Dermatologists Explain Why It’s Important to Take a Break From Your Skincare Routine at Least Once a Month

Some might be used to taking a break from make-up. But when it comes to your skin care routine, with all the scrubs, face masks, and moisturizers, the benefits of not using them for a while might be less obvious. You might be afraid your skin won`t look as fresh, or that there`ll be an acne breakout. Don’t worry — it`s actually healthy to let your skin breathe and rest, says Michelle Green, MD.

We at Bright Side love our skin care routine. But if there are some benefits to skipping it, we`d like to try it and see the results.

Your skin knows how to take care of itself.

Without skincare products on, more oxygen will be able to get to your skin, which will help it regenerate elastin and collagen.

Our skin also produces a substance called sebum. And while it might make your skin look oily, there are also some positive aspects to it. Sebum acts as a barrier against microorganisms and helps keep your skin moisturized. So it’s good to let your skin do its job on its own every once in a while, without having an extra layer of some product on it.

When you use a moisturizer, your skin sees that there`s enough moisture and stops producing it on its own, which can make the skin sluggish and dry, says clinical facialist Kate Kerr. Some skin products also have harsh ingredients that can damage the healthy lipids on your skin.

You don`t have to say no to all of your skin care products, you can give your skin a break from just a few of them. And if you decide to do a complete skin fasting, where you don`t use any serums or moisturizers, it`s not recommended to do it for more than 1-2 days.

A break in a skincare routine is not for everyone.

It can be especially good to take a break from your skincare routine if you`ve noticed irritation from some skincare products, or if you don`t know what exactly is causing the irritation. It can help to stop using all of your products and then start adding them back in one by one, says Morgan Rabach, MD. Though she points out it’s still important to wash your face in the morning and at night to keep it clean.

However, for those who have severe acne, it might be better to just continue their routine, otherwise their pores could get too clogged. People with certain skin conditions, like eczema and flaky skin, should also avoid skin fasting.

And if you feel your skin is doing fine, you don`t have to do skin fasting. Though it`s good to know that if you skip a day or 2, there might be no reason to panic, because your skin won`t necessarily act up. This break is better suited for people with thin and sensitive skin, which is prone to irritation.

There`s one more positive aspect of skin fasting.

Another benefit of skin fasting is sustainability. When you skip your beauty routine a few times, or even if you just use smaller amounts of product for a few days, it will last longer, and you`ll spend less money. Maybe you`ll even realize that you don`t really need to use all the products than you have, or that you can buy them less often.

Which skincare products do you use and how often? Do you ever take a break from them? How does your skin react to it? We`d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!