At VMV Hypoallergenics, we have received less than 0.1% reports of reactions in over 30 years, and almost all of those reactions were due to us not being able to make recommendations based on the individual’s patch test results, incorrect use of the product, a cross reaction with another product, or an underlying irritation that might have been chronic but not yet obvious. In these cases, a 7-Day Skin Fast almost always results in a clearing of the problem and the client’s ability to use the products without a reaction.
Why Should I Do A Skin Fast?
1. To get your skin back to baseline …
A Skin Fast helps skin return to a more neutral, pre-irritation state. This can have several benefits (more on these below), including giving your skin a seasonal “reset.” As with all the body’s organs, the skin changes over time. Observing your skin in a more neutral state now may better highlight new issues such as dryness, for example, that can help you adjust your skincare regimen appropriately.
2. To recover from a skin reaction …
Anyone, even someone who has never had problems using any product before, can develop a skin reaction. Reactions can include an allergic reaction, an irritation, hyperpigmentation (darkening), dryness, redness, itching, flaking, an acne or acne-like breakout, or other symptoms. Anything applied on reacting skin can worsen the situation. A Skin Fast gives your skin a break from what might be causing the reaction (and other possible contaminants), allowing it to recover properly.
3. To help identify the cause of a reaction or a chronic skin problem …
Believe it or not, the cause of a reaction is not always (or even frequently!) the last product you applied. A product you’ve been using for a long time “without a problem” could actually have been causing an underlying irritation that was too subtle to notice, increasing your skin’s sensitivity over time until another product (even one you’re not actually allergic to) was the final straw — your skin couldn’t take any more and finally reacted. Or your cells could have decided, even after years of exposure to an ingredient, that it no longer “likes” it and develops an allergy to it. In food, a common way to help identify a sensitivity is an elimination diet. The Skin Fast works similarly, helping you (or your doctor) more accurately identify the trigger of your skin problem.
Note: While a Skin Fast can help identify a trigger, the most accurate way to identify which ingredients and other substances you are sensitive to is a patch test. If you have a history of sensitivity or stubborn skin problems, or a skin condition that is worsened by external stress, ask your doctor about a patch test (or photo-patch test, for hyperpigmentation).
4. To recover from treatments, clinical procedures, medications, or injuries …
Many treatments (like active ingredients), clinical procedures (lasers and peels), and medications (chemotherapy, certain neurological drugs or even ibuprofen) can make the skin temporarily more problematic. It can develop acne or become drier, more sensitive and/or more photo-sensitive (more prone to sunburn, redness or darkening due to sun or indoor light exposure). Doing a Skin Fast after a procedure, or keeping your skin in a Skin Fast throughout therapy or recovery, can help increase comfort and decrease the risk further vulnerability or injury.
A Skin Fast can also be helpful when skin is injured from a rash, flare-up, burn or other injury — it keeps the skin cared for very gently, so the skin is left less stressed and its cells can focus on rebuilding and healing.
5. To safely try new products after a patch test (or in general) …
If you have a history of acne, darkening, irritations or other skin problems, or if you’ve just had a patch test, a Skin Fast is a very safe way to try new products. With skin in a more neutral state and with new products introduced in a very slow, controlled manner, you reduce the risk of reactions and increase your chances of finding products that you can safely use.
How To Do A 7-Day Skin Fast
Questions? Or want us to customize recommendations for you based on your patch test results? Contact us here or send us a message on Facebook or Instagram.
Step 3: SLOWLY Add Other Products One At A Time.
This process is considered best practice whenever introducing any new product.
Do A Provisional Patch Test:
Before re-introducing a product…
- For products meant to be washed off quickly such as shampoos and cleansers: apply a tiny dot of it on the underside of your wrist or inner part of your elbow. If it reacts immediately, quickly wash it off with water. If no reaction occurs, leave on and observe your skin for about a minute and wash it off with water. As soon as a reaction occurs, wash it off. If no reaction occurs, continue with the following steps.
- For products not washed off quickly such as creams and sunscreens: follow the same steps as above, but if no reaction occurs, keep the area dry and observe your skin for a few hours (or up to 72 hours to be extra safe). As soon as a reaction occurs, wash it off. If no reaction occurs, continue with the following steps.
Facial Cleansing: Try using the Red Better Deeply Soothing Cleansing Cream …
- Use the cleanser one night, then stop for 3 days. Observe your skin.
- If your skin shows no reaction, use the cleanser for 3 nights in a row.
- If your skin does show a reaction, stop using the cleanser and either see your dermatologist for a patch test, or re-start the 7-Day Skin Fast from the very beginning, and when you get to this point, try this step with a new cleanser (contact us for assistance).
- If your skin shows no reaction after 3 straight nights of using the cleanser, use it 2x-a-day for 3 straight days. Observe.
- If the there is no reaction, repeat these steps with your next product, such as your sunscreen.
- Repeat this process with each product, one-at-a-time, with at least 3 days in between, slowly observing your skin as you go.
IMPORTANT: As you slowly add products remember to add one product at a time, with 3 days in between for observation.
See next step for a suggested simple regimen that you can try after completing your Skin “Detox.”
What Now?
Done with your Skin Fast? Contact us for suggestions for a skincare regimen that meets your needs. If you’ve already had a patch test, we can customize product recommendations for you based on your results!
Laura is our “dew”-good CEO at VMV Hypoallergenics and eldest daughter of VMV’s founding dermatologist-dermatopathologist. She has two children, Madison and Gavin, and works at VMV with her family and VMV’s signature “skinfatuated, skintellectual, skingenious” team. In addition to saving the world’s skin, Laura is passionate about health, cultural theory, human rights, happiness, and spreading goodness (like a VMV cream)!
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