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Caveman regimen involves not touching your face – no skincare product, no face wash no oil, no honey, no fingers, no makeup, no popping and picking and not even water.
Caveman Regimen
People either love this idea or it’s too gross for them. We advocate a simple skincare routine with non-drying, non-irritating, natural ingredients. Most of the moisturizers, commercial and topicals make it worse for various skin types giving you more acne instead of treating it.
The caveman regimen is an idea of gentle skincare. It’s a simple skincare routine that essentially involves doing nothing.
Theory of Caveman
Our skin contains acid mantle that develops after hitting puberty. It is like a shell made up of sebum and sweat that shields our body from bacteria. It has a slightly acidic PH.
When we wash our skin and slather it with strong, drying chemicals, we strip it of this acid mantle. That is the reason you shouldn’t wash your face with bar soap. Bar soaps are alkaline and it messes with the acid mantle. Therefore, it is better that you wash your face with something having slightly acidic PH such as honey.
Acid mantle, the layer of sebum and sweat actually protects the skin from the invading bacteria. The problem is that, ever since we hit puberty, we have been using some kind of topical and cleanser to keep the acne at bay. We never gave our skin a break ever since we turned 13.
Chances are that you have been paving the way for acne with the irritation due to products and washing or greatly exasperating it. Even light products can disturb the acid mantle leaving your skin unprotected.
You can treat acne and other skin problems by doing nothing; stop putting on your face or even washing it. Allow your sweat and natural oils build-up to protect your face. Your skin will naturally heal itself without any interference.
Having said that, it might not work for your particular skin type, therefore, consider your dermatologist before start practising this caveman regimen.
How To Do The Caveman Regimen
Though it is a simple regimen, there is still a lot that needs explaining.
Not everyone practices the caveman regimen in the same way. For some people, caveman means only washing your face with water once in a while, or during showers. This regimen is quite simple and doesn’t need anything to discuss.
There is a more hardcore caveman regimen that includes not even letting water to touch your face for a month.
Not letting anything touch your face eliminate absolutely all irritation. After all, tap water contains chemicals as well. Also, water dries up your skin for which you need a moisturizer afterwards which is quite the opposite of caveman regimen.
Another reason for not using water is that when you stop washing your face after doing it for years, you build up a layer of dead skin on the face called dead skin mask. It shields your skin as it heals, balances out oil production, and gives it back its youthful appearance.
Our skin renews itself every four weeks. You can clear off this dead skin by gently exfoliating using a wet muslin cloth. You can also just carefully scrape it off with a clean fingernail. If everything goes as planned, your skin will be as soft and smooth as a baby’s bottom.
Then you can wash your face with something mild now and then.
Dead Skin Mask:
Dead skin mask is hard to bear with especially when it becomes noticeable. Usually, it’s not really obvious if you aren’t looking for it. It becomes noticeable only if you disturb it; if you scratch it or get it wet.
It does get worse as the time goes on and it gets flakey and crusty by the end. Despite all this, it’s quite worth it. It reduces inflammation drastically, even if you get spots, they are smaller and go away quickly. Your skin looks way better; neither dry and nor oily, if you remove the skin mask. And, it will not need washing at all.
Your face might get too dry or excessively oily for some days while practising caveman regimen. You can also have purging congestion or breakout. It might look great for a while but eventually, you will reap the rewards of letting your face to self regulate.
Problems with the Caveman Regimen
Letting go of the attachments to washing and skincare products can be hard. But resisting the temptation to makeup can be harder.
It can be a little harder for even those ladies who don’t wear full makeup or apply makeup directly on spots. The idea of makeup at all, through thick and thin can be a little panicky.
If you want, you can apply eye makeup but no skin makeup. Some people put a tiny dab on blemishes to make them less obvious and never wash it off and it still seems to work.
Either way, applying makeup when your face starts to get crusty and flakey is normally a really bad idea.
Things to Consider before Starting the Caveman Regimen
- Pair caveman with a healthy lifestyle and diet for best results. As acne comes from within and gets irritated from the outside, not washing your face can be more effective if you eat like a caveman as well.
- People who have been using strong chemicals, irritating cleansers and topicals will benefit the most from it.
- Try to have a “do nothing” approach towards your acne as well. This means you should try to stop spending hours standing in front of a mirror obsessing over the blemishes. Just do other fun stuff such as sports, work out and eating healthy. It will lower your stress levels greatly and significantly improve the chances of your success with this.
