The beauty trends in our perfection obsessed society are very dynamic. They come and go like a fast-moving train and all of us feel like hopping in and jumping down at every other station. It is not bad to feel the need for fitting in, or the need to belong, or even the need to do some adventurous and out-of-the-box once in a while. Life’s pandora box has too many magic tricks and it doesn’t hurt to try one or the other as and when the mood strikes.
What are we talking about exactly? The new tantalizing trend that has amazed beauty experts of popular brands and beauty media outlets. As you may have guessed correctly, even this new trend of “Skin Fasting” was popularized by a Japanese skincare company that goes by the name of Mirai Clinical. They brought in the idea of Skin fasting which according to them has been studied thoroughly in Japanese cultures and helps in rejuvenating your skin.
Skin fasting, essentially analogous to fasting for your body that is staying away from some or all kinds of foods, means, minimizing, or completely discarding your skincare routine. You may start your skin fast by discarding one of the products from your skincare like either your moisturizer or serum or the stage of exfoliation. Otherwise, the best and most celebrated form of fasting for your skin involves staying away from all of your skincare products, each of them. Yup, not even the SPF or the facial cleanser.
Too radical, but, in 2022, everything is possible. Also, this quarantine time might be the best chance for you to go on a skin diet considering you will be staying home and there is no major chance of being exposed to outside pollution. This might be a golden opportunity for you to see if your skin is still able to breathe on its own.
Skin science
Our skin acts as a giant sense organ, where the dermis helps us in the processes of the sensation of the environmental stimuli helping us in making meaning of the world around us.
The pores on our skin also carry out a gaseous exchange process, that’s literally how your skin breathes. This gaseous exchange from the skin makes up two percent of the entire exchange of gases in the human body.
Additionally, your skin also has sebaceous glands that help in producing sebum, oil, sweat. The function of the sebaceous glands is to provide your skin with natural moisturization by way of the production of sebum. Hence, our skin has its own ways of maintaining its balance.
How do makeup products create an imbalance?
Even though your skin has the capacity and property of taking care of itself, as a result of thousands of years of evolution, you might be slowing down that process by indulging in excess and unnecessary skincare and makeup products. For instance, people who use makeup and other cosmetic products on their skin daily might be clogging their pores leading to the accumulation of oil and dirt in those pores. This accumulation ultimately leads to breakouts.
Unknowingly, we also put a lot of chemicals like sulfates and some algae on our skin that also sometimes result in disastrous effects. Many a time, we are not even aware of the fact that our skincare or makeup products are the ones causing allergies and breakouts. It is a vicious cycle of not knowing what’s leading to what. Certain studies have shown that high levels of lead or sulfates in makeup and cosmetic products may be cancerous.
Should you consider skin fasting?
In all honesty, skin fasting might be a little risky. For example, if you are in the middle of facial treatments, impulsively deciding to go on skin fast might do you little good in the long run. But who doesn’t want a break from the long eleven steps Korean beauty routine, right?
Most professionals recommend going on a skin diet rather than a skin fast. Rather than discarding your entire skincare regimen, you may try eliminating a few products. This would also give a much-needed break to your skin.
Conversely, you may choose to jump the guns and go all out in going bare by eliminating all the products. While you are at a skin fast, you may consider providing more support to your skin by drinking enough water, eating healthy foods, and exercising. More than any cosmetic and makeup products, these three activities would bring the most natural glow to your skin.
Benefits of skin fasting
Though skin fasting might make a few people very anxious like can you imagine not cleansing your face for days in a row? However, there are multiple benefits of skin fasting and some people swear by it!
1. Repairs the skin:
Skin fasting, by all means, provides your skin with the opportunity to return to its “normal” state. Through this way of reaching its homeostasis, the skin repairs all the damage that has been done to it by the makeup and skincare products. Skin fasting acts as a healing process.
2. Identify what’s not working:
By way of eliminating a few stages or products from your regimen, you may be able to figure out what’s working and what’s not working for your skin. Rather than using products that overlap in their function, you may identify products that actually complement each other.
3. Gives your skin a much-needed break:
In all the hullabaloo of all the products that use, notice that your skin deserves a break from all the chemicals that you are putting on it. The human skin has self-healing properties. You will be amazed by the results of the same, but for it, you must give it the break that it deserves to rest and rejuvenate.
Be cautious of the process
Yes, skin fasting sounds all beneficial and natural and beautiful but do not forget that your skin needs some essential products like SPF protection. When deciding to go on skin fast, do keep that in mind. Also, if you are somebody who has excessively oily or dry skin, or somebody with acne-prone skin, you might consider consulting with your dermatologist before choosing to fast for your skin. At the end of the day, do what seems best and most comfortable to you!
Also Read: Skin Fasting: The Beauty Ritual Sans Any Beauty Products