The New Year always has a habit of sneaking up on you, causing you to exclaim, “Where did the year go?!” Despite the surprise, we all welcome a new year with optimism and excitement… however, these feelings can be slightly dulled if you’ve hit the festive season a touch too hard. New year is the time to launch yourself into a cleansed new lifestyle that will lead to a happy and healthy year! But it’s not all about juices and cabbage, you can detox with style by following our top tips.
The Party Recovery
If you’ve succumbed to an extra glass of red wine or two and woken up feeling terrible then work your way through this 5-point plan and start feeling better, sooner.
1 – Eat a nutritious meal
Alcohol leaves you dehydrated and your stocks of essential vitamins and nutrients depleted. Refuel and reclaim the balance with a plate of eggs on wholemeal toast and a serving of spinach on the side. Eggs are a great source of cysteine, an amino acid that helps break down the toxin acetaldehyde in the liver, whilst spinach is rich in antioxidants and will help top up vitamin levels.
If you’re craving something sweeter, bananas are a great choice as they’re packed with potassium. Wash it down with coconut water for an extra boost of vital salts and natural electrolytes.
2 – Take a supplement
A supplement can really help you take the first steps of a detox. Milk thistle is thought to be the most effective at protecting your liver and speeding the ejection of alcohol from your system. B vitamins play a big part in helping your nervous system function so try taking a complex for a bit of a boost. Feeling queasy? Ginger is nature’s tummy soother so sip a ginger tea throughout the day to rehydrate, such as Pukka’s delicious Three Ginger tea.
3 – Sweat it out
You may feel sluggish and the cold winter’s air outside might not be particularly inviting, but force yourself to go for a brisk walk or perhaps something a little more strenuous, like a short jog. It will help speed up the ejection of alcohol from the body by upping your metabolic rate, and a good does of fresh air can really clear out those cobwebs!
4 – Take a relaxing bath
To speed up the ejection of those nasty toxins, try running a warming bath and add purifying salts. Detox with style by using Guam’s Seaweed Algae as it will help draw impurities out of the skin and relax. If you need to catch up on missed sleep then opt for a soothing scent to help ease you towards a restorative slumber. Try Kneipp’s Lavender Herbal Bath which will nourish the body while relaxing the mind.
5 – Spritz a mood-enhancing scent
Avoid the post-Christmas blues by soothing your senses. Try Badger Balm’s Cheerful Mind Balm for an uplifting fragrance or Crabtree & Evelyn’s Lavender Eau de Toilette for something calming so you can let go of that stress and embrace the new you for the new year.
Help beat bloating
Cold weather can often get you reaching for warm comfort foods and stop you from getting outdoors. This can all lead to bloating and water retention which makes you feel tired and severely lacking energy to be proactive. When you need to re-energise from tip to toe, try these little beauties:
1 – Body brush on dry skin
If you haven’t heard about body brushing, you should integrate it immediately into your detox plan. Regular body brushing not only helps remove dead skin cells, but it helps support the lymphatic drainage system and the effective expulsion of toxins from the body. Aim to do it twice a week using a natural bristle brush like the lovely Sp@Home brush from Elemis.
2 – Buff up with a body scrub
If you fancy something a bit gentler (and more indulgent) then rub Guam’s stimulating AlgaScrub on before hopping in the shower. It’s potent algae and sea salt blend helps energise the skin, softening and strengthening as it tones your skin.
3 – Battle bloating and water retention
Guam’s Fanghi d’Algae Dren Drainaige Mud is packed with antioxidant green tea and sea salt that helps drain excess water and toxins from the tissue whilst helping increase firmness. Slather it on your skin and use cling film to wrap the mud close to your skin. It will give your circulation a much needed boost and reduce water retention.
4 – Boil the kettle
Herbal teas can soothe a painful stomach, but try sipping on Caudalie’s Draining Organic Herbal Teas for some detoxing action. It’s designed to be a slimming aid and is made with a mix of health-promoting plants for a rather relaxing way to flush out toxins.
