After years of filling our closets with products for the perfect #shelfie (or a neatly arranged shelf with a handful of cosmetics), the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic has made us stop for a moment and ask ourselves what we really need in life. Along with health, shelter, and nutrition, the importance of material things has been reduced to a minimum - what is there to please us or serve a basic purpose. Skin, body, and hair care often fall into that category, where we often devote too much time, and for happy and healthy skin, only the basics are needed.

Driven by this idea, the “skin fasting” trend was born, the basic idea of ​​which is to minimize your skincare routine or stop it altogether for a moment, to give your skin time to reset. And while it is the one absolute revelation, to others it seems like an unnecessary and risky venture into the unknown. Learn all the pros and cons of skin fasting before you decide to ditch it.

WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF FASTING ON THE SKIN?

The idea behind this trend is to allow the skin to return to its natural homeostasis. Namely, the theory is that we use a handful of cosmetics that tell the skin what to do - when we take them off, it is forced to return to its natural cycle of self-renewal. For example, the use of specific oils tells the skin to stop producing natural sebum, while peels accelerate cell renewal. If we take all that away from the skin - we leave it to reset and find new, more efficient ways to naturally renew itself. Of course - in practice it is not so simple.

WHAT THEN IS THERE A SKIN PLACE?

Initially, the idea was to completely stop using the products, but experts warn of unpleasant consequences. For example, if we remove ceramides or similar ingredients that help restore the damaged skin barrier, the skin will take much longer to repair and will often encounter problems. That's why many people suggest occasionally removing "aggressive" products from the routine or reducing the routine to really basic products.

If you want to try it on your skin, the best solution is to skip the typical anti-aging and exfoliating ingredients, which can lead to hypersensitivity with too much use, and let your skin "cleanse" itself of them. Without them, you will focus on a top-quality minimalist skincare routine with a good moisturizer and serum (for example, products from the L'ADRIA brand that have a minimalist approach to skin care) that will give your skin hydration and nutrition, allowing it to "fight" other problems on its own.

At the end of the day – everyone’s skin is different and what works for one person may not work for another – which means you should take this trend with a grain of salt. If you decide to try it and don’t see any positive changes within the first month, you’ve probably misjudged it. But if you’re going to give it another try, commit to choosing clean products with minimal ingredients to give your skin the best it can be while it’s de facto detoxing.