Before we get to the topic of Skinimalism (Skin-i-Minimalism), let’s talk a bit about consumerism (opposite of Minimalism) in beauty and personal care.
We all know that the beauty industry is heavily influenced and driven by continuously adding new products to expand their ranges or offerings. But it doesn’t always coincide with the genuine need of the product – it’s mainly all about what sells and boost profits.
The question we need to ask ourselves as beauty consumers is that whether we actually need every new, improved, wonder or ‘must-have’ product that gets launched in the market to maintain a healthy skin?
Perhaps you don’t want to hear this, but you’ll never have perfect skin, and you’ll drive yourself crazy trying to get it specially if you continuously hear 100’s of marketing messages every day.
There is no such thing as perfect or normal skin. In fact, at Beauty Cleanse Skincare, we don’t even believe on the concept of skin types. Yes, you heard this right! We know it’s shocking, but you can really enjoy a healthy skin without having to worry about buying products based on your skin type. To hear more on this, watch episode 5 of our Beauty Cleanse Minimalism Chats where we discussed all things selfcare. vs skincare and the fact that homo sapien skin has existed for almost 200,000 years and it wasn’t until 1900s when someone felt the need to classify skin into skin types.
Click HERE to watch full episode, but for now, let’s find out what Skinimalism is?
So, What is Skinimalism?
Skinimalism is a blend of skincare and minimalism, focused on the idea of choosing quality over quantity in beauty & skincare.
Essentially, it means going back to basics with your skincare routine and going for more natural makeup looks; choosing nourishing cosmetics that are actually good for your skin. Rather than having 12-16 steps in your skincare routine and 20 for your makeup, you make sure every product has earned its place on your counter.
The best part of Skinimalism is that it encourages you to embrace your natural beauty with clean products.
The main products in your skincare routine can be any type of, if they aren’t more than 4 to 5 max. We personally use only 5 altogether for both morning and skincare routine. You could replace a treatment mask with a serum and similar other swaps. What never changes is your cleansing and moisturising part, as its absolutely crucial for a healthy skin.
How to Ditch Overflowing Shelfies?
If you are looking to ditch overflowing shelfies, then follow the simple steps below and enjoy a healthy skincare routine.
All you really need is a thorough cleanse that doesn’t’ strip your skin of its natural oils, a good treatment in a form of serum or a mask, a moisturiser which can also be a barrier-enhancing facial oil and a reliable SPF.
cleansing
A deep, thorough cleanse is the first step to enjoy a healthy skincare routine. This step is very crucial to prevent lots of unwanted issues that often lead to overconsumption at the later stage.
Re-evaluate your cleanser. A double cleanse that starts with an oil emulsion followed by a gentle wash are the great first steps after a day of wearing heavy makeup, spf and other products. It is important to get a deep clean so that your serums and moisturizers could work at its optimum. However, this does not mean you need an entire shelf of facial washes and gels to get the job done. Harsh cleansers typically strip skin of its natural moisture. As a result, glands will tend to overcompensate causing excess oil production. It can also trigger flare ups or skin sensitivities. To know which cleanser works best for you, again don’t worry about the skin type as that’s also another hack used by the industry to make you to buy more. Just focus on getting a gentle cleanser with nourishing, barrier-strengthening ingredients and without too many fillers, synthetic fragrances, silicones, and harsh deterging ingredients. The key is to ensure that the product doesn’t disturb your natural PH balance or leave your skin feeling extremely tight and stripped.
Moisturising
Next, you need a good moisturiser to feed the skin with right ingredients required to prevent dehydration and premature aging. However, moisturiser doesn’t have to be a fancy water-based cream marketed as a “must-have”. You can also use a nourishing facial oil blend as your go-to moisturiser.
The key here is to always apply oils on the damp skin to lock in hydration and keep it supple and soft. Your skin needs to seal some sort of moisture under your oils, and this can be something as simple as a water, rose water or any nourishing plant-based hydrosol. This takes us to another point that why we believe toners aren’t compulsory products in your skincare routine. As long as, you haven’t stripped your skin by using a harsh cleanser and apply your oils on damp skin, you do not need a fancy toner at all.
Oils rich in fatty acids, omegas and skin-loving ingredients can do wonders to maintain a healthy-looking skin without having to buy countless jars just for the sake of having a beautiful shelfie. Moreover, facial oils with right ingredients will also help target specific skin concerns so they can be used as a treatment for pigmentation, acne, balancing sebum levels, redness etc.
Click HERE to see how our Multipurpose Facial Oil Serum can benefit your skin in multiple ways, both acting as a daily go-to moisturising hero and targeting uneven, blemish-prone skin with imbalanced oil production.
treatment
Finally, a treatment in a form of a mask, facial oil or water-based serum is all you need to maintain the healthy skin barrier and keep nasty skin’s health surprises at bay.
Again, key is to opt for innovative, all-in-one or deeply nourishing formulas which can tackle most concerns in one.
Why Skinimalism is the Best Approach to Maintain a Healthy Skin Barrier?
The layering of multiple skincare products especially those not designed to work together can have a detrimental effect on the skin, impairing its natural barrier. Over exfoliation with AHAs and damage from overuse of Retinol are two examples often cited on social media these days.
Overall, beauty consumers should aim to reduce consumption by buying fewer, longer lasting and multipurpose products with only essential ingredients to let the skin make the most of them at a given time. Consumers should also focus on the size of their products and whether they can finish an existing product in full before buying another one? Let us know how many products do you use as part of your minimalist skincare routine and don’t forget to share them by tagging us @BeautyCleanseSkincare and using #minimalistshelfie or #refuserevolution .
Click HERE to learn more about our recent sustainability initiative which encourages consumers to make a journey from consumerism to minimalism #RefuseRevolution.