The new year is a perfect time to reflect upon ourselves, reveal our ambitions and create goals to set ourselves up to conquer the upcoming year with confidence and purpose. The adrenaline rush caused by the influx of ideas and motivation can cause us to feel unstoppable, but can result in us running out of steam only after a few weeks. What many people forget is that with big goals and ambitions, we must ensure our mind and body are in a place of wellness, so that we have the energy to power through.
At InstaNatural, we believe that how you treat your body directly impacts the health of your skin. More importantly, when your body is functioning at full-speed, you feel confident, and nothing is more beautiful than confidence! With that, we are here to provide 7 skin-friendly tips to easily detox your body to reveal healthier, radiant skin throughout the year.
Evaluate Your Diet
The last few months of the year provide us with endless opportunities to indulge in big meals, sweets and festive beverages. Even with an “everything-in-moderation” mentality, it slowly adds up, creating a sluggish feeling that can result in breakouts and a dull complexion.
Getting your diet back on track is the perfect way to kick-start your new year and detox your body. Begin by eliminating your intake of artificial sugars and processed foods and focus on incorporating as many fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet as you can. Scale back on caffeine and alcohol and strive to drink a minimum of half your body weight in ounces of water.
If you struggle with getting the recommended amount of fruits and veggies into your diet, consider swapping out your breakfast or mid-afternoon snack for a nutrient dense smoothie! Filled with tons of nutrients and fiber, smoothies are the perfect way to satisfy your appetite while receiving incredible health benefits.
Heather’s Favorite Smoothie Recipe:
1 cup kale
½ a banana
2-3 whole strawberries
5-6 whole raspberries
1 scoop protein powder
½ cup liquid (use green juice for an extra punch!)Blend until smooth!
Get Sweatin’
While it is not always attractive or enjoyable, sweating is our body’s natural way of regulating temperature and ridding itself of toxins. Engaging in activity that raises our heart rate increases circulation and stimulates the lymphatic system, promoting the natural flushing of toxins throughout our body. This stimulation impacts the skin in a positive way because it energizes cells and rushes nutrients to the dermis through increased blood-flow. The result is radiant, plumped and nourished skin!
While engaging in physical activity is sure to make you feel great, the initial increase in sweat and purge of toxins can cause your skin to look worse before it looks better. As you sweat and toxins are released, you might experience an increase in breakouts. The best way to prevent and manage this (potentially) inevitable detox side effect is to be prepared with the right products and treatments.
After your activity, cleanse the skin with a gentle, gel-based cleanser to remove impurities, sweat and makeup. Follow with a toner and antioxidant-rich serum and moisturizer to nourish and defend the skin. Weekly, treat your skin to a detoxifying mask which will clear breakouts, reduce blackheads and absorb excess oil.
Slough It Off
The skin is the largest organ in the body and despite our desire for it to keep us looking young, it ultimately has one main purpose: to protect our body. Because of this, our skin tends to take the most abuse from a detox because one of the key ways our body eliminates toxins is through our skin.
Dull, lackluster and dry skin is typically the result of a period of indulgence. While beginning a full-body detox has incredible skin benefits, it is important to kick-start your skin’s detox by sloughing away dead and dulling cells. Full-body exfoliation will energize and reveal fresh, healthy cells, putting your skin in an optimal place to absorb nutrients from beauty care products, while also reducing the appearance of breakouts that can occur during a detox.
Exfoliation treatments are safe and easy to do at home with a few simple products and tips.
At-Home Facial Exfoliation
Start by cleansing the skin with a gentle exfoliating cleanser, being sure to remove all traces of makeup. Follow with the application of an at-home chemical peel that uses Glycolic Acid and allow to exfoliate the skin as directed. Rinse thoroughly and follow with a calming toner, serum and soothing moisturizer to replenish and nourish the skin.
Repeat every week to maintain radiant, smooth skin!
Deep Clean Your Makeup Bag
Throughout the year, we tend to collect a lot of beauty products. While we excitedly add to our collection, we often neglect throwing items away. Continual use of expired or old products can cause breakouts and irritation, but it is often unrealized that these concerns can be caused by your makeup bag – not your skin care routine.
While this doesn’t directly impact your full-body detox, this period of cleansing is a great time to clear out the physical clutter, too. Since we know this can be difficult, we recommend following the below rules to help you decide what to toss:
- Products that have expired or will expire in 30 days
- Products that you have not used in 3+ months
- Products with a foul odor or have changed color
- Products that don’t fit your lifestyle – be it in ease of use, appearance or time required
- Products that are less than ¼ full
- Products that don’t make you feel excited – after all, that is the main goal of all beauty products
Review Your Skin Care Routine
During the busy holiday season, we tend to get off track and cut corners in our routines. While this is understandable, a new year means that it is time to get back on track. To maintain the skin benefits of your whole-body detox, it is important to have a realistic skin care routine in place.
Start by asking yourself what your primary skin concern is. The answer to this question should be the cornerstone of how you choose your skin care products. Concerns can be lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, dryness or acne. The key to success is focusing on your primary skin concern.
Next, decide how much time you are willing to dedicate to your routine. For some people, this time is limited in the morning, but flexible in the evening. Whatever your schedule allows, ensure your routine is realistic within the timeframe you have.
Finally – keep it simple. Complicated routines of multiple products, steps and rotations can cause confusion and don’t necessarily create more results. Especially in the beginning, focus on a daily routine of a cleanser, toner, serum and moisturizer and incorporate a mask and exfoliation treatment weekly. As you become comfortable and find success with your routine, you can begin incorporating additional items or rotate products to target additional skin concerns and goals.
Starting your year with a whole-body detox might be tough, but it is also rejuvenating and energizing. Keep the momentum going by creating SMART goals and ambitions for your entire year, allowing time for self-reflection, whole-body resets and room for flexibility. At the end of the year, you’ll find yourself looking back on tremendous growth and find yourself feeling beautiful, confident and inspired.
Written by Heather Wilson, Director of Brand Development & Lead Esthetician
