Could 'Skin Fasting' Renew Your Complexion?

By Fiona McKim
You've probably heard all about thebenefits of fastingfor your body, but have you ever considered putting your skin on a detox too? The latest buzz in beauty is skin fasting, and according to leading skin expert, Dr Terry Loong, a pioneer of the three week skin fast, it could be the key to your best complexion ever!
Lots of us overload our skin with too many products and this can have a negative effect on the complexion, making our skin look sallow, red or older. A skin fast can make all the difference.
So how does it work? It's simple; twice a year, limit your skincare regime to only three products - a cleanser, serum and an SPF for 21 days. This gives your skin a chance to kick start itself and learn how to self-heal without being overloaded by product. After three weeks you can slowly re-introduce products, one per day, to see how your skin reacts and get a better sense of what it really needs.
'Like spring cleaning the house, it's a good idea to spring clean the skin', says Dr Terry. 'Skin fasting is about stripping back in order to boost your skin's natural healing and hydrating properties. It does this by reprogramming itself to adapt and self-heal - in the long run you will get much more from your skin!'
A great time to start a skin fast is with the changing of the season, as your skin's needs will change too, and it's a perfect way to wipe the slate clean if you've got sensitive or irritated skin, blocked pores, or if you've simply been using so many products you have no idea what is working any more (er, that's us then)
So would you try skin fasting? If anything can tempt us to forgoe our nightly anointing in a cocktail of creams, the promise of fresh, sparkly self-healing skin can!
Shop our Beauty Editor's pick of the best cleansers, SPFs and serums
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