins from the skin layers the sulfate you absorb from the Detox bath with Epsom Bath Salts will enable you to process more toxins that have been released during your detox and help you feel better. there are other baths that can be used and you fill find more information them under skin detox. Butif you follow the plan in my Definitve Detox Diet you are far less likely to suffer from detox reactions.

In these stressful times you might feel that your energy needs a boost and be tempted to try one of the energy drinks that seem to be taking over the soft drinks shelves in the supermarkets. In spite of hard times globally sales of caffeine energy drinks have apparently overtaken bottled water sales.

You might be thinking they could be good for you when they also contain herbs like Ginseng, Green Tea, Echinacea, Ginkgo Biloba, St. John’s Wort, Kava Kava, Damiana, Mate and Schizandra. But besides caffeine energy drinks  frequently contain other legal stimulants such as ephedrine, and guarana.

Beware of the stimulants in energy drinks

Ephedrine, a chemical cousin of amphetamine, stimulates the central nervous system, increasing heart rate and blood pressure, sometimes to dangerous levels. Besides heart attack and stroke and risk of seizures, it can cause nervousness, heart muscle damage, and irregular heartbeat Guarana and ginseng are often added to energy beverages and can enhance the effects of caffeine, often 80 mg and the equivalent of a cup of filter coffee.

Adverse effects associated with caffeine consumption include nervousness, irritability, sleeplessness, increased urination, abnormal heart rhythms, (arrhythmia), decreased bone density levels, and stomach upset.

Not good for your heart or circulation

Researchers are finding that energy drinks may give you more than an energy boost. They may also boost heart rates and blood pressure levels and increase the danger of blood clots. These results could be significant in people with any heart problems or those taking drugs to lower heart rate or blood pressure.

Many energy drinks are high in sodium and sugar but researchers have found that the sugar-free version of Red Bull could increase the risk of heart attacks or strokes.

Many sugar free energy drinks contain the artificial sweetener Aspartame which has been shown to have multiple neurotoxic, metabolic, allergenic, fetal, and carcinogenic effects.

The toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) is used to make the linings of drink and food cans and there have been concerns over the effects of this chemical for some time. New published research has linked this to increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. High body levels of the chemical can damage the liver.

Don’t mix your drinks

Mixed with alcohol energy drinks may be even more lethal. Since energy drinks are stimulants and alcohol is a depressant, the combination of effects may be dangerous. Both energy drinks and alcohol are very dehydrating. Dehydration can hinder your body’s ability to metabolize alcohol and will increase the toxicity, and therefore the hangover, the next day.

Like any quick energy boost when the effect wears off you’ll start feeling lethargic again and will want another can to boost your energy once again.

The new soft drink Cocaine is advertised as not causing the jitters or sugar crash associated with other energy drinks but contains 280 milligrams of caffeine and reputed to be 350 percent stronger than Red Bull! Bad news if you value your health.

No nutrients

Energy drinks like other carbonated beverages offer little value to your body. They may contain traces of Vitamin B and the amino acid taurine but this does not make up for the detrimental effects of the caffeine, other stimulants, sugar or artificial sweeteners.

If you would love to boost your energy levels energy drinks aren’t the answer. It is far wiser to address the underlying reasons why you do not have as much energy as you would like.

Generally it’s best to avoid all specialty and soft drinks that contain sugar as they could have an enormous influence on your long-term health. They will raise your insulin levels and contribute to a host of diseases and accelerate your aging process.

How to Increase Your Energy Without Energy Drinks

Lack of energy is a common complaint of modern day living and stressful lifestyles but is not normal.
If you lack energy it is likely to be due to a combination of factors including:

• Poor food choices

• Low-quality food

• Toxicity – causes blocks in the energy production cycle

• Stressful lifestyle

• Not enough sleep

• Lack of exercise

• Negative emotions

Frequently these factors will help increase your energy:

• Avoiding sugar and foods containing that trigger insulin

• Eat slow releasing carbohydrates instead – whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, fruit

• Always eat breakfast and regular unrushed meals

• Take time to eat and chew food properly.

• Get enough sleep

• Get some regular exercise even if it only brisk walking or rebounding

• Reduce stress – rebalance stress hormones with Yoga, Tai-Chi, Qi Gong

• Take a good multi vitamin and mineral supplement that contains at least
  25mg of each B Vitamin, 100 mg of Magnesium and 50 mcg chromium.

• Detox regularly to remove toxins that interfere with energy production

My new Detox eBook gives you three full power detox plans that won’t take over your entire life.

