Does The Caveman Regimen Work?

What is our obsession with cavemen these days? We’re trying to eat like them, we buy insurance like them, and now some are following their approach to hygiene.

The Caveman Regimen first came on the scene about a year ago. It had men and women trading in washing…well…for not washing. And that includes hair and skin. The regimen purported that clear skin comes from not washing your face.

Is this logic valid? Yes and no.

THE ARGUMENT

The idea behind these caveman practices is by eliminating washing you subsequently eliminate any harsh chemicals that could be irritating your skin, stripping it of the important natural oils, and throwing off your pH.

Yes, there are harsh surfactants and foaming agents that many brands use to create that foaming sensation we are conditioned to look for in a cleanser, shampoo or detergent. Those ingredients are often the culprits behind skin agitation and over drying. Looking for products that do use those types of ingredients – typically higher-end, quality brands – will avoid any cleanser-related breakouts.

THE REBUTTAL

Cleansing, with a quality cleanser, is actually the single most important thing you can do for your skin. When done properly and with the right ingredients, cleansing will remove oil, dead skin and debris from environmental elements. These are all causes of acne and aging.

Skipping over a good face cleaning each day can cause build-up in the pores, which often translates to dull skin and breakouts. Oh, and those other products you put on your face to keep it hydrated or wrinkle free, will essentially be useless. Why? When pores are clogged, there’s nowhere for these other ingredients to go, so they just sit on the surface.

Look for cleansers with ingredients like salicylic acid, lactic acid, essential oils, and minerals to keep skin healthy and clean, and keep acne-prone skin in check.

Besides, should we really be turning to cavemen for beauty tips? They aren’t exactly the pinnacle of sophistication and charm. Well, with the exception of some of those Geico cavemen.