By Denise Galbraith CHT
Your largest organ of detoxification is your skin. It is covered in pores which continually excrete water, salt, lactic acid, uric acid, and ammonia. If some of the items on this list sound familiar, you’re right! Similar products are found in urine, which is why your skin is sometimes referred to as a third kidney. Also removed by sweat may be alcohol, nicotine, cholesterol, hormones, and fat soluble environmental toxins, the most notable being from plastics. In addition, the lymph vessels and nodes just beneath the skin may be stimulated to improve their function.
You are doing your body a great service when you support this avenue of cleansing. Following are some effective and pleasant ways to facilitate this process which will have you feeling great, and looking great too!
Drink two liters or more of pure water every day. Avoid plastic containers. You simply can’t cleanse on any level without enough of this wonderful stuff. Imagine trying to wash a sink full of dishes in nothing but a few cups of coffee, or pop?
Sweating through exercise and sauna stimulates heat, which causes the smallest blood vessels under the skin to relax and fill with blood, bringing more oxygen to the muscles, and allowing heat loss through sweat. With that increased sweat, toxin removal is enhanced. In ‘The Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Women’s Health’, Dr Sat Dharam Kaur N.D. states that people can eliminate 80% of their lifelong toxin stores by sweating for 100 hours in a sauna.
Increasing body temperature is also great for your heart and blood vessels, and the entire immune system responds dramatically to the ‘artificial fever’ created. Harnessing this power as a healing tool is not a new concept; two thousand years ago Hippocrates wrote: “Give me the power to create a fever, and I shall cure any disease.”
A few tips on saunas: steam is great for those with respiratory problems; it’s very healing and soothing to mucous membranes. Far Infrared saunas are best tolerated because the heat goes deeper at lower temperatures, making them more comfortable than regular saunas. If you have hypertension or other concerns, consult your health care professional before using a sauna.
Dry skin brushing not only stimulates peripheral circulation and removes dead skin and dirt; it moves lymph to provide a big boost in detoxification. This is a cornerstone treatment for cellulite - every day before your shower, spend five minutes gently brushing your skin, starting at the extremities and always brushing towards the heart. Take a break for one week a month. Avoid your face and neck and any damaged areas, as in varicose veins, rashes, or broken and delicate skin. Finish with a light oil. If you break out in blemishes during the first week of skin brushing, this is a sign of detoxification and will pass after a week or so. Use a soft natural bristle brush.
Avoid tight clothing. Your skin needs to breathe! As well, you have important clusters of lymph nodes under your arms and around the groin area, so make especially certain these are not restricted. Watch those bras ladies!
Helping your skin do its job should be a pleasant and rejuvenating experience! Relax and enjoy.
Peppermint Foot and Hand Scrub
To soften especially rough skin, you can easily make a moisturizing scrub by blending the following together:
1 cup of salt
¼ cup of any nice body oil like almond or grapeseed
15 drops of peppermint oil
Store in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Works best when used after a shower or soak.