Our precious skin that surrounds and protects us each and every day is the largest of all organs in our bodies. It is known as the “natural detoxifier”, and the truth is it has a huge job! The functions of our skin include; protecting us against excessive water loss and infection, regulating our body temperature, it is responsible for sensation and insulation, and it produces vitamin D important for absorbing calcium and strengthening bones.
How do toxins affect our skin and contribute to poor skin health?
• Today’s fast paced lifestyles cause an increase in stress in our lives and less time to take care of ourselves. This can lead to increased oil production, redness, and slower cell turnover.
• Chemical exposures whether from air pollution, lotions, cleansers, or makeup can lead to skin dullness, congestion, irritation, and even cancers.
• Smoking affects our skin health by restricting blood flow in the skin and increasing lines and wrinkles.
• An insufficient supply of water intake is also a big contributor to poor skin health. Beverages like coffee, alcohol, and sugary juices are all dehydrating to our skin. When we drink an adequate amount of water, we are less likely to suffer from scars, acne, lines and wrinkles, and accelerated signs of aging.
• Certain foods can cause decreased collagen production, suck out the moisture in our skin leaving us looking washed out, increasing inflammation/redness, and decreasing the circulation in our skin leading to puffiness. These foods include: soda, sugar/candy, fried foods, fast food, processed meats, alcohol, refined carbohydrates, and movie theater popcorn.
DETOX IS NOT JUST MEANT FOR YOUR BODY- a skin detox actually purges your skin of congestion/dirt/grime and cleans our impurities and restores natural pH levels.
WAYS TO GET YOUR SKIN IN SHAPE AND DETOX IT
• EXERCISE- flushes out waste products and impurities- all TOXINS!
• WATER- drink ½ your body weight (pounds) in ounces of water. Best Detox for your skin!
• NO SMOKING OR ALCOHOL- These dehydrate us and leave us looking tired and old. They also damage collagen and elastin and lead to an increase in wrinkles.
• SLEEP- Get enough sleep (at least 7 hours is recommended). Your skin needs rest to repair itself from inflammation and damage (think dark circles).
• EAT HEALTHY! We need to decrease dairy, refined carbs, and sugar. Concentrate on a well-balanced diet including; orange fruits, green leafy vegetables, bananas, walnuts, pears, avocados, watermelon, berries, fatty fish (high in antioxidants).
• SKIN CARE (it’s the largest organ, how do you care for it?)
DOUBLE CLEANSING phenomenon- skin sheds approximately 30,000 dead skin cells each minute and generates 3.4 ounces of sweat each day. The average women spends only 20 seconds washing her face. New recommendations all state double cleansing is the best way to truly eliminate dirt/build up. We recommend both KPS organics Aromatherapy Cleansing Oil (removes dirt and makeup pigmentation) as well as KPS Organics Brightening Cream Cleanser (deeper exfoliating cleanser).
https://premiermdplus.com/category/kps-product
Use a TONER- Toners help to reset the natural biome or environment of the skin. They balance pH levels and help to control oil production. KPS organics Probiotic Toner contains NO alcohol, it uses apple cider vinegar as the natural astringent so it does not dry out the skin. This helps prepare the skin for hydration.
https://premiermdplus.com/category/kps-product
HYDRATE your skin- Complete your detox regimen by keeping balanced moisture levels in the skin. By trapping the moisture in your skin, it will help you to look younger and healthier. KPS Organics Renu Face Cream focuses on promoting volume, hydration, and increasing collagen production to fill in lines/wrinkles.
https://premiermdplus.com/category/kps-product
Our skins main job is to protect us, so shouldn’t we make every effort to Detox – and protect it?
Andrea J Vanbeek, RN WCC