Skin Spring cleaning and detoxing tips

Mums Tips

Fashion & Beauty

Published on Saturday, 03 May 2014 13:10

Last Updated on 24 March 2021

Monica Costa

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Many of us overindulge over the rainy and gloomy Winter. Whether that means we eat too much bad food, drink too much alcohol or have too many sleepless nights (or in some cases, all of the above…) during the Winter months, the resulting effects are usually etched all over our faces. These simple skin Spring cleaning and detoxing tips will help regain a young looking skin.

Hands up if you recognise any of these symptoms:

dehydrated skin

chapped lips

breakouts

dark under-eye circles

congested complexion/blocked pores.

If this sounds familiar, you could benefit from a beauty detox.

Start from the inside

Rehydration starts from within so make sure you are drinking plenty of water and eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Replacing any lost nutrients with a healthy diet will help you feel more energetic and will help your skin recover.

Detoxing treatments

Treating yourself to a little pampering (whether at home or at the spa) can go a long way in helping you to feel rested and rejuvenated. I don’t have much time to go to a beauty salon or to a spa so I got myself a facial machine (really inexpensive) and good skin care products to create my own spa at home. My latest discovery is the range Ochre Body and Skin made in Britain (which for me is a plus in its own right) by a lady I really admire having worked with her for a while, Julia Uttley. To detox your body you need to firstly deeply cleanse it and Julia has created the most amazing scrubs, a real spa treatment in the comfort of your home.

Julia’s scrubs contain sea-salt as the exfoliating agent:

Sea salt has very high natural mineral content that benefits and helps promote healthy-looking, youthful skin. These nutrients can prevent infections, relax and ease muscle stiffness, help wounds heal faster and remove toxins. Working wonders on skin condition, sea salt balances moisture and softens. And, with its ability to unblock pores, it is also known as an effective treatment for acne.

The scrubs also contain:

• beeswax to help “gel” the mix, making it easier to apply, but it also possesses skin-softening and elasticity-enhancing properties and it is highly regarded as an anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, antioxidant and anti-bacterial agent.
• silica – a trace mineral that strengthens the body’s connective tissues and skin elasticity.

At home

Use a facemask – Either a decongesting mask to draw out impurities, a moisturising mask to rehydrate the skin or an exfoliating mask that revitalises and nourishes.

Try body brushing – Dry body brushing helps your body flush out toxins and helps to reduce cellulite. Drinking plenty of water will help the process so remember to stay hydrated. Again for this part of the detoxing, I use Ochre Body and Skin Awaken Salt Scrub at the end of my shower.

Have a mineral bath – A warm mineral bath will help to relax you while the salts give the skin a gentle detox. If I take a bath I like to add the Awaken Salt Scrub in my water and relax as if I was relaxing in the Mediterranean waters.

At the spa

Have a massage – Helping to stimulate blood circulation, massage is a great way of supporting your body’s natural detoxification process.

Try a body wrap – Being covered from head to toe in an elixir of cleansing ingredients and being wrapped up in a cocoon of warmth will help to de-stress as well as detox.

Get a facial – Facials are my ultimate favourite treatments at beauty salons (I bought my small machine but I still prefer getting it done by a beautician). Lots of therapists offer detoxifying facials to help your skin recover and regenerate, try to find one suitable for your skin type.

Use natural cosmetics

Different skin types require different cosmetics. But it is clear to me that natural beauty products suit most people. This is why I was fascinated by Julia’s  inspiration for her product range. She told me: “The idea for Ochre Body and Skin came after a late afternoon swim in the sea near to home. Feeling totally rejuvenated and amazed at just how soft the salt water made my skin feel, I set about planning a range of skin care that would have similar uplifting and skin-softening benefits.”

I immediately related to this because I have noticed over the years that when I am at the seaside I feel regenerated and my skin is rejuventated too. It feels as soft as baby skin just because the seas salt deeply cleanses it. The Summer effect lasts at least a month after I come back to London but since using the Ochre Salt scrub I managed to re-create this effect.

Julia also confirmed it to me when she told me that that she was keen that the products included ingredients derived from the sea to give the same wonderful softness and skin-conditioning effect of swimming in the sea. She said: “In particular, after researching the benefits of seaweed and algae, I realised just how abundant they are in skin-enriching nutrients, helping to de-toxify, revitalise, invigorate and renew skin. So that explains why I felt so good after my swim!”

All Ochre products, with the exception of the scrubs contain:

Chondrus Crispus – This extract from a species of red algae found along Atlantic coastlines acts a wonderful moisturiser by forming a protective gel on the skin surface, preventing hydration of your skin. Refreshing, softening and rich in vitamins and antioxidants, it also helps as a defence mechanism for sunburn and wrinkles.

Fucus Vesiculosus Extract – An extract from the oddly-named seaweed, Bladderwrack, found in Atlantic and Baltic regions. With detoxifying properties and an ability to help increase skin elasticity, it is a great all-rounder for improving skin condition. It is believed to help to prevent problems such as dry skin, wrinkles, eczema, acne and cellulite.

Laminaria Japonica Extract – This is an extract from a species of kelp found in the Pacific Ocean around the coastline of Japan. It’s especially rich in a chemical called Fucoidan known for its anti-inflammatory and rejuvenating effects, leaving skin more elastic, supple and firm.

The salt can dry the skin and can be a bit rough but the Ochre scrub does contain some oils to compensate the salty effect and moisturise the skin at the same time. At the end of my detoxing shower I use another Ochre product, the Cherish Body Lotion, to seal the cleansing and detoxing effect. Although it does not says it on the bottle, but I tried using it on my neck and face with amazing results. I simply feel my skin is looking younger after using a combination of these products for three weeks.

I always admired Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, who was also passionate about natural cosmetics. And Ochre has a more natural range than the Body Shop.

This was confirmed by Julia: “The other key aspect in the development of the formulations was how to re-create the swim’s effect on the spirit. I decided to use essentials for this, using blends that help lift and revitalise spirits, instil a sense of calm and comfort or create a feeling of sheer indulgence. Added benefits of the essential oils are the therapeutic qualities they impart and the natural fragrance they lend to each of the collections.”

Four essential oil fragrance blends are:

Harmonise – Geranium and Lavender – richly conditioning and nourishing blend that balances your body’s natural oils and hydrates your skin. Soothing, calming and uplifting

Enliven – Rosemary and Peppermint – Nourishes the scalp, conditions skin and encourages cell renewal, plus leaves you feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and energised.

Awaken – Black Pepper and Lemon – A zesty, bracing fragrance that helps clarify and detox, improving both skin and muscle tone.

Cherish – Cedarwood and Patchouli – heady, sensuous fragrance that calms the mind, soothes nerves and lifts spirits. With a warming, healing effect, the blend helps balance, tone and revitalise, encouraging renewal and regeneration.