Winter weather got you feeling—and looking—tired and dull? Try this invigorating, head-to-toe beauty routine to recharge your weary body on both the inside and out.
Hair
Product buildup can leave your locks looking dull and lifeless. Bring back your hair’s natural shine and boost body by getting rid of that unwanted residue. “Removing buildup is as straightforward as using a clarifying shampoo,” says William George, founder of the James Joseph salon in Boston . “The trick is to use one on a regular schedule.” If you often use super-hold styling products like extra strength hairspray, clay or wax, use a clarifying shampoo (like Frederic Fekkai’s Apple Cider Clarifying Shampoo, $25, www.fekkai.com) at least once per week. Women who use moderately heavy styling aids like regular hold hair spray or light waxes can clarify every other week, while everyone else should use a clarifying shampoo at least once a month.
Head
Clearing away negative thoughts and feelings about how you look is an important step in any detoxifying beauty ritual. “Having compassion for yourself and allowing yourself to be beautiful is where it starts,” says photographer and America’s Next Top model judge Nigel Barker, author of Nigel Barker’s Beauty Equation ( www.beautyequation.com). A great way to build compassion is by volunteering your time to help those in need; acting in a compassionate way toward other people can actually change your outward appearance and leave you glowing, according to Barker. “By giving of yourself, your time and your love, you will learn to love yourself and allow yourself to be beautiful.”
Face
Start by paring down your skincare regimen to the basics. All you really need, according to Nashville-based dermatologist Dr. Michael Gold , is a retinol for evening, a lotion with UV protection for day, and an antioxidant product for either day or night. A DIY deep-cleansing facial is another great way to detoxify your complexion. Start with steam: “Steam helps open the pores and makes it easier for other ingredients to penetrate,” says Gold. Drape steaming towels over your face for five minutes, then smooth on a clarifying mask. Gold recommends products that contain tea tree, alpha hydroxy acids or kaolin clay, as all three work to purify skin. Try Boscia Clarifying Detox Mask ($25, sephora.com) , which contains kaolin clay to absorb impurities and excess oil.
Body
Using a dry body brush (like Body Benefits Natural Bristle Bath Brush, $7.29, www.drugstore.com) to cleanse your skin before you shower is great for both your outsides and insides. “Dry brushing helps to remove dead skin cells and improves circulation,” says Gold, and improved circulation is great for removing waste and toxins from the body. Other ways you can rev up your circulation are with exercise and massage. Try detoxifying yoga poses like twists, Downward Facing Dog, and Legs Up the Wall, then follow with a soothing self-massage using an oil that contains stimulating and decongesting herbs like juniper, dandelion, or burdock (try Tara Spa Therapy Detoxifying Body & Massage Oil, $21, www.taraspa.com).
Feet
A detoxifying foot soak can be both soothing and powerfully cleansing. Just be sure to scrub away dead skin cells on your soles first. “Sloughing off skin will allow the feet to absorb all of the benefits of a detoxifying foot soak,” according to Shel Pink, founder of SpaRitual. When you add a soak that contains detoxifying ingredients like ginger, sea salts or clay to your tub (try SpaRitual Instinctual Organic Bath Salts with ginger and Dead Sea salts, $22, www.sparitual.com), those benefits include circulation stimulation, the key to any detoxifying treatment.
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Detox From Head to Toe
Winter weather got you feeling—and looking—tired and dull? Try this invigorating, head-to-toe beauty routine to recharge your weary body on both the inside and out.
Thinkstock
Detox From Head to Toe
Winter weather got you feeling—and looking—tired and dull? Try this invigorating, head-to-toe beauty routine to recharge your weary body on both the inside and out.
