Skin fasting can bring back the glow, says Pooja Nagdev
For years, our brains have been programmed to believe in the philosophy of ‘the more the better’. However, people are now realising that expensive products and lengthy routines are not the answer to clear and glowing skin. Are you one of those people who has a 10-step skincare routine that includes Korean home remedies? Let me tell you that you are not alone.
When it comes to skincare, you must understand your skin and give it its due. Now, if you have a skincare regimen that works for you, that’s fantastic! If, on the other hand, you’re constantly struggling to find the right products and wondering why nothing ever works for you, you’re in for a treat. Skin fasting is a new beauty and skincare concept that has gained a lot of traction in recent months. It only needs that you do nothing in terms of skincare. Leave all of your routines at home and secure all of your belongings.
The process of decreasing the number of creams and treatments you use on your face for a set period is known as skin fasting. This might be as simple as deleting your daily moisturiser from your routine or reducing the amount of time you spend on your skincare altogether. The objective is to remove all treatments and substances from the skin and enable it to relax and reset. Allow your skin to naturally heal and renew. For those who are in the habit of wearing makeup, daily, skin fasting is very beneficial. It relieves you from synthetic colours and pigments.
Have you ever wondered if it actually works?
Many people claim to have had incredible benefits with skin fasting, while others claim to have had more outbreaks than ever and would not recommend it. Excess sebum, debris, and dead skin cells can block pores and cause breakouts if you skip cleaning and exfoliating from your skincare routine.
Should you try Skin Fasting?
To begin with, we can’t say if a skin fast would be beneficial or harmful to your skin. This is entirely dependent on your unique skin condition, as well as a variety of other factors. Furthermore, if you’ve developed a skincare routine that works for you, it’s not worth risking an imbalance and having to re-acclimate your skin.
Even while you’re indoors, you should apply SPF to your face because UV rays can still harm your skin via glass. Take a step back from your skincare routine to re-evaluate it if you feel you’re overloaded your skin with products and aren’t sure which ones are effective.
Cleansing and exfoliating are two of the most crucial beauty habits to follow. If you’re on skin fast, you could feel that cleansing and exfoliating aren’t necessary because you’re not washing the product off your face at the end of the day. Cleansing and exfoliating, on the other hand, aid in the removal of filth and oil generated by environmental aggressors. Because this clogs pores and creates breakouts, it’s critical to get rid of them to maintain a clear and radiant complexion.
Our skin works on a basic principle — if you put too much product on your face, it adjusts to the external nutrients and goes into auto-pilot mode. It reduces the amount of work it did and allows the pricey creams and masks to take over. When you don’t give the skin anything, it goes through a complete reset and begins compensating for everything that isn’t provided topically. It creates natural oils to keep the skin hydrated and handles all of the other processes as well.
Skin fasting is ideal for acne sufferers because it eliminates the use of products that could exacerbate the problem. If you want to go on skin fast, start by progressively removing cosmetics from your routine and allowing your skin to perform its magic on its own.
Consider skin fasting to be an elimination diet. If you have a problem, refrain from using cosmetics and that will allow your skin to adjust on its own.
How to notice if you’re on the right track with skin fasting?
You’re no longer using the incorrect product for your skin type.
You’re exfoliating too much, and skin fasting allows your skin to heal.
For delicate skin, you’ve stopped using harsh or irritating substances.
While you’re fasting, your skin’s cells are turning over.
No depositions of extra minerals and pigments into the skin.
(The author is an aromatherapist and a cosmetologist who founded Inatur, a range of ethically made skin, hair and wellness products.)