Why do I need to detoxify my skin?

Well, you’ve probably tried detoxifying your body with cleanses or hot yoga classes—or at least have these things on your never-ending to-do list. But it turns out your skin needs help ridding itself of impurities too. Skin is our largest organ, but unlike our internal organs (specifically the kidneys and liver), skin doesn’t have a built-in mechanism for excreting toxins. And because it doesn't, toxins can compromise the health and appearance of your skin. That's why it needs some help getting rid of the gunk that collects beneath the surface—the stuff that leads to damage, dullness and skin aging.

Fortunately, detoxifying your skin isn’t as complicated as you might think.  Here, why giving your skin a 15-minute skin detoxifying treatment should be an essential part of your skincare regimen.

1. Detoxing removes harmful environmental toxins

Given its vast real estate and prominent position on the outside of the body, skin is constantly exposed to dangerous environmental toxins like UV rays and pollution. Research shows that UV rays can cause the creation of dangerous free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that try to even themselves out by stealing electrons from stable molecules, and this process results in skin damage. Pollutants are also harmful to the skin, especially things like soot and diesel exhaust, as they contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which research found is linked to premature skin aging. Detoxifying your skin whisks away these free radicals and chemical pollutants, leading to brighter, healthier, younger-looking skin.

2. It prevents wear and tear on the skin’s protective barrier

Your skin’s first line of defense against germs is its lipid (fat) barrier. This protective coating lays on top of the outermost layer of skin, and is tasked with locking moisture in and keeping irritants out. But when skin is assaulted with excess toxins, the lipids can get hurt in the line of duty, weakening the skin barrier and making skin more vulnerable to future damage. (Getting older and using harsh cleansing products can also compromise the skin barrier.) By helping to remove toxins from the skin, you keep your skin’s protective shield in fighting shape and ready to defend against future damage.

3. Skin detox gets rid of grime

No matter how diligent you are about removing your makeup and cleansing your skin, some residue is inevitably left behind. That residue combined with the dirt and bacteria we transfer to our skin every time we touch our faces (even while doing virtuous things like applying sunscreen) can clog pores and lead to acne, inflammation, and even infection. Highly absorbent ingredients like activated charcoal in a treatment product can literally pull gunk out of your pores.

4. It exfoliates away dead skin cells

Dead skin cells aren’t technically impurities, but this build up can also clog pores, and leave skin dry and dull-looking. Here’s how it works: According to the Cleveland Clinic, the epidermis (the outermost layer of skin) is continuously churning out new skin cells, which replace the approximately 40,000 old skin cells that the body sheds each day. Or at least the body is supposed to shed them. The problem is, as we age, our skin gets lazy about shedding old cells, so they can build up on the skin, concealing the fresh, healthy skin underneath. Using a product designed to naturally exfoliate the skin helps to slough off these dead skin cells, revealing glowing skin.

The Solution

Giving your skin a weekly treatment to help rid itself of toxins, grime and overall environmental aggressors is essential to its strength, health and youthful glow. The best part? Doing a skin detox doesn’t have to be time-consuming or confusing, it just requires using a product loaded with good-for-skin ingredients that will do a deep-dive into pores.  

Hear Me Raw’s The Detoxifier contains antioxidant-rich ingredients like coconut oil, Irish moss, and ginseng which break down free radicals, removes toxins, dirt, and dead skin cell build up—and keeps skin healthy and clear. For extra potency, it pairs activated charcoal with kaolin, which is a type of clay known for sucking out impurities.

To use  it, apply the mask to clean, dry skin, being careful to avoid your eyes and mouth. Let the mask marinate for 15 minutes, or until the product feels dry and tacky to the touch. Then, using your fingertips, rub the mask off using a circular motion (this helps the exfoliation process). Wash off any lingering flakes with water. Apply it once a week, or it’s gentle enough to be used daily as a scrub. Simply smooth the product onto wet skin (once again avoiding the eye and mouth areas), rub it in to exfoliate, and then rinse. The whole process takes under two minutes—far less time and effort than that hot yoga class.