Best Detox Skin-Care Products to Detoxify, Purify, and Cleanse

Although the idea of "detoxing" or "detoxifying" may sound sexy, it's not entirely legitimate. (There's no formal definition of the word detox in the wellness world.) Think about it: "Detoxing" can really mean anything from quitting sugar or juice cleansing to soaking in an Epsom salt-filled bathtub or sitting in an infrared sauna. But when it comes to our skin, detoxification is a little bit more specific. According to Diane Zoe Diana Draelos, a dermatologist at Duke University, lots of gunk, like pollution, makeup, and bacteria, ends up sitting on our skin, clogging our pores—and these so-called "detoxifying" treatments aim to cleanse the skin. Aside from washing your face every night—which really is the best and first defense when it comes to detoxifying your skin—these nine products will help unclog pores, cleanse skin, and leave you with a smoother, brighter complexion after use. Look for things like sea salt, antioxidants (all the vitamins and minerals found in your leafy-green veggies and fruit), activated charcoal, soft clay, and algae, seaweed, and other marine plants—the best, most purifying and detoxifying ingredients found in skin- and body-care products. Shop our favorite picks below, then get to work. Hey, you've gotta recover from the holiday weekend somehow.