How to Detox Your Skin in Just 7 Days-Tips to Get Your Clearest Skin EVER
Juice Cleanses.
Detox Teas.
Alkaline-rich Diets.
It seems like "detox" is one of the biggest buzzwords going around at the moment.
With so many detox guides, tips and products being marketed, it would be hard to blame you for thinking you should be detoxifying yourself in some way.
However, most of these detox tips are built around losing weight or general well-being.
What about detoxing your skin?
After all, you may not be aware of this, but our skin is the largest organ in our body.
Not only that, but it's our protective barrier - the frontline in the fight against bacteria, infections, toxins, free radicals, and more.
It should be obvious that this is the most important part of our body to detox on a regular basis.
We need to detox our skin from time to time - otherwise, these invaders build up and cause acne breakouts, signs of aging, dark circles and even serious health issues.
If you've been eating a lot of junk lately, neglecting your skincare routine, or sleeping in your makeup, a detox might just be exactly what you need to rid your skin of all those unwanted nasties.
Unfortunately, a lot of people find it difficult to be strict enough with themselves to detox their skin effectively, or aren't entirely sure what it involves.
Did you know, that if you do it correctly, 7 days is all you need to effectively cleanse and detox your skin?
We've assembled all of the best tips from nutritionists, dermatologists and studies to give you a definitive guide to detoxing your skin naturally from home.
All you have to do is treat this page as your bible for 1 week, and you'll be able to rid yourself of:
- Clogged Pores
- Impurities
- Dead Skin
- Pollution
- Toxins
and more!
If you've landed here looking to learn how to do an effective detox for acne prone skin, once you're doing reading this page you should check out our article how to get rid of acne quickly and for good.
So without further ado, let's dive right in:
How to Remove Toxins from Your Body and Get Clear Skin in 7 Days
Use Detoxifying Face Masks and/or Facials
Face masks are perhaps the image most commonly associated with a facial detox or skincare in general.
This is not without reason, as face masks are an excellent way to draw out a lot of the impurities from your pores, hair follicles and the top layers of your skin.
However, there are a few tips you want to keep in mind when using face masks as a part of your detox:
- Use Clay or Mud: Unfortunately, there are some face detox masks out there that are made from some less than ideal ingredients including some synthetic chemicals. Use ones with natural ingredients and look for clay or mud especially as these are excellent for pulling all of the impurities out of your skin.
- Keep Hydration in Mind: A common mistake is to leave face masks on too long. If they become dry, your skin is likely being dried out too which defeats the object of using the mask in the first place. Dilute your mask with warm water before use and don't wear it for longer than the instructions say.
- Use Every Other Day: Using a face mask every 2 days for the duration of your detox will help keep the upper surface of your skin as clean and natural as possible - while some of our other tips take care of the inside.
Of course, facial treatments can achieve the same thing, or even better depending on the practitioner.
If you have access to a reliable skincare clinic, day spa or dermatologist, a facial treatment at some point during your week-long detox is an excellent idea and will help flush out your skin even more than the face masks alone could.
Several spas and treatment centres offer specific detox facials, so obviously go for that one if it's an option.
Use a Detoxifying Cleanser Regularly
We mentioned the benefits of cleansing twice per day in our guide to achieving glowing skin naturally.
This really can't be overstated as a second cleanse each day reaches further into your pores and brings out debris and bacteria that may have been left behind the first time.
You should find a cleanser that works well for your skin type, for example, foam cleansers are a great hydrating solution if you get dry skin a lot.
In the same way, if you have problems with oily skin it is probably best to forgo an oil-based cleanser and go for a water-based one instead.
Regardless, you want to cleanse your face morning and night for the entire period of your 7-day skin detox.
Try Detoxing Your Face the Natural Way
Steam cleaning your face is a great way to clean out those pores as deeply as possible.
You ideally want to do this after one of the above tips so that your face is already as clean as possible, allowing the steam to penetrate your pores all the way through.
If you have a steam shower, you likely do this regularly anyway, but if not it's still very simple:
- Fill a bowl or pan with boiling water
- Put your face over the bowl and cover your head with a towel or cloth
- Stay like this for around 15 minutes, allowing the steam to focus on your face as much as possible.
Steam rooms are another way to achieve the same result if you have access to such facilities.
Use Only Gentle, Natural Skincare Products
Since you're trying to remove all the nasty chemicals from your skin, it should be common sense to only use all-natural skincare products during the week of your detox and avoid any chemicals that could be irritating or not beneficial.
It's a good idea to use serums where possible as they tend to be more concentrated and hydrating.
Ideally, you want to use one with some SPF factor in the morning to help prevent your skin from sun damage and something gentle and moisturising at night such as our all-natural eye serum.
You can find more tips for keeping your skin clean and healthy using natural methods by checking out our guide to achieving radiant, glowing skin naturally - there are tons of chemical and toxin-free tips there that will help you detox your face without causing further damage.
Try Dry Brushing
Dry brushing is the act of using a scrubbing brush while it's dry to exfoliate your skin.
It's a super-effective way to remove dry skin and encourage the growth of new skin cells, but it can also help reduce cellulite and can be done daily.
The best way to do this is to brush your entire body including the soles of your feet and extremities first thing before taking a shower.
If you are worried about sore or dry skin, this can, of course, be done wet too, but this isn't as effective when it comes to the removal of dead skin cells.
Take Detoxing Baths
Bathing in Epsom salts is a powerful skin detoxifier and should be done at least 2-3 times during your 7-day skin detox.
