our bodies are constantly eliminating through the skin, especially through the soles of our feet and palms of our hands. as such we need to assist our bodies in this elimination process. one practice to assist our bodies detoxify itself through the skin is to bathe. we bathe to assist our body get rid of toxins that are accumulating on the surface of our skin. furthermore when we bathe we are facilitating the removal of toxins in our bloodstream and tissues that are in the many layers of skin and just below the skin. by bathing or cleaning the skin, we are letting our body know that this method of toxin removal is functioning and the body can continue to use this route/method for elimination. when we don't bathe or otherwise assist the body by keeping the skin clean, we force the body to look for other ways to cope with the toxins that accrete inside our body. these other methods will not necessarily be good. first of all our other eliminative organs will have to work even harder. sometimes if there is too much, it goes into storage. storing toxins in our body is a surefire method of inviting disease and ill-health.
So the first thing to do in keeping the skin clean is to bathe after elimination in the morning. sometimes, bathing before elimination assists the body to have elimination/bowel movement. bathing after returning home from an outing or job is also important. otherwise, the second bath of the day can be had when you notice your body temperature rising a few hours before sunset. as we sleep, we are excreting a tremendous amount of toxic debris through our skin so to keep balance in our body we need to bathe again before sleeping, ideally before sunset.
the soles of our feet have very large pores in comparison to other areas of our skin. therefore, our feet really really do a lot of work. in addition to supporting our weight, carrying us around, it also carries out a lot of of elimination of toxins, even more than the other areas of skin on our bodies. therefore, it is important to wash our feet with care and diligence and attention separately from what we might do in the bath. we need to protect our bodies from pathogens that might enter our bodies through the more permeable layer of skin on our feet by keeping it covered in socks. socks i find most appropriate are cotton socks and wool socks. we need to think of socks as we think of underwear. we need to change them often. we need to think of them as assisting our bodies in the detoxification that our skin does. we need to think of socks as protecting our bodies from disease vectors that may enter our bodies through our feet. socks
also can ease our bodies by providing cushioning. socks also prevent us from polluting the ground with our toxins and infecting others with what our bodies are eliminating from the soles of our feet. so wash our feet thoroughly at least twice a day and keep them covered in good cotton or wool socks.
the palms of our hand so the same thing as the soles of our feet insofar as they also are eliminating toxins from our bodies. of course they don't carry us around but they are constantly engaged in helping us complete our various tasks. we need to keep the skin on our hands clean. we should learn to wash our hands throughout the day: after using the bathroom, after handling food, after entering and exiting public spaces. we should also keep our hands covered as much as possible when doing tasks such as washing dishes, cleaning, gardening, going out. there are glove for each of these activities. for going out in the summer simple cotton gloves can be used. in winter, gloves which will also protect our hands from the cold should be used.
now that we have discussed how to assist our bodies with the task of elimination through our hands and feet we can look at the rest of our body. this brings us to the task of selecting undergarments and clothing. essentially, when selecting these items we need to remember our skin is eliminating, it is porous. we need to select undergarments which will allow our bodies to breathe. the traditional range of fabrics that the body has thrived in are cotton, linen, ramie, and other plant based fibers/fabrics. silk and wool are also okay. since we are eliminating through our skin, the clothing we wear against our skin should be washable and they should be replaced regularly. as with socks, clothes in addition to supporting our bodies in its eliminative process have to also protect our bodies from invasion by disease vectors/pathogens and other harmful things that are in the environment.
to sum up, one dimension of assisting our bodies detoxify through our skin is: cleaning and protecting. we need to clean our skin (bodies, faces, hands, feet) regularly. we also need to protect our skin with whatever is appropriate to that region of the body: hat for the head, gloves for our hands, socks for our feet, and suitable garments for our bodies. futher we need to make sure these things are themselves kept clean so that they do their job of protecting us and our well-being instead of harming us.
Post-script: Cleaning the skin using water presupposes access to sufficient clean, usable water. Where and when this is not possible other means of cleaning the skin must be employed.
