Post-party season is the time of year when everyone's intentions are at their best, so it's little wonder that more brands than ever are jumping on the 'detox' bandwagon, sprinkling the magic word on everything from spa treatments and holidays to energy drinks and body creams.
Juicing made a splash in the US last autumn when Organic Avenue - backed by celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Naomi Watts - offered a Fashionista Cleanse at a pop-up store to New York fashion week attendees. It was such a success that the health-food firm is looking to open a permanent store at the Lincoln Centre. Meanwhile, actress Selma Hayek has co-founded Cooler Cleanse and is bringing her detox diet to A-list doorsteps, and Jennifer Anniston reportedly embarked on a recent Baby Food Cleanse, involving 14 portions of pureed food a day followed by an 'adult' dinner.
Glowing skin, boosted energy, increased alertness, and dramatic weight loss are all part of the lure. Yet detox diets have suffered scrutiny from doctors and scientists who dismiss some of them as potentially dangerous fad; particularly in Britain where, in 2001, a woman suffered permanent brain damage while following an 'extreme hydration diet. Doctors diagnosed hyponatraemia or water intoxication, resulting in a severe epileptic seizure.
As a result, today's detox industry is rapidly evolving. No longer do you have to survive on sweetened lemon water for 10 days to be considered 'clean'. Now there are gentler, more manageable options, with low-maintenance 'detox till dinner' plans, and creamy nut milks making their way onto the once spartan juice-fast menus.
Ann Cha and Angela Cheng Matsuzawa co-founded Punch Detox in Hong Kong in 2009. 'We had two boys under two years old, and felt perpetually tired,' says Cheng Matsuzawa. 'We didn't have time to watch what we were eating, let alone exercise much.'
Now they organise monthly programmes, specifically designed for busy Hong Kong people. 'We call our detox the Punch Juice Cleanse,' says Cheng Matsuzawa. 'All you need to do is clear out three days of your schedule, and we'll provide all you need.'