The world of skincare never ceases to amaze with its trends. If you think about it, we have seen plenty from this year alone! There was slugging, anti-UV skincare, gua sha, glass skin – and by the looks of it, we’ve still got a long way till December.
Now while some trends have inevitably made their way into our daily routines, others were pushed back into a corner and forgotten. But one thing is for sure: these just gave room for more skincare trends for us to try! With that, let’s talk about another one that has been gaining popularity: skin fasting.
What exactly is skin fasting?
Pretty sure you have heard of fasting and how it helps with weight loss. Fasting involves controlled time windows to manage how you eat and supercharge fat burn. Well, it’s a little similar to skin fasting.
Skin fasting temporarily reduces how many skincare products you use on your face. It could be as easy as skipping your daily moisturiser or taking out a few serums on your regimen. This is to ‘fast’ your skin and let it reset without using any products.
Going on this skin fast helps your skin to rebuild your stratum corneum, a.k.a. the outermost layer of your skin. This layer acts like armour and protects your skin from dirt, pollutants, and aggressors that causes damage and breakouts. It also prevents excessive water loss, which leads to dry skin. The goal is to reinforce your skin as it learns to regenerate, moisturise, and even exfoliate by itself.
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What are the types of skin fasting?
When it comes to skin fasting, you can go with whatever you are most comfortable with. You can start by removing one product at a time and then go all out with a complete fast.
When you do a complete skin fast, you stop your whole routine – no cleansing, toning, moisturising, treatments, or anything. Instead, you let your natural oils do the work by balancing hydration and protecting the skin from damage.
This may all sound drastic, but you just have to go at your own pace. It is also critical to listen to your skin. Take note of all the changes and be patient, as this could last from days to weeks.
But wait, is a skin fast worth it?
If you have sensitive skin, skin fasting may work for you. It gives your skin time to breathe, so it will not trigger adverse reactions to your skincare ingredients. And since you are removing certain products, you can quickly pinpoint which one causes allergies or irritations. If you also use a ton of skincare products, it’s about time you sit down and do a fast. Overloading your skin may do more harm than good, as it can only absorb as much.
It is also worth noting that skin fasting may not be as good as you think. A skin fast will literally reset your skin. And truth be told, your skin needs repetitive exposure to specific treatments and ingredients. If you already have a skincare routine that works for you, a skin fast may not be worth it. It may only cause imbalance, pushing you to re-acclimate your skin and start from scratch. But if you are one curious cat, go ahead and give it a shot. Of course, you get brownie points for checking with your skin doctor before you tread the path!
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