January 22, 2025
For most of us, managing our skin is a delicate dance that involves maintenance when it’s looking halfway decent and emergency action when it steps out of line. But if you’ve ever frantically tried to resolve skin issues that only seem to get bigger and angrier no matter how much product and money you throw at them, well, a skin reset may be in order. This mini break from your usual skincare routine can be an incredibly valuable lesson in what your skin really needs to find and, importantly, maintain balance. That really is the secret to happier, healthier, glowier skin—and it’s probably easier than you think. Without further ado, here’s how to reset your skin when it’s completely out of control.
What Is A Skin Reset?
It sounds catchy and it’s probably trending on Tik Tok right now, but there’s no actual clinical definition for a skin reset. Generally, it refers to a set period of time during which you take a break from your usual skincare routine because it’s either not helping or it’s actively making things worse. Maybe you’re in the midst of a terrible breakout or your skin is too dry, too oily or too sensitive, which can make it itchy or inflamed. That’s a very real possibility if you’re overdoing it with too many products, combining ingredients that shouldn’t be used together, using active ingredients that are simply too strong, or you have an allergy or sensitivity. Either way, the result is skin that’s increasingly irritated by your typical routine, which is your sign that something’s not right.
Whatever the issue, the idea of a skin reset is to step away from whatever it is you typically use in favor of giving your skin barrier the support it needs so that it can repair itself. Pro tip—less is usually more. Instead of overdoing it with a shelf’s worth of treatments in an effort to clear and tone and hydrate, the goal is to soothe, nourish and balance with gentle products that work with the skin—not against it.
It’s not always easy to pinpoint what exactly is troubling your skin, but there are specific ingredients that are often associated with irritation. Retinol is a big one, along with exfoliating acids like glycolic acid. Prescription products often have higher percentages of actives than over-the-counter options, which can be an issue as well. Even vitamin C, a go-to skin brightener, can be irritating, especially in higher percentages and particularly for sensitive skin.
How Do You Reset Skin?
The beauty of the skin reset is that it’s pretty straightforward. Instead of a multi-step skincare routine designed to tighten this and tone that and brighten here and smooth there, you get to pare down to the basics. Really, the idea is simply to cleanse gently and hydrate properly, with a little SPF thrown in when you’re out and about, for as long as your skin needs to calm down. That can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on the state of your skin’s microbiome.
The microbiome is an entire little ecosystem of bacteria that lives happily on your skin, the body’s largest organ. When these microorganisms are happy and thriving and in balance, they work together to protect against infection, fight the effects of inflammation, and generally keep your skin hydrated and stable. But the microbiome is delicate and it’s easily disrupted. Lifestyle choices and environmental factors, including skincare products and techniques, can disrupt your skin’s microbiome, alter its pH level and mess with the oh-so-sensitive acid mantle, a thin layer of mildly acidic sebum and sweat that serves as a first line of defense. When it’s compromised, that’s when things go south and you’re left with reactive skin that’s quick to flare—think eczema, rosacea, acne, oil overproduction, flakes, and other bothersome symptoms.
Seven Days to Happier Skin: The Amuse-Bouche Skinnys Total Body Reset Kit
Done right, a skin reset supports the microbiome and the acid mantle, nourishing it with gentle ingredients that bring your skin back into balance. That’s the intent of Shimmer Chef’s Amuse-Bouche Skinnys Total Body Reset Kit. Our bite-sized skinnys are a collection of nine gentle yet powerful treatments that are specifically formulated to detoxify and rejuvenate the skin, scalp and hair. It’s the perfect antidote to non-nutritive topicals that have overexposed and overstimulated the skin. The secret is our raw, living, organic formulations, which combine fermented pre, pro and postbiotics with superfoods that deeply nourish the skin’s natural microbiome and heal its outer layers.
We outline every detail in this seven-day protocol to bring your skin back into balance, including when and how to apply each product for the greatest efficacy. It’s self-care at its finest, but if you’re pressed for time, we offer tips for an a la carte approach. Either way, our products are designed to perform. Shimmer Chef actually got its start as a remedy to skin imbalances that were creating major issues for our founder. She was inspired by Mexican folk medicine—curanderismo—and her abuela’s homemade poultices, and she tapped her own expertise as a health-supported culinary arts chef and certified aesthetician. She put it all together in the kitchen, crafting a line of plasters and balms from fresh, organic superfoods and botanicals and a proprietary fermenting process. The finished products are loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, rich in probiotics and prebiotics, and entirely preservative-free. You keep them fresh and active by stashing them in the fridge—it’s as simple as that.
Bonus points: Shimmer Chef’s entire collection is Made Safe certified. This stamp of approval from the Environmental Working Group means that all of the ingredients in our products have been proven safe, from origin to how they’re processed.
How Long Should A Skin Reset Last?
The appropriate length of a skin reset is personal. The Amuse-Bouche Skinnys Total Body Reset Kit is a seven-day protocol designed to bring your skin, scalp and hair back into balance. Some people may notice improvement in the first 24 hours. Others may need the full seven days to look and feel better. But if your skin stays inflamed and itchy for longer than two or three days into the reset, it’s a good idea to consult a dermatologist to rule out any potential allergies or sensitivities.
Most people find that switching to raw, organic skincare works wonders. In that case, there’s really no need to go back to your old routine. A less-is-more, microbiome-friendly approach to skincare gives your skin everything it needs, and nothing it doesn’t. Remember, balanced skin is happy skin! But if you want to incorporate specific treatments to address something like fine lines, make sure to do so slowly and with care. Reintroducing these products one at a time means you can identify troublesome ingredients that bother your skin.
Is Skin Cycling Different Than A Skin Reset?
Skin cycling is different from a skin reset. As the name implies, skin cycling involves rotating through different skincare products on a nightly basis to lessen the chances of irritation. You might use retinol on night one, a chemical peel on night two, and a night cream on night three before beginning the cycle again.
The Bottom Line On The Skin Reset
You’ll know if a skin reset is in order. If you’re regularly navigating redness, flaking, sensitivity or general irritation, a temporary or even permanent reset could be just what you need to balance your skin’s microbiome. Remember, less is more, and the idea is to support your skin—not beat it into submission with industrial-strength products. Luckily, Shimmer Chef’s Amuse-Bouche Skinnys Total Body Reset Kit makes the skin reset as simple as it is effective.
Chef Jennifer Sanford, the visionary behind Shimmer Chef, fuses her talents as a Health Supportive Culinary Arts Chef and licensed esthetician to develop formulas that radically transform your skin, scalp and hair. Jennifer brings a holistic approach to beauty and wellness, drawing on the wisdom of Mexican Folk Medicine passed down through her family, as well as studies of the ancient art of Ayurveda through her yoga and meditation certifications.
