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A "Skin Fast" Just Might Solve All Your Beauty Problems

Think of it like an elimination diet for your face

Just when you thought you had your dry, flaky winter skin under control, bam--you’ve got an oil slick on your forehead and a big ol’ zit on your chin. Instead of adding on even more products to correct those combination problems, there’s a slightly crazy new trick you can try.

It’s called a “skin fast,” and it comes recommended from VMV Hypoallergenics aesthetician Adrienne Ortiz. Here’s the deal.

What you do: Stop using all beauty products--yep, including cleanser, toner, serums, moisturizer and makeup--for one week. We know, this sounds completely crazy. Stay with us.

How you “wash” your face: Cleanse your face with a dab of extra-virgin coconut oil twice a day, then moisturize as needed with (yes) more coconut oil.

What else you should do: Aim to drink a gallon of water a day and eat healthy. That’s it.

How it works: Just like elimination diets give you a baseline state to test individually problematic foods, a skin fast does the same for allergenic face products. You may have mild breakouts early in the week, but once your skin adjusts, it’ll be back to its natural state soon enough. Then you can slowly re-introduce products to see which is the culprit of those flaky cheek patches and pesky chin zits. Problems solved.



Jenny Jin Headshot Vertical 2023

Beauty Director

Jenny Jin is PureWow’s Beauty Director and is currently based in Los Angeles. Since beginning her journalism career at Real Simple magazine, she has become a human encyclopedia of...