One major cause of dry skin is pollutants. These include chemicals in cosmetics, laundry detergents, soaps, the food we eat, the air we breathe - even the fibers in our clothes. The list is virtually endless.

Although a good shielding lotion protects against pollutants, an occasional detox helps get rid of them from the inside out.

The list of detoxification methods is also virtually endless. Which one do you choose? Here's a list to help you make the decision.

Dry Brushing: Removing old skin cells makes it easier for the body to excrete toxins through the skin. Gently brush the extremities with a soft natural bristle brush, working towards the heart. Use a circular motion on the chest and abdomen.

Saunas: The body stores toxins in fat tissue. When you sweat, fat stores get reduced more quickly, releasing the toxins, which are then excreted through the sweat. Dry brushing before a sauna makes the work easier. The added benefit of this method is potential weight loss due to reduction in fat stores.

Exercise: Most of the detox-related benefit in exercise is derived from releasing toxins as you sweat. However, exercise also stimulates circulation helping the body function more efficiently. This, in turn, enables the body to detoxify through metabolism. If you're not used to exercise, walking for 15 minutes a day is a good place to start. More is not necessarily better with exercise - overexertion can cause the release of free radicals.

Detox Teas: Detox teas contain herbs that help the body convert toxins to molecules that can be processed out through the bowel or kidneys. There are many available on the market.

Enemas and Colonics: The bowel is a vital system for excreting toxins. If you have a practitioner in your area, visit and see how you feel about the office and the technician. (Is the office clean and well-organized?). Make your decision from there. These can even be used in acute situations, such as relief of a headache caused by toxicity.

Detox Diets: Choosing a detox diet can be confusing - you can probably find hundreds of them on the internet. Understanding the fundamentals can help you make a decision. Basically, a detox diet is one free of chemicals, food allergens, and pollutants. A diet of fresh fruit and vegetables, rice, beans, nuts and seeds, a little fish, olive oil, light condiments such as vegetable salt, sea salt, vinegar, naturally fermented soy sauce or tamari, herbs and spices would be a good basic diet. Limit beverages to decaf herbal teas (you can include a little raw honey), water, and water with lemon.

Releasing toxins can be a tricky business, often overloading the body with toxins in the process of getting rid of them. For this reason, consult your doctor if you have pre-existing conditions - especially kidney, liver or heart disease, cancer, diabetes, or low blood sugar. You also need to check with your doctor if you're taking any medications. And don't detox if you're pregnant.

A good shielding lotion will decrease the buildup of toxins and is also an essential part of dry skin treatment.