What does it mean to be healthy? Is it eating salad every day? Or drinking eight glasses of filtered water? Maybe it’s 30 minutes of daily exercise. Whatever it takes to be healthy, you work hard at it, so can you believe that your favorite skin cleanser may be sabotaging your efforts? It’s time for a beauty detox!
Popular ingredients in beauty products – from moisturizers to cleansers, and even shampoos and conditioners – can include harmful phalates, sulphates, and parabens. Most recently, the U.S. banned microbeads, the poplar, extremely small plastic particles found in many face washes that are almost impossible to dissolve. In truth, the ban was focused on reducing environmental concerns, including saving wildlife that end up eating the microbeads, but it presented an opportunity for consumers to take a deeper look at what’s in their skincare.
The same way you can detox your food and your home, it’s also important to perform a beauty detox; after all, our skin is our largest organ, and when we slather it with synthetic colors and dyes, or preservatives such as parabens, BHA, and BHT that are linked to health issues such as skin irritation, we’re just absorbing it into our bodies.
Just because we want to look our best doesn’t mean we need to hurt our health in the process. According to Marlena McGee, a holistic facialist and owner of Skin & Grace, the best way to start off on your own all natural beauty routine is to start simple.
“If you can, speak with a skin care professional and have a proper skin analysis performed,” said McGee, “ because many times it’s completely overwhelming to think about what our skin actually needs, especially when we’re bombarded with so many options.”
Popular all natural ingredients such as calendula for dry skin, or rosemary, tea tree oil, and Manuka honey for oily skin; or pineapple, which contains natural enzymes that break down dead skin cells for a smoother complexion, are all easily accessible. McGee also likes using all natural, organic skincare lines such as Naturopathica instead of paraben-laden products.
Making your own masks, scrubs, and lotions can be as easy as using coconut oil for moisturizing, cleaning your face (don’t be scared of the oil, even if you have oily skin), or exfoliating with the lip scrub (see below). You can also take a few more minutes and mix together an all natural mask right at home, like McGee’s Balancing Detox Skin Mask that’s perfect for breakouts and hydration.
Creating your own DIY healthy beauty routine can help lighten your toxic load and will most likely brighten your complexion. Eating healthy no longer has to be the only great health choice we make.
Skin and Grace’s Balancing Detox Skin Mask
1 tablespoon organic kefir
1 teaspoon Manuka Honey
2 drops Lavender Essential Oil
Add kefir to small cup. Add two drops of lavender essential oil to Manuka honey, then add to cup with kefir. Whisk all ingredients with a small fork. Gently massage into the skin with fingertips. Leave on for 7 minutes.
Two Ingredient Soft Lip Scrub
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons raw sugar
Mix the two together, gently rub on lips, and rinse off. Apply additional coconut oil for hydration after scrub.
Hero (Top) Feature Image: © V&P Photo Studio / Adobe Stock
Additional Images Courtesy: Melissa Beveridge / Best of NJ
Melissa Beveridge is a 200 hour registered yoga teacher, certified integrative health coach, aspiring gardener, and writer in Monmouth County. She’s passionate about sharing her lifestyle and combining her love of food, health, and wellness into her writing. Follow her adventures through New Jersey at MBeeWell.com.You can also find her on Twitter @MBeeWell, and on Instagram @mbeewell.
