Detox delights (From Halesowen News)

Detox delights

7:00am Saturday 17th January 2009

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Revitalise your face, hair and body for 2009 with a beauty detox.

Detoxing is undoubtedly the buzzword for January. No sooner have the champagne corks popped than it's time to embrace January 1 with Alka-Seltzers and detox gismos.

Nearly 75% of the population are believed to begin the New Year with good intention diets, including heavy-duty detox plans.

But for 2009 the annual super-cleanse has come in for some criticism. Detox has no meaning outside drug addiction or poisoning and the body is perfectly capable of looking after itself, according to scientists who conducted a recent study.

But let's face facts. Giving our skin and hair a much-needed beauty breather following a month of excess is surely a January blessing in disguise for the year ahead.

Glossy hair, glowing skin and a spring in your step, anyone? Let's show those science boffins just what a beauty detox can really do.

:: BODY BLITZ If you're feeling sluggish and bloated, join the January recovery club. Skip the two-minute shower and put a little TLC into your bathing and skincare routines. Pull out those summer cellulite potions and apply massaging the bottom and thighs to smooth out lumps and bumps.

Regular bathing is essential to detoxification as it helps to clean the skin of the toxins it has released as well as opening up the pores. Saunas can also help.

EXPERT TIP: "Dry brushing of the skin is beneficial because it cleanses the skin of the old cells and invigorates the skin as well as increasing localised blood circulation which encourages removal of toxins from the body," says Shabir Daya, co-founder of www.victoriahealth.com.

TRY: Boots Detox Body Brush, £4.31; Tesco Body Therapy Spa Detox Urban Detoxifying Shower Mud, £3.79; Africology Slimming Detox Cream, £31 (01277 634 938); Champneys Aqua Therapy Recharging Bath Tonic, £8 (www.champneys.co.uk); Elemis Cellutox Active Body Concentrate, £29 (www.timetospa.co.uk).

:: FACE FRESHENER Freezing weather, rich food and a bevy of festive tipples - it's a recipe for dry skin disaster. Break-outs and dry patches are all too common at this time of year so boost your usual cleansing routine with a mask and - shock horror - leave your face make-up free whenever you can to give your pores a break.

EXPERT TIP: "It's especially important to keep your skin hydrated right now," advises make-up artist Bobbi Brown.

"The excess toxins (from all of that food and drink) deplete your skin of vitamin C, so you need to put the moisture back into the skin. Drink plenty of water and herbal tea, and use a hydrating face cream to refresh and plump the skin,"

TRY: Aveda Deep Cleansing Herbal Clay Masque, £24.47 (www.aveda.co.uk); Givenchy Active Pure Detox Mask, £25 (37 Euros) (01932 233 824); REN Multi-Mineral Pore Minimising Detox Mask, £17.25 (www.renskincare.com); Natura Bisse The Cure Detoxifying Moisturiser, £160 (www.spacenk.co.uk from Feb); Dr Stuart's Skin Purify Herbal Tea, £1.99 (01903 740 530/www.drstuarts.com).

:: HAIR REHAB We're all guilty of piling on the hair products during the festive season. Hairspray, serums and backcombing may have resulted in a New Year bird's nest style so give your hair the equivalent of a workout with a detox.

EXPERT TIP: "Constant styling and product build up can leave your hair feeling dull, heavy and lack lustre. A detox shampoo is great for deep cleansing to help rid the hair of excess residual build-up - especially following the party season," says Sacha Mascolo-Tarbuck, global creative director at Toni&Guy.

"Use once a week to leave the hair feeling really clean, revitalised, and full of life."

TRY: Fudge Detox Deep Cleanser, £9.95 (01282 683100); Toni & Guy Detox Shampoo, £5 (Boots); Naked Detox Deep Cleanse Shampoo, £4 (www.nakedbodycare.co.uk); Lee Stafford Hair Rehab Detox Shampoo, £5.37 (Boots).

:: TRIED & TESTED Elemis Body Sculpting Cellulite and Colon Therapy, £60 for 60 mins, New Leaf Spa at Clumber Park Hotel, Nottinghamshire (01623 835 333/www.clumberparkhotel.com).

Suffering with a stodge-filled Santa belly? Lose the festive bloat with this relaxing but tummy-intensive treatment that focuses on cleansing the body's systems and reducing fluid retention.

Body brushing kicks off the treatment, combined with the therapist's massage and skin slapping to wake up circulation. But it's the abdominal massage that sets this apart from other detox treatments. While you focus on deep breathing techniques the therapist uses firm massage to help cleanse the colon.

Although my cellulite didn't miraculously disappear, my stomach felt a lot flatter and less bloated afterwards.

:: BUY IT NOW Missed out on pearls under the Christmas tree? Treat yourself to the new Tommy Hilfiger Dreaming Pearl fragrance collection, EDT from £24 (35 Euros). The limited editions are available exclusively at Debenhams from January 14 (0870 034 2566).

BEAUTY BULLETIN :: CURL DRYER Don't be scared... The latest launch from Remington isn't a new hair-tangling device. Spin Curl is a revolutionary new dryer that curls hair as you dry to create a head of natural waves, without the need for styling. Any timesaving beauty gadget is good in our books. The Spin Curl dryer is now available exclusively from Boots, priced £39.99.

:: STAR FACTOR The X Factor may be over but Barry M is continuing the competitive spirit with a search for a make-up star. Simply send in your own video make-up tutorial to be in with a chance of bagging £100 worth of colourful cosmetics. Internet stardom beckons for the winner. But be quick budding make-up artists, all entries must be submitted by January 18. See full details of Barry M's Be A Star competition at www.barrym.com

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