All of a sudden there is an interest in turning tried-and-true body-beautiful methods into ways that also can improve the face. With face gyms already in existence (where specialized work-outs allege to keep the face taught and firm) it was only a matter of time before face ?diets? entered the scene. (And, what is Instantly Ageless, if not essentially Spanx for the face?)
The 5:2 diet, a current weight-management fad where strict restrictions are in place for only 2 days of the week, is being recommended by some experts as not just a way to shed pounds from the body ? but with some adjustments it might also be a way to shed pimples, black-heads and wrinkles.
With food, the 5:2 diet allows for 5-days of healthy eating (approximately 2,000 calories a day) and 2-days of depravation (>500 calories per woman, >600 per man). Because the body is only going through short periods of time without adequate food, the system is forced into ?repair? mode instead of ?starvation? mode. During this time of ?repair?, the body restores damaged cells, which uses more energy which burns more fat. “Starvation mode” however, is counterproductive as it ultimately causes your body to hold onto whatever fat it gets and makes it harder to lose weight.
So, how does this diet possibly apply to skin care?
Some skin experts believe that the same approach can benefit the skin; treat your skin sparsely for 2-days of the week, and it will look better within a month.
What does that mean, exactly??
Yup. Just what you?re afraid of: NO MAKEUP, minimal products. The idea is to let your skin breathe and be au naturel for at least 2 days a week. (The good news? The days off do not have to be done consecutively.) The time off from makeup allows your skin unfettered access to repairing and rejuvenating itself.
If you’re a makeup junkie sitting in cold sweat at the idea of a naked face ? ever – don?t worry! This is not something you have to do, but there may be some truth to the concept.
For someone dealing with breakouts and clogged pores, allowing your skin some fresh air once in a while can be a good way to keep the skin healthy and cut down on the build-up of debris in your pores.
If you?re more concerned about anti-aging, Dr. Esho, founder of Le Beau Ideal Aesthetics Clinic, promises the 5:2 face diet will also help you look younger.
“I always tell my patients that good skin starts from underneath your makeup,” he says. “Overuse of makeup without any time off can accelerate the aging process. Parabens from makeup and free radicals from our environment accumulate throughout the day within the pores and the epidermal layer.”
“This accumulation can lead to the breaking down of collagen and elastin in the skin,” Dr. Esho went on. “In some cases the cell life cycle (120 days) can begin to slow – extending more than the normal skin cell life cycle of 120 days, meaning there are more ‘aged’ cells remaining on the skin.” It’s been noted that the slowing of the cells’ life cycle can cause fine lines and wrinkles.
Although gray hair might be having a moment right now, it?s safe to assunme that the majority of people want to avoid physical signs of aging (such as lines and wrinkles) as long as possible, and certainly no one ever wants pimples and clogged pores. If something as simple as giving your skin a break from makeup can have such major benefits, it might just be worth braving a couple of days sans cosmetics.
Tempted to try out the 5:2 face diet? Here are the 5 easy steps (/rules?):
5:2 Face diet rules:
- Pick 2 days a week that your face will remain bare.
Stick to it! - Cleanse the face thoroughly with your favorite cleanser each night.
Finish up by applying moisturizer, and whatever other night treatments you prefer. - Take advantage of your makeup-free days to truly detox your skin.
Apply any of mask you like during your free time on these days. - Sorry, no concealer allowed!
However, a corrective eye cream (that will reduce the appearance of dark under eye circles) is allowed. - Sunscreen!
Just because you?re not wearing makeup doesn?t mean you need to leave your skin vulnerable to environmental damage. (For a little bit of a cheat, tinted sunscreens are OK.)