All about: Skin Fasting, with the creators of Biologi

A couple of months ago I met the extremely passionate pair behind Australian skincare brand Biologi, chemist Ross Macdougald and skin specialist Lucy Kuper (above).

Proud disruptors of the industry, they see Biologi as revolutionising the skincare landscape with their unique range of serums, offering the only 100 per cent active, water soluble plant extract range in the world. Each of the Biologi serums is extracted from a single native plant; finger lime, Davidson plum, Kakadu plum and Quandong. Using a revolutionary extraction system, their method mimics the plant’s internal closed process to extract serums that work in the bottle as they do in their unique cellular environment. Biologi's unique extraction process delivers the highest concentrate of active botanical ingredients to your skin. No additives, fragrances, or even water, just plant extracts that are literally pure enough to drink.

The Biologi plant serums were created by renowned skincare chemist Ross Macdougald, who was sick of the conventions of the industry and set out to prove that natural and organic can be more effective than synthetics. He is a mine of information and then some, with some controversial and very believable views about where the industry – and its formulators – went wrong.

The Biologi team is most definitely behind the concept of Skin Fasting, a new beauty trend that is fast gaining recognition for its no fuss approach to skincare. Coming up against some of the popular theories spruked by movements like K Beauty or 10 step routines, Skin Fasting is all about ‘less is more’. Shunning the need for layer upon layer of ingredients, Skin Fasting is like a diet for your skincare routine, saving you time, money, bathroom cabinet space, and your face. 

 “We’re all guilty of buying too much and having a bathroom cabinet full of half empty products that don’t actually work,” says Biologi’s Dermal Specialist, Lucy Kuper. “Consumers are continually searching for products that live up to their promises and the sad reality is that many do not. What’s even worse is that we’ve been led to believe that we need a plethora of different lotions and potions to get the results we want, but this kind of skincare routine can actually be doing more damage to your skin.” 

The way Skin Fasting works is by stripping your entire routine back until you use only a couple or no products (!!!) at all. This might sound scary for a lot of people, but it can be done in stages. The Skin Fasting trend will not only save you time and money, but will give your skin a chance to breathe. A lot of us have don’t realise that the skin is actually quite powerful in being able to rejuvenate itself, however we often interfere with this process with excessive cleansing or applying too many products.

The trend encourages less product use, no layering of products, less cleansing and exfoliation and the introduction of high percentages of active ingredients. Less product usage minimises or eliminates the number of synthetic ingredients in your skincare routine and avoids the common mistake made by many – layering ingredients that actually then cancel each other out (thus removing the active ingredient that is needed for your skincare product to work). Minimising cleansing protects the skin’s acid mantle and works towards balancing the skin’s pH. As a rosacea sufferer I am all about this modus operandi, and have pared my routine back dramatically over the last couple of years with some great results. It also makes travel a lot easier – the huge sack of products I used to travel with is no more, leaving more room for shopping and a whole lot more!

 “Unfortunately we’ve become so accustomed to buying a whole range of products because marketers have led us to believe that we need them,” says Lucy, “however your skin doesn’t need a whole range of lotions and potions – it simply needs active ingredients that work. Forget about all those ‘hope in a jar’ remedies or 10-step routines, and remember that your skin is a natural organism that actually works hard to repair itself. You’ll not only feel liberated by stripping it all back – you’ll save time and money and might find that you get your best skin yet.”

One practice that I’m a fervent believer in is cleansing and exfoliating less – and Lucy agrees.

“There actually has been substantial research into the benefits of cleansing less which also examines the effect that over-cleansing has on the body. Cleansers often contain harsh ingredients which can dry the skin out and then make it overcompensate by producing more oils. Then it can become a vicious cycle, where your natural tendency is to try stripping away those oils again.”

The skin is home to a complex ‘skin microbiome’ or ‘skin flora’ which refers to the microorganisms that reside on the skin, comprised of trillions of bacteria that are part of the immune system and keep the skin healthy. In the skincare industry, the skin microbiome is often referred to as the ‘acid mantle’, which is made up of a mixture of sweat, oils and dead skin cells. Its job is to protect the skin from bacteria, environmental pollutants and moisture loss by neutralising contaminations and holding cells tightly together (which make it harder for viruses to penetrate and moisture to escape). When we cleanse too much we essentially affect how effective our acid mantle is, thus throwing it out of whack. You really don’t need to reach for a cleanser in the morning, water and a cloth is just fine.

Ultimately you want products that will do a few things at once - hydrate, radiate, reduce blemishes, target fine lines and protect the skin. “Biologi’s Bd Face Luminosity Serum was created with this purpose in mind,” Lucy tells me, “not only does it detoxify the skin, it moisturises, helps blemishes, reduces fine lines, nourishes and protects the cells.”

So, next time you look at your skincare routine and recoil in horror at its multi-step approach, consider a Skin Fast, or just taking a more pared back approach. Your skin will thank you for it.