Detox: Is it Necessary?

Today it seems everyone is talking about detoxing the body.We hear about juice cleanses, drinking apple cider vinegar, detox foot pads, colonic, and many other interesting suggestions on how to remove toxins from the body. So do we need to detox ourselves? It is true that we are exposed to both natural and synthetic chemicals on a daily basis. We breath them in. We eat and drink them. We absorb them through our skin. This is why the human body has natural detoxification systems to keep our bodies safe and healthy.

The body naturally removes toxins through the lungs, the skin, the lymphatic system, the gastrointestinal system, the liver and kidneys. Toxins from both the environment and natural body chemical reactions are removed by expelling gases through the lungs, toxins through sweat, feces, and urine. The liver and kidneys filter the blood of toxins The body will also vomit or expel toxins through diarrhea. Though the body has systems in place to cleanse the body there are times when something in the body goes wrong, one of these systems is not working properly, or the body is poisoned by a toxic substance, such as a child ingesting laundry soap.

You may have heard of activated charcoal. In the event of certain poisons that have been ingested,  medical professionals can use activated charcoal to draw poison from the body. Charcoal is also used in drinking water filtration and air purification. Charcoal absorbs over 1,000 times its weight in dirt, toxins, and other impurities, which is why skin care products such as Perfectly Posh's The Stripper (body mask), Gender Bender (bath bar), Love the Dark (body scrub), Cackle Spackle (face mask), Hunk Chunk (bath bar), and Whole Lava Love (exfoliate) all contain charcoal. These products can help draw out impurities in the skin and cleanse pores in a way that a general cleanser can not. 

Take the Gender Bender chunk bar for example. The charcoal in this bath bar can help remove acne causing bacteria, black heads, and cleanse deep down dirt from the skin. It is wonderful for mechanics, gardeners, artists, and your average Joe or Jill. It can be used as a facial bar, whole body soap, or hand soap. It works wonderfully for cleaning out makeup brushes and has even been known to remove laundry stains such as set in ketchup. It's a versatile little soap with powerful cleansing action. 

So do we have to detox our body? If the body is functioning as it should, we shouldn't have to do anything extra. But eating poorly, not drinking enough water, a sedentary lifestyle, working or living in a polluted environment all add up. Trying to eat clean, get regular exercise, and other healthy lifestyle choices can help. And using charcoal infused products to help cleanse the skin in an effective and safe way can give you cleaner skin and a more clearer complexion.