Stay in the bath for at least 20-30 mins to allow the Epsom salts to do their business.
You can also combine them with other naturally detoxifying ingredients such as ginger, or simply use a good detoxing bath oil.
Follow a Skin Cleansing Diet
So the first part of our guide focuses on how to detox your face and skin from the outside, using natural, healthy cleaning techniques.
But are there any effective tips on how to detox your skin from the inside out?
Absolutely, and they are equally important.
No skin detox can work without taking the appropriate steps both internally and externally.
Luckily, we have dug out and listed some of the most effective detox foods for skin, along with all the foods you should avoid.
Combining these skin detox diet tips with the skincare tips above will provide a comprehensive detox for better skin that will have you looking and feeling more clean and healthy than ever:
Drink a Lot of Water!
We have mentioned drinking water in virtually every skincare guide we've posted, and this will likely continue to be the case.
Drinking enough water is crucial to keeping your skin healthy and even more important during a detox.
This is because, without water, your body is unable to remove toxins by itself and flush your system out naturally.
You also need to remember water means water.
Tea, coffee, squash, juice, alcohol and virtually all sugary or caffeinated drinks have dehydrating properties and are not worthy substitutes at all.
Coffee especially should be 100% avoided while detoxing your skin as it can contribute to aging skin and dark eye circles.
Green tea can be a great substitute for coffee as it contains a fraction of the caffeine and is full of antioxidants - boosting your detox and keeping you healthily hydrated.
If you find drinking water difficult or boring, you should try adding lemon.
Drinking lemon water first thing in the morning kick-starts your metabolism and boosts the amount of time it spends removing toxins from the body.
For some people avoiding coffee and sugary drinks for the 7-day detox period is the most difficult part, especially in the mornings - but stick with it and the results will be more than worth it.
Avoid Refined Sugars
Refined sugars are the devil when it comes to skincare and consuming too much of them can lead to the elastin and collagen in your body getting damaged.
Anybody who's interested in skin care should be aware of the usefulness of these proteins and their role in keeping the skin elastic, hydrated and youthful looking.
During your skincare detox you want these substances to be doing their job as much as possible, so follow the below tips:
- Avoid high fructose corn syrup entirely
- Avoid extremely high sugar content foods such as soda and candy
- Check the labels on any prepackaged foods as they tend to contain added refined sugars
- Try to keep the sugar in your skin detoxification diet coming only from natural sources such as fruit, and keep it to less than 1/10th of your total caloric intake.
Avoid Dairy and Hormones
Dairy products are not good for our skin and can cause acne, blocked pores and more due to the hormones that are often included.
For this week, avoid dairy products such as milk, cheese, chocolate and mayonnaise entirely.
Switching your coffee out for green tea will once again go a long way towards achieving this.
There are also meat products that are treated with hormones so you need to avoid these too, although grain-fed meat products and organic dairy are ok as these are produced without the use of any hormones.
Look for Alkaline Foods & Leafy Greens
Of course, if you are cutting out a lot of dairy and meat, it's only natural that you will want to eat more vegetables.
Luckily, this is also an important part of your skin cleansing diet.
Alkaline minerals such as calcium, magnesium or potassium all help towards keeping your skin healthy.
Foods that are high in these minerals are also often high in antioxidants, making them superfoods when it comes to detoxifying your skin.
You want to make regular use of as many of these alkaline foods as possible:
- Bananas
- Apples
- Watermelon
- Cabbage
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Kale
Eat your Good Fats
Of course, you want to avoid nasty fats such as saturated fats or trans fats.
However, more healthy fats can help the body to absorb nutrients and even help with hormone management, which is a huge boon for skin care.
Try eating some oily fish such as salmon or mackerel.
It includes a lot of omega-3 fatty acids which have anti-aging properties for the skin and help skin cells to grow stronger.
It's also a great idea to substitute olive oil in for butter, allowing you to cut out dairy and take in more healthy fats at the same time.
Avocados are also full of healthy fats and antioxidants, making them your best friends this week.
Other great sources of good fats to keep in mind are nuts and seeds, which are also very useful for our next point!
Stop Eating Unhealthy Snacks
A lot of people find it easy to switch out their meals for nutritious, detoxifying ingredients, but fall down when it comes to snacking.
Prepare yourself a variety of healthy and satisfying snacks such as sliced vegetables, couscous, hummus, nuts, seeds and more.
This means you can grab something quickly when the desire strikes without undoing your entire detox.
A simple pointer, but a necessary one if you're somebody that snacks often.
Stay Away from Soy
Soy generally has a reputation for being healthy, and it is in several ways, but it is also full of phytoestrogens, a hormone that has been shown to increase breakouts of zits and pimples, especially on the jawline.
Completely avoid anything that contains soy for the period of your detox, and you should see a huge difference in the amount of congested skin and similar issues.
Detoxing Before & After Pictures
Here is a detox before and after picture from Kimberley Snyder which will hopefully go a long way towards showing you the kind of results a skin detox can achieve!
If you would like to achieve similar results for yourself, or even if you just want to clean out your pores regularly for health reasons - spend 7 days following the tips on this page to the letter - and you will achieve guaranteed unbelievable results.
We personally recommend running through this skin detox once per year, even if your skin is clear and healthy.
This prevents any outbreaks and will help to keep your skin glowing and youthful in the long term.
We hope you learned some tips you can apply to your own detoxing routine here, and if you have any tips we've missed out feel free to contact us.
We are always on the hunt for new ideas to make our guides definitive and complete, allowing our readers to get everything they need from a single page.
Until next time!