Give your complexion a little glow
Christmas time brings a month of alcohol, canapés, late nights and stressful battling through crowds at events! It’s very easy to understand that you end up suffering afterwards with breakouts, dry skin and puffiness – exactly what you don’t want when you’re after a refreshed start to the new year! Get your skin back in check with a few of these nifty little tips and start spring with a radiant shine!
Quick fix
1 – Cleanse properly
A proper cleanse means doubling your regime with a few must-have beauty products. Start with a micellar water, such as Nuxe’s Micellar Cleansing Water, to help take off the majority of your makeup before following with a cleanser. Gently exfoliate to help rid the skin of any dry patches with Alpha H’s brilliant Micro Cleanse, to get a radiant glow.
2 – Pop on a face mask
When you think detox, the classic regime always includes face masks – there’s a reason why they’re so popular in the new year! Face masks help to intensively cleanse pores and encourage a little glow out of your face. Decleor’s lightweight Hydra Floral Plumping Expert Mask is a favourite with beauty editors for it’s Moringa oleifera proteins and sunflower extracts – they work together to protect the skin from antioxidants and external stresses for up to 24 hours.
Keep the glow going
1 – Cut down on sugar
We all know that sugar is pretty addictive, but when it comes to a detox it is paramount that you reduce your intake. Sugar is believed to be one of the key factors in skin inflammation and it can cause an increase in the appearance of wrinkles and loss of elasticity when it attaches to the collagen in your skin. Try natural stevia sweetners or a sprinkle of cinnamon as tasty sugar substitutes and aim to eat more fresh veg instead of reaching for high-sugar fruits.
2 – Eat good fats
The best skin-plumping foods contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and the good news? They’re delicious AND filling! A helping of avocado on rye toast makes a wholesome breakfast, a tofu stirfry with sesame oil will be tasty dinner, and grab a handful of brazil nuts or almonds as a nutritious snack. try cooking with coconut oil as well as it’s a healthier alternative to vegetable of olive oil.
3 – Using time as an excuse?
If you just don’t have the time to chase up quality ingredients or you’re not sure where to start, then The Detox Kitchen (Elle MacPherson and Gwyneth Paltrow are fans) and Balance Box are two companies who will cut out all the hard work and bring meals brimming with goodness right to your door.
Detox with style: Make-up…
If you’re fighting off the effects of a hectic festive season or you’ve had a bigger night than intended, then your makeup needs to go that extra mile. Try these little tips to fake a wide-awake complexion and fool all into thinking you’ve successfully detoxed with style:
1 – Pop moisturiser and eye gel in the fridge
The coolness will help combat puffiness and reduce swelling. Go for AHA-rich formulas which are very moisturising (make sure to pop on an SPF over the top). Bliss Ex-glow-sion! helps boost collagen in the skin with a little help from Micro-algae extracts and vitamin C.
2 – Plump for a light-reflecting base
A light-reflecting base will help simulate a healthy glow. Use a light foundation or tinted moisturiser, such as This Works Perfect Look Skin Miracle, and a cream blush to mimic invigorated skin. Warm colours help combat a drawn pallor so think apricot or blush pink – try Jane Iredale’s Forever Pink stain for a flattering finish to cheeks and lips. Add a pop of gloss to give your lips a little shine and your good to go!
3 – Avoid heavy eye shadows
Instead of heavy eye shadows, go for a slick of metallic shimmer which reflect the light. Try New CID’s flattering silver Shadow Quad or Elizabeth Arden’s warming gold Precious Metals for a colour that will enhance your features.
4 – Keep a hydrating mist on-hand
Hydrating mists are brilliant for regular moisture top-ups! Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir is extra refreshing and Jurlique’s heavenly rose-scented Moisture Plus Balancing Mist will help keep your complexion hydrated and protected.
… and don’t forget to detox your make-up bag
There’s no point trying to be stylish in your detox if your make-up bag is drab and ratty. Upgrade your bag for the new year and give all your tools a good clean. Your brushes and sponges collect grease, oil and bacteria which can cause outbreaks on your skin so be sure to wash them regularly with a little squeeze of your normal shampoo.
Here’s to a new year where we can all look and feel the best that we can be! Farewell tired and lack lustre skin, hello hydrated and youthful features.
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