In addition to food and exercise, it is also worth reviewing your beauty rituals and making sure that cosmetics do no harm to your body.
The skin is the largest organ of the body, not just the shell that holds our valuable contents together. The skin has many important functions and one of them is to help the body get rid of toxins. However, if our body is able to remove waste products through the skin, it is quite logical to conclude that the opposite also works – the substances that we apply to the skin are absorbed into our body from there. That’s right, scientists say about 60% of what we apply to the skin ends up in the bloodstream.
Although it can be said that the amount absorbed from one cream spot or perfume droplet is negligible, another factor comes into play – the number of products applied on a daily basis. Researchers estimate that the average woman uses about 16 products a day, which means about 200 chemicals for the consumer of conventional cosmetics.
What to do? Stop using cosmetics? It is not necessary to go that far, it is enough to learn to read the fine print behind the products. The fewer ingredients, the better. To avoid potential confusion, download a smartphone cosmetics ingredient scanning application (such as Think Dirty – Shop Clean or CosmEthics) that shares information about the potential effects of harmful ingredients and helps you make choices that are more informed.
What ingredients to avoid?
Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) – A foaming agent that is well found in many shampoos, shower gels, etc. and that breaks the skin’s natural protective layer and irritates the skin. Sodium laureth sulfate and ammonium laureth sulfate also have a similar effect.
Parabens – butyl, methyl, ethyl, propyl, isobutyl. Used as a preservative. They have similar properties to female hormones, thus upsetting the hormonal balance in the body. Keep an eye on them for all beauty products, especially creams and other perishable products.
Phthalates – phthalates, can also be labeled as DEHP, BBP, DBP. They are especially found in nail polishes, hair sprays, perfumes. Phthalates severely interfere with the endocrine system.
Chemical sunscreens – oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate, octinoxate. When the body accumulates, it can cause skin irritation and disruption of the hormonal system.
Synthetic fragrances – perfume, perfume, fragrance. One of the most allergenic ingredients in cosmetics.
Mineral oils – mineral oil, petrolatum, petroleum, paraffin, paraffinum liquidum, petroleum jelly. They create an impermeable layer on the skin and clog pores.
Synthetic dyes – Listed as FD&C or D&C followed by a number. Link to all kinds of allergies, skin irritations and acne.
Talc – A natural mineral, but often contains asbestos with carcinogenic properties. In particular, talcum powder and other volatile talc-containing products should be avoided.
Remember! Ingredients are always marked on the product in descending order of their content, ie the more harmful substances there are at the beginning of the list, the higher their content in the product.
Deep cleansing with brushes
If you have used conventional products so far and want to switch to natural ones, help cleanse your body by dry brushing. Dry brushing stimulates the body’s blood and lymphatic circulation and removes waste products faster.
All you need for dry brushing is a soft body brush with natural bristles and about five minutes for yourself. Dry brushing is done on completely dry skin, starting at the tips of the toes and moving from the bottom up towards the heart.
The oil dissolves dirt
For many, skin peeling is probably the first thing that comes to mind when we talk about deep cleansing, but we recommend oiling instead. Why? Because the oil dissolves dirt, grease and make-up on the skin better than anything else dissolves and cleans deeply, in addition, the oil cleansing is gentle – it does not scratch, stretch or dry the skin.
For best results, first apply the oil to dry skin, massage gently to dissolve the dirt, then remove the microfiber cloth soaked in warm water and wipe off any remaining dirt.
The mask dots the I’s and crosses the T’s
Among the deep cleansing active ingredients, the effective agents is peat rich in bioactive humic and fulvic acids, so it is worth making a face mask from peat mud once a week. Peat absorbs all the dirt from the depths of the skin, exfoliate the skin and stimulates blood circulation. It is beneficial for the skin if you make a deep cleansing mask alternating with a specially nourishing and moisturizing mask. It is especially recommended to perform the procedure in the sauna, where the heat has opened the skin pores.
Cleansing bath procedures
Relaxing 15-20 minutes in bath water, to which you have added a cup of Epsom salt, a few sachets of green tea or about ten drops of essential oils that stimulate the body’s circulation (such as juniper or grapefruit oil), also helps to release toxins from the skin and the whole body.
A ginger bath is also a good, simple and effective way to warm your body and thus expel toxins. To do this, add half a cup of grated ginger to the bath water (which could be as hot as you suffer because your body will cleanse more effectively). By the way, the ginger bath is very effective even if you feel that you have a cold.
Don't forget your hair!
Deep cleansing also benefits the hair. Many shampoos contain silicones that clog the scalp, and residues of finishes tend to accumulate in the hair, which robs the hair of its shine. A scalp scrub and deep cleansing shampoo come in handy.
Nourish and moisturize the skin
After washing, do not forget to moisturize the whole body, but be sure to do so with as natural a product as possible. For example, pure and unrefined butterseed oil, which contains a lot of vitamins A, E, F and K and fatty acids that take care of the skin’s well-being, is perfectly suitable for this purpose. Vitamin-rich cold-pressed vegetable oils, such as rosehip seed oil, argan oil, raspberry seed oil, jojoba oil, etc., will help you keep your face moisturized.
