How about trying skin fasting this festive season?

Your skin needs TLC round the clock, but did you know that the products you’ve been using are laden with not-so-gentle synthetic compounds? Yes, it’s true, and that’s why the chemicals present in skincare products can take a toll on your skin. Therefore, just like your body, even your skin needs a detox. And just the way you fast or follow some diet restrictions to give the body a break, you can also do skin fasting. This means you give a break to your skin from all the treatments and skincare products, so that your skin can breathe too. 

In order to understand what it is and how it really works, we got in touch with renowned dermatologist and aesthetic physician Dr Ajay Rana. 

What does skin fasting mean

Skin fasting is exactly what its name suggests.”Skin fasting embraces the concept of taking a break from your usual skincare routine, in an effort to improve the way your skin functions,” shares Dr Rana with Healthshots.

Three ways in which skin fasting works:

1. The skin has natural oils, and skin fasting helps to improve the natural maintenance system of the skin and detox it.  
2. It works by strengthening the skin’s protective barrier, which usually degenerates when you overuse skincare products. 
3. Skin fasting is a way to normalise the secretion of natural oils and support the natural rejuvenation process. 

The concept comes from the traditional idea of fasting that allows healing of the body. Skin fasting works ideally, when we minimize or stop using any kind of skincare product to enable the skin to rejuvenate on its own. 

Also, read: Fasting this Navratri? Dermatologist reveals how it can impact your skin

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What are the potential benefits of skin fasting?

A skin fast allows the skin to return to its natural homeostasis, thereby helping the skin to work at its own pace, says Dr Rana. When you give up using skincare products, your skin is able to produce natural oils to keep it soft. And this can help in several ways:

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1. Chance to understand your skin type: Skin fasting can help you know which skincare product is best for your particular skin type. If a skincare product is making your skin harsh and dry or causing an acne breakout, the best way to reduce acne is to go on skin fasting and figure out what suits better for your skin. 

2. Helps in skin recovery: It can naturally balance off the oils produced and help to take a break and reset the skin. So if you notice an acne breakout or excessive drying after using a certain product, it is best to abstain from skincare products for a few days to reset the skin. 

Also, read: I tried Japanese skin fasting for a month and it made me glow brighter than a bulb

3. It can give a natural glow: Using products on your skin can sometimes strip it off its natural oil and hamper the skin’s ability to renew the damaged and dead cells, which can lead to a dull face. However, with no products, your skin can heal on its own, giving you a natural glow.

How can you indulge in skin fasting safely?

Skin fasting makes you refrain from using any kind of skincare products on the skin for a certain period of time. You can completely abstain from using skincare products for several weeks or choose not to use any skincare product at night. It totally depends on the skin type of people.

Follow this process to do skin fasting, suggests Dr Rana

• Start with washing the face thoroughly at night
• During skin fasting, don’t cut down all the products in one go. Start by doing it once a week.
• Try not to apply any skincare product on one night, in order to let the skin breathe freely
• After that, wash the face the next morning with lukewarm water to ensure that the natural oils are not stripped off
• After letting the skin fast for one night, if you don’t face any irritation or side effects, then continue skin fasting for a few more days. If somebody has dry skin, keep your skin moisturized 
• For oily skin, cut down moisturizers from the regime and skin fast 

The main idea of skin fasting is to make the skin less dependent on products, so it can inherently take better care of itself.  

Few tips to ensure that you benefit from skin fasting

• Don’t stop using every skincare product completely, use at least sunscreen. It can save your skin from the harmful UV rays in the daytime with a mild sunscreen, says Dr Rana 
• Drink enough water to help your skin rejuvenate
• Don’t make your skin fast, if you have undergone skin peeling
• Consider doing skin fasting, according to your skin

Sure, a skin fast can help you discover which products are truly necessary for your routine. But let’s be clear, you should always clean your face to wash off daily dirt and debris as well as apply moisturiser to seal in hydration post cleanse.