Elaine Yang, askbella founder
As the party season starts to wind down, it’s likely your skin might now be showing some signs from all the excessive drinking and eating. Redness, bloating, acne, and fine lines can all be tell-tale symptoms, signalling that it’s time to give your skin a detox. Below, askbella’s Founder Elaine Yang details everything you need to know about detoxing your skin post-festive season.
Firstly, what is skin detoxing?
Skin detoxing involves flushing out toxins to purge the skin of excess sebum, clogged pores, and dead skin cells. Just like you might go on a detox for your inner health, skin detoxing works in a similar way in that you’re ridding your skin of any substance that could be impacting your complexion.
Why do we need to detox our skin?
There are lots of theories surrounding why our skin might not be looking like it should this time of year – perhaps it is excessive drinking and partying, but there are also many lifestyle and environmental factors that can affect the skin:
Stress: Prolonged periods of stress cause an excess in the release of cortisol, the hormone that helps your body respond to threats of danger. Excess cortisol can stimulate the over-production of sebum, which encourages bacteria and activates the body’s anti-inflammatory response in the form of redness, boils, and pimples.
Diet: Food intolerances including (but not limited to) dairy can also cause breakouts. When the body is invaded with food it can’t process, the skin can go into overdrive to remove the foreign body resulting in excess oil production, which is an inviting environment for bacteria.
Hormones: While more common in women, hormonal changes and imbalances for both genders can lead to an excess of sebum production. This can cause the pores to become clogged and boils and spots to appear on the surface of the skin as bacteria becomes trapped in the follicles.
Skin type: Some people produce more sebum than is needed, which results in oiler skin more prone to attracting bacteria.
Skincare products: It seems ironic to us that the products meant to help your skin are the ones that can cause the problems. Synthetic ingredients and harmful chemicals added to moisturisers and cleansers can cause irritation, as the skin works harder to expel the harsh chemicals from the body. The ingredients in your skincare are just as important as the ingredients in your food and to keep your skin blemish-free, it’s important that you understand exactly what you’re applying topically and how it impacts your body’s natural processes.
How to detox your skin
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate: Hydrating your skin both externally and internally is a great way to flush out any toxins. Many people are dealing with dehydrated skin and may not even know it. Up your water intake and use a hydrating mask like Skinstitut’s Hydrating Mask, which provides intense moisture to promote skin radiance.
Try a skin fast: If you’re starting the new year using layer upon layer of products in your routine, try a skin fast. A skin fast is where you strip back the number of products you use in an attempt to allow skin to balance out. Sometimes excessive products or a complicated routine can be doing more harm than good. A skin fast can allow you to see what your skin might be like when it’s working hard on its own (rather than relying on a host of products to do what the skin can do naturally).
Eat foods that your skin will love: Many people don’t realise that you can actually eat your way to good skin. Introduce some foods that your skin will love like antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables, healthy fats from oily fish and nuts, and don’t forget about that hydration.
Do a skin purge: The way to do this is by using an active product that penetrates deep within the cells to clear out any bacteria that can cause pimples, acne, and blackheads. This means that the skin will likely go through a process of getting worse before it gets better. This is because a skin detox will clear out any build-up and work hard to remove any decongestion, before revealing renewed skin cells. Once this purge phase has completed, skin will go through a process of renewal (but be warned, it can get worse before it gets better).
Cut back on any lifestyle practices that might affect your skin: Smoking, drinking, eating a bad diet, and excessive sun exposure can all have a negative impact on your skin. Use this time to eliminate some of those unfavourable skin practices and try to get your complexion back on track.
Get to know your skin type: Getting to know your skin type can help you to truly understand your skin and work towards nourishing it with all the right products. The main skin types are typically dry skin, oily skin, sensitive skin, or combination skin. A skin type is not the same as a skin concern (such as acne or ageing), which is why people are often confused about what type of skin they really have. Knowing your skin type can help you to determine just what your skin needs, including the types of products your skin ‘likes’ and certain ingredients or skincare practices that might be best avoided. A great way to find out your skin type is by using an online tool such as askbella’s Skinalyser®, which harnesses AI to help you to determine both your skin concerns and skin type to ensure that you find the best skincare routine for you. The best bit? It’s free and easy to use.
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