For some, skincare is a 20-step process, morning and night. Which occasionally makes us wonder: Are we going overboard with the products? Cue skin fasting, a rising trend over the past few years, and your skin’s very own version of a detox cleanse.
What Is Skin Fasting?
“Skin fasting is taking a break from all of your current skincare products or routine to give your skin time to breathe, rest, and reset,” explains Zubritsky. “Theoretically, it allows your skin to naturally function the way it was intended to without the help of skincare products.”
While the concept is fairly straightforward, the methodology can vary from person to person. “Like food-related fasting, there can be different levels of how much you eliminate and for how long,” says Fernandez. “The theory is to let your skin rebuild its protective stratum corneum layer to foster better skin health and resilience. It can also be a good way to detect products that are causing irritation, breakouts, or other skin problems.”
How Do You Skin Fast?
“Skin fasting is unique to the individual,” says Aguilar. “Some slowly eliminate products while others go cold turkey.”
“For a complete skin fast, you stop using all of your skincare products entirely,” adds Fernandez. “No cleansing or toning, or applying serums, hydrators, or moisturizers. Letting your skin’s own natural sebum [oil] do all the balancing and protecting is the main action.” It’s important to listen to your skin throughout the process, which can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks according to Zubritsky.
Who Should Try Skin Fasting?
“Those with skin sensitivities may benefit from skin fasting,” says Fernandez. “It gives the skin time to not have any active ingredients that can trigger inflammation.” She adds that skin fasting is more beneficial to those with dry skin and that oily and acne-prone skin will not benefit from a full skin fast of any length.
Any person experiencing trouble with their daily skincare routine can also benefit from a less severe form of skin fasting by eliminating one product at a time until the skin irritant is identified. “Anyone can try skin fasting, especially those who feel like their skin needs a reboot,” says Aguilar. “It is especially beneficial for those experiencing more blemishes, dryness, or irritation than usual.”
Who Should Avoid Skin Fasting?
“I do not recommend skin fasting for those who have skin disorders like eczema, uncontrolled acne, rosacea, melasma, or other skin disorders that do require topical products to help,” says Zubritsky. “I am not a fan of the cold turkey, total elimination of all skincare products at once, especially if you have a skin condition that requires active ingredients.”
The Final Takeaway
Ultimately, skin fasting is successful on a case-by-case basis. The method is not a one-size-fits-all process, and listening to your skin in real time is the safest way to proceed when trying out skin fasting.
“If one wants to try this, I do recommend slowly taking away one product at a time to see how your skin reacts,” says Zubritsky. “Skin fasting in the sense of ‘detoxing’ your skin has no physiological or scientific basis.”