JLo went make-up free after the music awards. Time you took a ‘bare-faced break’, too?

Make-up may be every girl’s best friend, but every now and then, going without it may be just what your skin needs. It’s said to reduce flare-ups and blemishes and give you a fresh glow. Celebs have time and again shared make-up free selfies to drive home the point. Jennifer Lopez did that recently when she posted a fresh-faced look on her Instagram account, dressed in a robe, her hair in a messy updo. The 51-year-old star captioned the video: “Good morning everyone!!! #MorningFace.” She’s not the only one, several stars have gone make-up free, from Gigi Hadid to Kim Kardashian, Emma Stone and Bella Throne. Skip those heavy foundations and primers, here’s why bare-faced is the skin saviour you need in the party season.

Dermat speak: ‘People buy expensive serums and creams to use, but forget something primary like this’

Giving the skin a make-up break allows it to breathe, says cosmetic dermatologist Dr Rinky Kapoor. She says, “Any living tissue must have its own space. We tend to put something on the skin all the time – celebs especially – so the skin is always covered and the pores are always blocked. But using those heavy foundations clogs the pores and causes allergies and breakouts. People do so much for the skin like buying costly serums and creams, but they forget what is primary – allowing the skin to breathe, so that it repairs itself and it rejuvenates, naturally. Going make-up free is actually like a skin detox.”

How often should one give the skin a break this way? She advises: “Ideally, every day you should give some time for the skin to recuperate. If you wear a sunscreen in the morning, give the skin a break in the afternoons. Also always remove make-up before you sleep at night without fail. For those under heavy lights and who cannot avoid make-up, give the skin a break at least once a week for a full 24 hours.”