Post Halloween Skin Detox

Trick or treating as ghoul or Dia de los Muertos, sugar rushing on corn syrup and candy makes up for a perfect adventure on all Hallows eve, but come next morning the cold blooded reality dawns on you —the spooky night inflicted carnage on your skin and body has turned you into real life puffy-the-vampire. Here’s a quick and simple weekend Detox that’d give you your day walker status back in a pinch and rejoice it doesn't involve fasting, purging, or a complete rearrangement of your life. Follow step-by-step routine and wake up Monday morning with a fresh, radiant complexion.

Channeling The Right Spirit: Clear all the clutter around you, simply straightening up the junk on your coffee table or doing a load of laundry will prepare you for the inner cleansing to come.

Eat Drink But Don’t Be Scary: Let the healing begin by eating right. Stock up the fridge for your weekend Detox, you want to fill your body with healthy foods such as lean protein (chicken, turkey, and tofu), fresh fruits (cranberries, apples, and grapes) and vegetables (look for broccoli, carrots, and sweet potatoes)—these antioxidant packed foods help repair, and prevent, damage to your skin. Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and all refined and processed foods (that means no more sugar or carbs).

Purge Your Daily Skincare Routine: When your skin acts up, the last thing you want to do is slather on a plethora of lotions, potions and serums. The same goes for a detox —To give your skin time to rebalance, put away everything except your cleanser, day lotion with SPF, and night cream.

Relax And Sip Warm Tea: Look for blends that include nettle, ginger, or burdock, dandelion, or sarsaparilla root—herbs and flowers known to calm inflammation and improve liver and kidney function. These teas help eliminate puffiness around the eyes and decongest your skin. If you need a caffeine-hit, try green tea; it is less of a stimulant and is packed with lots of antioxidants.

Give Or Take A Massage: Encourage the elimination of waste by manually moving lymph through the lymphatic system. Concentrate on massaging the neck, armpits, stomach, groin, and behind the knees—areas where there are a lot of lymph nodes.

Let Your Pores Breathe: Pour hot water into a small bowl and add a few drops of citrus or any other calming and relaxing essential oil. Soak a hand towel in the water, then wring out and drape over your face. Lie down for ten minutes and let the steam open your pores, prepping your skin for the detoxifying mask that follows. Look for masks made with clay, which absorbs excess oil and pulls toxins and impurities out, while adding in necessary minerals.

Exfoliate And Rejuvenate: Wake up your senses with a sloughing session in the shower. Exfoliate with a product that contains coffee to remove dead, dulling skin cells, boost circulation, and pump toxins from the body.

Sweat It Out: Light exercise—a brisk walk, jumping rope, yoga—helps eliminate toxins from your body. The deep breathing of yoga stimulates the lymphatic system. It also brings cleansing oxygen into the body with each inhale, and expels waste on each exhale. Try sun salutations, which nurture as well as detoxify, or twisting poses to activate the digestive system.

Wrap Yourself In A Natural Mask: At the end of your detox, you'll want to nourish and calm your complexion. Spread a few tablespoons of raw honey over your face. Next, apply cucumber slices on top of the honey then lie down. Cover your face with a warm, damp washcloth to allow the honey, a natural humectant, to seal in moisture. Honey's anti–inflammatory properties also help reduce irritation and redness. Cucumbers, which act as diuretics, will further flush out excess fluid and relieve any remaining puffiness.