Detoxification

Considering the buzz this technique has been making lately, a lot of people would surely love to try it. Why? The technique has gained popularity ever since it has been proven quite effective in treating ailments such as severe allergies and multiple chemical sensitivities, that’s why!

Skin detoxification (skin cleansing) traces its origin way back from the ancient times. It has been used for several centuries by civilizations all around the world for the purpose of dislodging toxins that have accumulated in a person’s body. So, how does skin detoxification help us get rid of all those harmful toxins?

The Principle Behind Skin Detoxification - Even before the advent of modern medical science, ancient medical practitioners already believed that toxic substances are deposited in the fatty tissues just beneath the skin’s surface. The skin is by far the largest organ in a person’s body and is also considered as one of the major organs of elimination. It helps to get rid of the toxins and bodily wastes that have not been eliminated by other organs of elimination such as the colon, the kidneys and the lungs.

Seeing the potential of the skin in transporting these harmful substances outside the body and promoting better health, the idea of skin detoxification was conceived. To be more effective in performing its job this technique enlists the powers of herbs, saunas and sweat lodges.

There are several techniques used in skin detoxification. Among these are air baths, skin brushing, cleansing bath, sauna cleansing, ocean sauna skin cleansing, cold sheet treatment and some other more powerful skin cleansing techniques. For our purposes, we will look into the simpler skin detoxification techniques first.

Air Baths - An air bath is the simplest technique used in skin detoxification. The idea here is to expose a large portion of your skin to the sun and the air to help facilitate healing.

To perform an air bath, you can don on your bathing suit and bask in the sun for about 15 to 30 minutes. Do not perform an air bath when it is extremely hot outside, to avoid sunburn or overheating.

Skin Brushing - Regular skin brushing is a great way to promote better elimination of bodily wastes from the skin. You can achieve maximum benefits from skin brushing if you use a natural bristle brush that can be purchased from any local natural foods store.

Skin brushing is as simple as ABC. You just brush every part of your body in a circular motion at least once every other day. Avoid brushing your head and other sensitive areas (genitals). However, if you are doing a GI tract detoxification or are suffering from an acute illness, it would be advisable to perform this technique twice a day.

Cleansing Bath - To perform a simple cleansing bath, just follow these steps:

• Fill your bathtub with hot water. It would be preferable if you could use dechlorinated water but if this is not possible, simply add 2 tablespoons of 3% hydrogen peroxide solution to your bathwater.

• Add 2 cups each of baking soda and Epsom salts to your bathwater. This will help draw out the toxins from your body and neutralize the acids from the dislodged toxins. However, if you have an open cut or a rash, skip the Epsom salts for it can sting your skin.

• Soak in the tub for about half an hour and drink a lot of tea while enjoying your cleansing bath.