Fast talking

Linda Hall

SKINCARE fasting has had 205.8 million TikTok views to date.

This involves abandoning all skincare products for periods that can last from 24 hours to a week or even longer.

A cuppa tea

TEA has the potential to benefit 40 different areas of our health, a review of 96 different studies found. The authors of the review, published in the Molecular Nutrition and Food Research Journal, linked drinking two to three cups a day to better gut health and a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

that napping for more than half an hour daily more than doubled their risk of developing atrial defibrillation.

There was no increase in people who napped for less than 30 minutes and those who didn’t sleep at all during the day, the investigators found.

Meanwhile short daytime naps of between 15 and 30 appeared to improve the body clock, lower blood pressure levels and reduce stress.

Washing your face with water can help to soothe breakouts and eliminate redness, fasting proponents maintain, a pronouncement that has prompted an immediate reaction from dermatologists.

Scrapping skincare would be fine if we never went outside or if we didn’t have blue light from screens or pollution to contend with, skin expert Kate Kerr argued.

“All these things damage our skin if we don’t take steps to protect it,” she said.

“If you see benefits from skin fasting, that’s because the products you were using weren’t working for you.”

Photo credit:

SKINCARE PRODUCTS: Eliminate them, skincare fasting proponents say.

Copper copout

CAN a copper bracelet really bring relief from sore muscles, joint pain or carpal tunnel syndrome?

“People think that copper is absorbed through the skin and that this will help arthritis, but there is no strong evidence for it,” Dr Wendy Holden said. A consultant rheumatologist at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust, she is also medical adviser for the charity Arthritis Action. “Neither is there any evidence that copper bracelets can help with fibromyalgia and carpal tunnel,” she said. “But wearing a copper bracelet will not cause any harm, so if patients feel better because of it, then that’s good and could have a placebo effect.”

Drinkers of ordinary ‘builders’ tea also appeared to have a reduced risk of certain cancers, and there were additional benefits for bone health and brain power.

It’s allergy time

APPROXIMATELY 30 per cent of Spain’s population have some type of allergy, generally caused by pollen.

Tree and grass pollen are the main culprits, but as well antihistamines and nasal sprays, Vaseline can also help.

“A barrier of petroleum jelly around your nose will help to trap pollen and relieve dry and uncomfortable skin resulting from repetitive nose­blowing,” Dr Nisa Aslam said in the UK.