Just as beauty is only skin deep, so too can cleanliness be only an outward mask. In general, we humans are very aware of whether our external bodies are dirty; we work hard to keep clean with regular washing, grooming, and product application. But seldom do we consider how clean our insides are. If only we knew what was beneath the surface of our skin!

If we were to peer into our bodies, we’d find that there’s plenty that could be done to clean-up from the inside out. That’s why a good internal detox is important on a regular basis. Maintaining a healthy internal system is just as important—if not more important—than your daily shower!

As always, true wellness has to start with everyday habits, like a healthy diet, regular exercise, and minimization of exposure to environmental toxins. But if you want to really clean house—like taking an internal shower—you may want to consider trying an herbal regimen that will have you singing in the shower!

Herbal Detoxifications

There are many different types of detoxifications available today, each with a different intent and action. Some work on the bowels, others clean the blood or the liver, while others help to rejuvenate the kidneys or the skin. While many detoxes can be conducted without herbal support, if you really want to focus your detox efforts on a particular organ, adding a supplement can go a long way.

Herbs are essentially plant food full of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes and easy for your body to digest. They each come with powerful effects on various organs (depending on the combination) and help to provide specific detox results.

Here are some herbs and which organs they affect:

• Blood and lymph system: Yellow dock, burdock root, red clover, dandelion, nettle, Solomon seal, goldenseal, cleavers.
• Cardiovascular system: Garlic, gingko biloba, green tea, ginger, angelica, hawthorn berries, blessed thistle, butcher’s broom.
• Colon-intestinal: Psyllium husk, aloe vera, black walnut, senna leaves/pods, rhubarb, irish moss, cayenne pepper, bentonite clay.
• Kidneys: Marshmallow (not the fluffy treats, but rather derived from actual marshmallow plants), ginger, cedar berries, parsley, juniper berries, goldenseal, dong quai, and dandelion, hydrangea, yerba santa, vasak, licorice root.
• Liver and gall bladder: Red beet, birch leaves, goldenrod, liverwort, parsley, blessed thistle, gentian, horsetail, artichoke, barberry, fenugreek, turmeric.
• Lungs: Marshmallow, Chinese ephedra, slippery elm, LH Comfrey, celery seed, gravel root, cranberry, devil’s claw.

Don’t forget, though, that you should not neglect the importance of healthy food choices when on an herbal detoxification program. A poor diet full of additional toxins and low in nutrition will impede the effectiveness of the herbs you’re consuming, severely cutting the results you will experience.