What is detoxification?

Detoxification is process of removing toxins or poisons. We all know that toxins are harmful and cause damage, potentially even death if taken in certain levels. Living cells, whether in plants or in body, are constantly in process of bringing nutrients and fresh substrates in while eliminating by-products and waste that is not useful to organism. Therefore, detoxification is a natural, ongoing process in our bodies.

Keeping your body healthy requires maintaining all of its systems in good working order. Minimizing amount of toxins you take into your system is one way that we can detoxify our bodies. Benefits of detoxification may include increased energy and improved health, better breath, reduced allergies, and potentially fewer aches and pains.

Wastes leave body in form of gases, solids, and liquids. Carbon dioxide is gas that we exhale. We excrete other waste from body after it accumulates in bladder and in bowels.

Other organs that play a major role in detoxification include the:

- skin - liver - kidneys - lungs

Blood also plays a critical role in detoxification process. It carries dissolved gases like carbon dioxide to lungs, and then it is traded for oxygen through respiration. Both liver and kidneys help to detoxify blood by removing wastes and sending them to urine. In form of stool, unused solids are carried away.

Benefits for your skin via detoxification

Your skin is a barrier but it is not impermeable. Just as products that you use on your skin are able to enter your body through this physical barrier, toxins are also able to leave your body through skin. Free radicals and UV light in environment also damage skin which over time cause it to show signs of premature aging.

How can detoxification help your skin? By minimizing number of chemicals in your body, you help you body to function more efficiently. Eating well is one way to maintain healthy skin with a smooth texture, elasticity, and a proper level of moisturization. Skin complexions troubled by acne and imperfections can also benefit from inside out with detoxification methods. For example, vitamin A reduces amount of sebum produced by skin cells and therefore pores are less likely to become blocked.

Ways to detoxify your body

Some of best ways to detoxify include:

- eating a balanced diet - juicing organic fruits and vegetables - exercising regularly - exfoliation - using organic products for personal hygiene

Before trying any detox method always be sure to check with your doctor. People with serious medical conditions should also consult a doctor as these methods are not recommended. Pregnant women should not try these methods.

Eating a balanced diet

Nutrients in foods contain many elements that can help your body and especially your skin to remain in good condition. When your body is ‘happy’ and ‘efficient’, through detoxification, it will show on outside.

Your skin needs:

Crude oil, sometimes called petroleum, is a fossil fuel that was produced deep in earth through a process that took millions of years to complete.

Millions of years later, almost all of us come into contact with a derivative of petroleum every day. Through a process called fractional distillation, petroleum refineries break petroleum into many of its smaller components. Each of these smaller components is made up of molecules called hydrocarbons.

The world is full of products that come from petroleum. For example, gasoline, styrofoam, lubricating oils, and many other items are all derivatives of this raw material. How are petroleum and cosmetics related? The two seemingly unrelated items, petroleum and cosmetics, are indeed closely related in our modern world.

Mineral oil and petroleum are basic ingredients in many cosmetic products today. Both mineral oil and petroleum have same origins in fossils fuels. Cosmetics such as foundations, cleansers, and moisturizers often contain mineral oil. By locking moisture against skin, mineral oil sits on skin’s surface and can potentially block pores. This may cause appearance of pimples because skin cannot properly ‘breathe’.

Fragrances in lotions, shampoos, and many other cosmetic products are composed of aromatic hydrocarbons. Perfumes and products containing fragrance can contain many hundreds of chemicals to produce a distinct scent. A significant number of these aromas are derived from petroleum.

One popular chemical additive that carries moisture in cosmetics is propylene glycol. It is also a derivative of petroleum. Some products that list propylene glycol as an ingredient include:

- anti-freeze - laundry detergent - paint - shampoo - conditioner

Past research links propylene glycol to serious health problems as liver and kidney damage as well as respiratory irritation or nausea if swallowed.

An antiseptic, isopropyl alcohol, kills bacteria on skin. You can find it on ingredient list of cleansers, toners and other cosmetic products. Unfortunately, this derivative of petroleum dries skin and may cause miniature cracks in skin that allow bacteria to enter, potentially causing irritations or pimples.

Do these petroleum-derived products affect your health?