A skin detox can help if your skin breaks out in spots or if you get some irritation during a detox program.  Skin is one of the major routes of detoxification. Taking one of these skin detox baths can help draw out more toxins from just below the surface.

A warm bath is an ideal way to relax as well as help skin detox.   Rest and relaxation is a big part of any detox program. So take some time out and treat yourself to one of these beneficial skin detox baths.

Vinegar Bath

The vinegar bath is a good way to restore the proper pH to the skin. This can be particularly beneficial at times of skin irritation or eruptions during detox.

Add 2 cups of organic apple cider vinegar to a warm bath and soak for 20 minutes then shower off using a natural organic soap or shower gel.  Use a natural cotton towel to dry yourself.

Hydrogen Peroxide Bath

It is believed that this is one way of getting oxygen into the body. Many people report improved energy and well-being after using these.

Add 1 cup of 35% Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide (H202)  Take great care when using this as it can cause burning of the eyes or skin if you splash yourself with the neat solution. Wash off splashes
of neat H202 immediately. It will turn the skin white for a few minutes but will disappear.

Soak in the bath for 20 minutes ideally soaking your face and head in it too.

Salt and Soda Bath

It is believed that this bath is helpful for dealing with radiation after air travel or X-ray.  It can be used if you feel you are coming down with a cold as well as part of a detox program.

Add 2lbs rock salt and 2lbs Baking Soda to a warm bath and soak for 20 minutes then shower off.  Don’t forget to wash the towels frequently as they may contain toxins.

Avoid putting any chemical skin products on your skin after the skin detox baths. You don’t want to add any more toxins. There are so many natural and organic skin care products around now we are spoilt for choice.

This can be used in conjunction with the skin brushing to aid elimination of toxins from the skin while you are using an effective detox diet.  One of the detox reactions you may get is that your skin may break out in spots or rashes. Just what you want!  You may also get some irritation, itching, redness and heat sensations while you are detoxing.

So what can you do?

Try a Skin Rub.  After dry skin brushing that I mentioned in the last post you can mix equal parts of good quality castor oil and olive oil together in a small container. Rub your skin vigorously from head to toe with the mixture and don’t forget your face.

Soak in a hot bath with no soap for 15 minutes but be careful you don’t slip! Pat yourself dry and go to bed for an hour under a heavy cover.  It’s best to use cotton sheets or wrap yourself in a large fluffy cotton towel. Place a warm cover on top. The hot bath and sweating helps to draw the toxins out.

Take a hot shower to wash off any expelled toxins and finish with cool water to close the pores. Baking soda or natural soap should help to get the oil off.

If you can find an Ayurvedic clinic near you try one of their sesame oil detox massages  with a steam bath afterwards.  Its a great way to relax and detox.

I have just talked about kidney cleanse so its logical to think about skin detox next as the skin is often referred to as the third kidney. Believe it or not the skin is one of the organs of detox. We don’t tend to think of the skin as an organ but it is considered to be the largest organ of the body. It consists of the nails, glands and nerve endings as well as the skin itself.  It is more exposed to infection, disease, pollutants and injury than any other organ so it pays to take great care of it.

Many things affect the appearance and health of your skin including diet and nutrition, hygiene, circulation, age, genetic traits, psychological state and drugs. The skin is usually important to one’s image and it has many functions:

• It regulates the body temperature through the regulation of sweating in response to  heat or cold.

• It provides a protective barrier and contains cells that are important components of the immune system that help to fend off invaders.

• Vitamin D is made in the skin when exposed to sunlight

• and last but not least is its excretory function.

There are 2 routes of excretion through the skin. One is through the sweat glands and the other is through the sebum, the oily substance secreted by the sebaceous glands. Sweating is a major route for the excretion of toxins. Sweat consists of water and salts, urea, uric acid, amino acids, ammonia, sugar, lactic acid and ascorbic acid. It is also a vehicle for the elimination of wastes such as toxic chemicals and metals that have lodged near the surface.

Heavy metals such as mercury and lead can be released through the skins pores and many detox programs include saunas and steam baths. A study done in 1982 by the Foundation of Advancement of Science showed that we excrete as many toxins through the skin as through the kidneys.

The skin is very absorptive and chemicals from personal care products may be absorbed into your circulation providing more toxins for our detox pathways to deal with. It pays to look after your skin and only use non toxic natural skin care products.

As I have mentioned before a toxic colon can affect any other parts of the body and will be reflected in the condition of the skin so cleansing the colon will improve many skin conditions. For diseased kidneys, improving skin elimination can help take some of the load off them.  I will cover how to improve skin detox next time.