What Is Skin Fasting? The Latest Instagram Trend

Times are heavy at the moment so let’s lighten the mood and talk trends. There has been a trend sweeping instagram since as far back as last summer known as Skin Fasting. Now, we do appreciate that we might be a little slow to the party as these trends move so fast! However, there’s nothing like reminiscing in the good times of last summer whilst we can’t do a lot else!

What is Skin Fasting? 

Skin fasting is about as obvious as it sounds, it’s a new ‘fad’ that has swept through Instagram based on the idea of refraining from putting any product on the skin. The reason we call this a ‘fad’ is because there’s not exactly anything revolutionary about this at all! Reducing our use of skincare products and daily make-up sessions is something that dermatologists have been encouraging for quite some time. Keeping things simple with as few ingredients as possible can frequently be the answer to healthy skin. 

Like many of these trends, the idea is built on the concept of ‘Detox’. In the same way that many try detox diets, this is a detox for the skin. Its relatively well known by now that detoxing your body is a myth and we could almost definitely argue the same for a skin detox. This can, however, depend on your approach to skin fasting. Lets look at the times when this is a good idea and when its not… 

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Is Skin Fasting A Bad Idea? 

This truly depends on the circumstances. There are various claims across the internet, that state that skin fasting can help us ‘retrain our skin to produce its own sebum’ (sebum being the natural oil on our skin). In reality this is a shaky bit of science, in that it simply doesn’t work like that. If you suffer from dry skin then there are many reasons for this ranging from sun damage to eczema with dehydration and age thrown in. By putting a stop to your moisturising routine you’re not going to see a spike in oil production. There is simply no way that this triggers your body to produce more sebum. In cases like this it is actually more likely to be detrimental to your skin. Moisturizers are there to build and protect your skin barrier, if you suffer from dry skin moisturizers are your friend, they’re not there to be ‘detoxed’!

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Can Skin Fasting Be Good For Us? 

We have to approach this tentatively. There are times when using less products on our skin can be positive. For example, its almost always positive to reduce the amount of make-up we apply. There is some science to back up the idea of letting our skin ‘breathe’ by reducing the amount of chemicals it comes into contact with. 

Equally, you may have recently added a new skin care product to your routine or changed up your routine completely. If you’re experiencing a reaction, then this would be a good time to begin eliminating products until you find the culprit. Here, the act of ‘skin fasting’ would be a positive. 

Another example, would be if you’re using the wrong products for your skin type. Perhaps you have sensitive skin and you’re using something too harsh. By ‘fasting’ from these products you’ll see improvements to your skin. 

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The Bottom Line On Skin Fasting

What we can accept is there may be some cases where skin fasting is a good idea. If you’re noticing a rash, spots or otherwise, then it could be time to start working through your skin care products to establish the cause. Ultimately, however, what this all boils down to is simply having a good skin routine. If your skin routine, is working then there is rarely, under any circumstances, a good time to take a break from it! 

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