5 Steps To The Ultimate Weekend Skin Detox

After a long week at work, your body needs some tender loving care. How else can you recharge and relax, let alone prepare to do it all over again? Start with a weekend skin detox in the comfort of your own home. Afterall, the skin is your largest organ.

The craziness of life can make your skin look dull, tired, and unhealthy. Treating it well is an excellent act of self-care and stress relief! You don’t even need a fancy spa, so keep that hard-earned cash. Here’s a skin detox plan that you can do at home.

1. Herbal Steam

A steam facial will open up your pores, letting all the “gunk” get out. Do a facial after removing makeup but before other treatments. Plain water works just fine. However, you can add dried herbs like lavender for relaxation or peppermint to treat headaches. Don’t have herbs? Tea bags or essential oils will do just fine.^{1 2}

DIY Facial Steam

• Boil a small pot of water.
• Pour into a heat-proof bowl.
• Add dried herbs, tea bag, or 5 drops of essential oil.
• Drape a towel over your head.
• Hold your face over the water for 10 minutes.

2. Natural Scrub

The skin is always churning out new cells. To remove the dead layer, exfoliate with a gentle scrub. It’s the best way to let new skin cells shine through. Have dry, sensitive, or acne-prone skin? Be extra gentle and use mild scrubs. If your skin is oily, a coarser exfoliator will do the trick. Never exfoliate open wounds, pimples, or sunburned skin.

DIY Face Scrub

• Combine ½ cup sugar and ½ cup carrier oil of your choice.
• Instead of sugar, you can also use sea salt or oats.
• Add 1 tablespoon of honey for extra moisture.
• Gently massage it onto your face in circular motions.
• After 10 minutes, rinse off and pat dry.

3. Customized Face Mask

Next up is a face mask. Mix and match ingredients depending on your skin’s needs, and don’t be afraid to experiment. That’s the fun of it! Honey makes an excellent base. It’ll moisturize dry skin, reduce sebum in oily skin, and fight bacteria in the acne-prone skin. Basically, it’s everyone’s best friend.³

DIY Honey Face Mask

• Scoop out 2 tablespoons of honey.
• Add ½ tablespoon of melted coconut oil to moisturize.
• Add ½ tablespoon clay powder to reduce oil.
• Add 1 tablespoon of mashed papaya to combat acne.
• Mix it well and apply all over the face.
• After 10 minutes, rinse off and pat dry.

4. Face Massage

No skin detox regimen is complete without a face massage. It’ll boost circulation, helping blood and oxygen reach the surface. Be sure to wash your hands beforehand.

DIY Face Massage

• Warm up a light oil in between your palms.
• Massage your temples in circular motions, pushing upward.
• Continue over the cheekbones, around the nose, and on the corners of the mouth.
• Repeat on the forehead, eyelids, under the jaw, and neck.

5. Foot Soak

Tired feet need some love, too. During a face massage, dip your toes into a relaxing foot soak. This will feel extra special if you’re on your feet all day. Epsom salt is the secret ingredient. It breaks down into magnesium and sulfate, a must for sore muscles.⁴

DIY Foot Soak

• Prepare a small tub of water.
• Add ¼ cup Epsom salt and 2 tablespoons of baking soda.
• For extra relaxation, add 5 drops of lavender oil.
• Soak your feet until the water cools down.

If you work on the weekends, don’t deprive yourself of this skin detox. Save it for a day when you’re off and have some downtime. Even just 30 minutes of self-care will do wonders for the skin.