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Would you try the Caveman Regimen?

According to this concept, doing away with all beauty products is the solution to skin problems

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While we’ve come a long way from the Caveman era, there are people who believe we can take skin care tips from that time. The Caveman Regimen which has particularly piqued the interest of acne sufferers, entails giving up on all cosmetic products. The belief is that our skin issues from pimples to whiteheads, rosacea, eczema and scarring, are all linked to the various harsh chemicals we layer on our faces daily. It suggests that in the long run, this strips the skin of its natural oils and causes irritations and eruptions. The most severe form of this regimen recommends not washing the face, no face wash nor water should touch the skin, for a month. Others follow modified versions of this to suit their skin needs. But would doing away with products improve skin in the long run?

Can’t work today

Dr Bharti Magoo, Aesthetician and Owner at Golden Touch feels this regimen can’t work in today’s time. “As the name suggests, this is  a caveman regimen, which may be suitable for a particular period of time, when the world was almost pollution free. But with today’s kind of pollution, lack of greenery, reduced oxygen, this simply can’t be helpful. You have to adhere to a particular beauty regime which is best for your skin, based on your lifestyle and budget. And that includes taking proper care of your skin, cleansing, toning and moisturising. You have to wash your face properly in order to get rid of the dirt. Then you have to tone it to restore the balance and moisturise it to nourish. There is no other way of getting healthy skin. Those with acne have to wash their face at least three times a day, that’s basic. But yes, overwashing is bad for your skin too,” she says.

Results are mixed

There isn’t enough data or evidence based studies which says that that this regime is fool proof, explains Dr Soma Sarkar, Medical Director and Dermatologist, Skin Inn. “It has got very mixed results — some patients swear by it and some people have no good results at all. Good skin depends upon your genes, lifestyle and obviously your care. I don’t think ditching face wash is going to cure acne as it is caused due to other underlying medical conditions. One has to understand the pathophysiology of acne to get rid of it. One can instead follow a minimal cleansing and protecting routine only very specific to the condition. Unlike some Asians who use a lot of skin creams and serums all together.”

May not reduce inflammation

Dr Manjiri Puranik, Cosmetic Physician, Insta-sculpt says the Caveman Regimen is basically 30 days where you don’t wash your face at all, keeping in mind the end goal to allow your skin to really mend itself from inflammation and blur away those scars. “The idea of not permitting water to touch the face will develop dead skin cells after some time and that goes about as a defensive cover to mend and reestablish the skin. There are two issues with this approach  — the first is that not everybody’s skin is the same and the second is that we are living in a time where natural influencers are very different than the cavemen’s time. Mountain men lived in altogether extraordinary atmospheres without managing contamination. They additionally didn’t use mattresses or pillows or utilised mobile phones, some of which can be blamed for skin break out in today’s general public. It is very unlikely that this will reduce skin inflammation,” adds Dr Manjari.

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