This time of year is hard on your skin.
And it’s more than just sweating a lot from being in the hot summer sun. All that time spent outdoors exposes your skin to toxins from our modern world.
In fact, you are bombarded by more than 80,000 chemicals in the air, water and soil every day.
These toxins seep into the deepest layers of your skin.
Now, your skin is designed to take care of wastes and toxins. It’s the largest organ involved in eliminating them from your body. About 30% of your body’s waste passes through the skin.
In fact, your skin is designed to release nearly 2 pounds of toxic waste daily through perspiration.1
But during the summer heat, your skin can get overwhelmed.
Your body hasn’t adapted quickly enough to flush out these man-made chemicals, toxins and pollutants.
That means that oil, dirt and bacteria get trapped in your skin. You can’t wash these toxins away. They don’t just stay on the surface of your face. They lodge deep in the layers of your skin where exfoliants and cleansers can’t reach them.
In just weeks that buildup can cause:
| • Dull, sallow skin | • Dry or sensitive skin |
| • Uneven skin tone | • Whiteheads |
| • Oily skin | • Breakouts |
| • Wrinkles | • Puffy skin |
| • Sagging skin | • Under-eye circles |
You might be tempted to take desperate measures like expensive spa treatments in search of glowing summer skin. But don’t waste your money…
I help my patients restore radiant and healthy skin with a simple summer detox. It purges your skin of accumulated waste and impurities so your skin looks dewy and glowing. Here’s how you can bring back healthy skin:
1. Break a Sweat. Our primal ancestors relied on a good sweat to get rid of whatever toxins they encountered.
Sitting in a sauna rejuvenates your skin. It’ll open your pores so you can flush out impurities more efficiently. At the same time, a sauna flushes your tissues with oxygen and improves circulation.
For the best detoxing, I prefer saunas that use far infrared heat (FIH) rather than steam. FIH penetrates deeper into your tissue — as much as several inches. This deep penetration activates and releases debris from the fat just beneath the skin.
Far infrared saunas are completely safe. It’s the same heat neonatal units use to soothe infants and keep them warm. To get the full benefits of detoxification, build up slowly. Start with no more than five minutes. Work yourself up to 15 or 30 minutes per session. Start with once a week and work up to a daily session if you like.
2. Use a Clay Mask. Clay masks pull impurities and waste out of your skin. They unclog blocked pores and revitalize the look of dull skin. But don’t use just any mud…
Look for montmorillonite clay. This volcanic ash has fabulous rejuvenating and detoxifying powers. As soon as you add water, minerals in the clay gather a positive charge. This magnetic energy pulls out dead skin cells, dirt, bacteria and toxins. It makes them stick to the clay itself. Studies show it cleanses and absorbs pollutants sitting on the surface of your skin.2 It leaves your skin feeling supercharged as the old skin layer gives way to fresh new skin underneath.
Here’s how to make your own clay mask for stunning summer skin.
Summer Detox Clay Mask Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup montmorillonite clay
- 1 cup organic raw honey
- 5 to 10 drops citrus essential oil
- ½ cup filtered water
Directions
- Mix the honey, oil and water.
- Add clay and stir until thick but smooth. Add water as needed to make it spreadable.
- Cover face with a generous layer. Allow to set for up to 15 minutes.
- Rinse thoroughly using a warm washcloth.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
1. Jensen, Dr. Bernard: Dr. Jensen’s Guide to Better Bowel Care. NY, NY: Avery Publishing, p. 118, 1999.
2. Ning-Lin, et al. “ShenSynthesis and antimicrobial activities of polymer/montmorillonite-chlorhexidine acetate nanocomposite films,” Applied Clay Science. January 2009.