How long would you go without washing, toning, moisturising, having a face mask or even make up on? A day? Two weeks? Or a month? One skin care trend to try is skin fasting- this is giving your skin the needed break. While skin fasting, you forgo all entire beauty routine products and regime. This way your skin becomes self-reliant to detox and fix problem on its own.
Skin fasting was originally coined by Mirai Clinical, a Japanese skin and body care brand. They described skin fasting as “a way to strengthen the skin’s natural protective barrier that is weakened by excessive nourishing, to normalise the secretion of natural oils and support the rejuvenation process”.
This process is usually good when you have been using a new skin product that didn’t work for you. So if you are using a new skin care product and is experiencing negative reactions, you should try going on a skin fast. Another instance, is when you have been using a wrong product, you should give your skin a break. More so, if you have been over-exfoliating, you should really try a skin fast. And then, your skin’s cell turnover during skin fasting.
Dermatologist say that a skin fast allows the skin to return to its natural homeostasis. The theory is that when we use certain skin-care products, we are training the skin on what to do, and thereby throwing off its natural, self-regulating cycle. For example, applying moisturizer or facial oil could signal to our skin cells that it need not produce as much natural sebum because we have got it covered. Or, in using exfoliants like retinol, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), or beta hydroxy acids (BHAs), we are chemically inducing increased skin cell turnover, aka speeding up our skin’s natural renewal rate. Minimizing ones skin-care routine, or even forgoing it totally, for a set period of time will allow your skin to reset and refresh.