Skin Hacks

LEMON FACE TONER

Lemon contains high amounts of Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) that brightens and tightens the skin, giving it a bright even tone. Due to the acidic nature of lemons, they also restore your skin's pH after using alkalizing soaps (bases are alkaline which are the opposite of acids). Don't waste money on expensive toners, just reach inside your fridge for some lemons!

After thoroughly washing your face, slice a lemon into slices and rub a slice (not the lemon skin) onto dry skin. Wait for the juice to absorb, you will know it has fully absorbed when your face is dry. Don't wash off the lemon juice.

Once the lemon juice has dried on your skin, apply a moisturizing balm like our KDBK African Shea Butter. Avoid lotions as they are mostly water based and water doesn't provide the moisture that oils and butter provide. Oils and butters have fats which nourish the skin long term, not just wet it for a short time giving it the temporary appearance of moisturizing.

EPSOM SALT DETOX

Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) has been used to detox and cleanse the body for quite some time- either by drinking epsom salt water which is pretty horrific, nonetheless effective, or by sitting in an epsom salt bath. It’s important to remember not to overdo the salt, more is not better in this case! Too much salt can dehydrate you to a dangerous state and thus defeat the purpose of the detox.

Usually a small handful of epsom salt per an entire bath is a fair measure for epsom baths. For epsom salt water flushes, a tablespoon of epsom salt per 8 oz glass of water is the normal concentration. Salt water flushes require you to fast on the day of the flush and not eat anything cooked, no dairy, fats, oils, meat or artificial foods and artificial sugars the day after to allow your body to eliminate and recover. No strenuous activity is also recommended.

Epsom salt draws out toxic impurities through osmosis. Osmosis is the process by which solvent molecules (usually water or fluid) and small solute molecules (toxins) pass through a semipermeable membrane (such as a cellular membrane or the skin) from a lower concentration (inside the cell) to a higher concentration (the salt water bath). Large molecules like proteins are too large to pass through these semipermeable membranes, thus staying within the cell. The reason small molecules follow suit to the fluid or water is due to osmotic pull of the higher concentration. In osmosis, where the solvent goes the solute follows and vice versa. It is a way to balance concentrations in and outside of the cell or body.

It must be noted that due to this osmotic quality, epsom salt can be very dehydrating as it sucks out toxins and fluids, therefore it’s pertinent to remember to drink lots of water after your bath. This is especially so for those with hypotension (low blood pressure) or hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).