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What is skin fasting and does it work?

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We’ve all heard of fasting. In fact, it’s good for us, especially intermittent fasting, because it provides our body with a break from digestion and is a bit of a cellular reset. 

But have you ever heard of skin fasting? 

What is skin fasting?

Skin fasting is more or less a way to detox your skin. It gives your skin a break from all of the skincare products that you use to allow your skin to breathe. 

During a skin fast, your skin will reset itself back to its natural state, using its own sebum (oil) for moisturizing. While you do a skin fast, your skin should rebuild its protective top layer, since you won’t be using the products that will slough it away.

A skin fast can be as short as a few days to a week and can go as long as you want it to. 

Even though a skin fast does involve eliminating some or all skincare products, experts still recommend cleansing and using sunscreen.

Two ways to do a skin fast

There are two ways you can do a skin fast; you can go cold turkey and eliminate everything, or you can gradually eliminate products.

Complete Skin Fast

A complete skin fast is when you eliminate all of your skincare products, using nothing. This includes make-up, as you won’t get the benefits of a fast if you continue to use it. If you are going full fast, consider rinsing your face with water on a daily basis and stay completely out of the sun. 

Partial Skin Fast (Skin Diet)

A partial fast makes the most sense for most people because you can still allow some skincare without completely eliminating absolutely everything. A skin diet is usually a great option for people with sensitive skin because it may help them pinpoint if a certain product is causing irritation. 

To do a partial skin fast, phase out certain products bit by bit. You could start on day 1 by eliminating a serum. A day or two later, drop something else, and so on, until you are down to just cleansing.

Who should (or shouldn’t) do a skin fast?

Skin fasts aren’t for everyone. People with sensitive skin are good candidates because the fast may help them pinpoint products that are causing problems. Those with dry skin also do well with skin fasts because if a product is causing flaking, they could figure out which product is doing that. Ideally, trial and error will help you come up with the perfect combination of products for your skin. 

People with oily skin usually don’t do well with skin fasts because when they stop using oil control products, they can end up worse than they started. When they fast, the sebum production may ramp up again, causing pores to clog and acne to flare up. 

If you are using a prescription product for skin conditions such as ane, eczema, rosacea, melasma, or other problems relating to skin, a skin fast is definitely not for you. You can always speak to your doctor about the best way to give you skin a break from prescriptions. 

Does skin fasting work?

At this time, there is no scientific evidence that skin fasts work because there are no known studies. Some people swear by them, but there is no solid proof that a skin fast will detox your skin. 

Here are a few potential benefits skin fasting:

  • Figuring out an ideal combination of products for your skin type.

  • Discovering if your skin’s natural state has changed as a result of using certain products over time.

  • If you over-exfoliate, a skin fast can help skin recover and rebuild the outer layer.

  • Pinpoints any products that may be causing irritation.

The biggest drawback is that you could be starting over when your skin resets itself to its natural state. 

Should I do a skin fast?

Trying a skin fast is completely up to you. But keep in mind that if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it! If your skin looks great now, doing what you are doing, there is no need to change things up.

Using a custom formulated product line such as Qyral will take the guesswork out of which products to use. Our skin assessment quiz will give us the information we need to add the correct ingredients that your skin needs to get to its best state, no fast needed!

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