Have you heard of “skinimalism?”
It’s a new beauty trend that’s all the rage.
Here’s more about what it means and why you may want to adopt it as part of your personal care routine.
What is Skinimalism?
You’ve probably heard of minimalism in beauty. Minimalism is the new word for that.
It describes a trend that encourages individuals to simplify their skincare routine, focusing on the idea that “less is more.”
If you’re like most of us who care about our skin and appearance, you probably have a lot of products in your bathroom or bedroom cabinets. You try this product and that product. This one works pretty well, that one not so much, but you keep it around thinking maybe if you use it just occasionally…
Then you hear about a new product that promises to help you look younger, so you splurge and give that one a try. Maybe you’ve wondered about new advanced ingredients like certain peptides and natural extracts. Before you know it, you’ve got products coming out of your ears and you no longer know when you’re supposed to use what, or in what order.
Skinimalism is the response to this sort of beauty overload. The pendulum has swung back the other way for several reasons that have to do with not only personal care but care for the planet as well.
Photo by RDNE Stock project via Pexels.
Why We Need Skinimalism Today
If you think about the way we’ve been doing things—buying more and more products and allowing them to stack up in our homes and on our skin—you can see how this could cause the following negative effects.
Too Many Products Causes Skin Problems
We used to think that the more products we could apply to our skin to help it look younger, the better.
Now we know that’s not the case. Dermatologists have come out to say, “Hey, enough is enough. More isn’t necessarily better.”
The truth is that overdoing it can cause several skincare issues, including the following:
Sensitivity
Redness
Dryness & flaking
Breakouts
Irritation
Inflammation
If you notice any of these problems on your skin, it could be that you’re using too many products.
Too Many Products Is Bad for the Planet
According to Environmental Services company CleanHub, the biggest challenge the beauty industry faces is packaging waste. It produces at least 120 billion pieces of packaging each year, and 95 percent of that packaging is thrown away.
A lot of that packaging is non-recyclable plastic, which can end up in our waterways and negatively impact wildlife.
Too Many Products is Bad for Your Wallet!
As you probably already know, most quality beauty products are not cheap. Even if you stick to low-quality brands that tend to cost less, if you’re purchasing a lot of them, those costs can add up.
You can do your skin, the planet, and your wallet a big favor by using fewer products. The key is to choose those that will give you the most bang for your buck.
How to Embrace Skinimalism: 7 Decluttering Tips
If you’d like to pare down your skincare routine, try these tips.
1. Start by laying everything out.
Get all of your beauty and skincare products out so you can take a good look at them. This way you can get a realistic picture of how many products you have, and which ones are (or aren’t) really helping your skin.
2. Throw the junk out.
Look for things that you know need to go. This could include expired products—like mascara you’ve had for more than 3 months, eye shadows you’ve had for more than 6 months, and foundations you’ve had for more than a year.
Remember that old makeup can harbor germs and bacteria that you don’t want to deposit back onto your skin. Check for an expiration date. If there is none, check the smell, texture, and consistency. If any of these are off, out it goes.
Consider too any products you haven’t used for the past three months. These products aren’t a part of your routine, and probably won’t be in the future, so you can safely get rid of them. If they are unopened, you may be able to give them away to someone who would like them.
Get rid of empty or near-empty bottles, stubby eye pencils, and the like. Wash down your shelves with a disinfecting wipe so they’re ready to be filled again.
3. Set aside your top products.
You know the ones. These are the products you can’t live without. They’ve stayed constant in your routine no matter what other products you’ve tried. Set them aside in the “keep” pile.
4. Examine your tools.
Brushes and other cosmetic tools last longer than products, but that doesn’t mean they last forever. If the bristles are falling out, or the applicators are bent or misshapen, it’s time to replace them. Whatever you have left, clean them with a mild dish soap and water, then set them out to dry.
5. Create categories.
Now look at your remaining products. To figure out what you need to get rid of and what you need to replace, create categories and place the products in them.
Examples of helpful categories include:
Cleansers
Toners
Moisturizers
Serums
Masks
Exfoliators
Makeup removers
Makeup
See which ones have a lot of products and which have fewer. Tackle the ones that have a lot first. For many of us, that’s moisturizers and serums. Most likely, you don’t need more than one of each. If you think you do, you’re using the wrong product.
Look at the ingredient list on each one. (If it’s not printed on the product itself, look it up online.) For a skinimalism routine to work, you want to use high-quality products with safe ingredients that are good for your skin.
6. Create a “discard” category.
Using your best judgment, start discarding products from each category. If you have five serums, for instance, and you know one was making you breakout, set it into the discard category. You may have hoped that it would do better in the future, but in most cases, if a product doesn’t agree with your skin, it’s not likely to change later.
If you have two toners and you’re not sure which one to keep, check the ingredients. If they both look good, test them out the next time you wash your face. Keep the one that leaves your face feeling the best. If your skin feels tight or dry after, that’s not the toner for you. You want something that leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth.
Follow a similar process for each set of products that you’re not sure about, gradually paring down your routine to the high-performing products that make your skin look and feel its best.
7. Go shopping!
Now for the fun part!
Identify the holes in your skincare routine. What products are you missing after you’ve gone through this decluttering process? Mark those down as products you need to purchase.
Or perhaps you have products that work “okay” in each category, but you’re not getting the results you’d like on your skin. Maybe those products need to be replaced?
Your goal is to whittle it down until you have only the following key items:
Cleanser
Toner
Moisturizer
Then choose carefully any additional products you think you need. That may include a makeup remover, exfoliating product, anti-aging serum, or mask. Think carefully about what your skin needs before you go shopping.
Are you dealing with redness and sensitivity? Are dryness and flaking bothering you? Do you see more wrinkles and want to make them fade?
Write down your main concerns, then try to find products that will help you address those concerns in the fewest steps possible.
CV Skinlabs is the Ultimate Skinimalism Brand!
At CV Skinlabs, we have four multifunctional products that fit perfectly the skinimalism trend. We are all about using fewer, high-quality products to get the results you want. We use science-backed ingredients that are necessary to treat and transform skin.
No matter what your skin type or your age, you can use our products from head to toe! Here’s just a glimpse of how you can multitask with each of them. Plus, all of our products are conscientiously packaged, so our bottles are recyclable and our cartons degradable.
Rescue + Relief Spray
Use this as a refreshing toner after cleansing, as your cooling aftershave, as a refreshing and hydrating mist midday, or to cool down a red spot, such as when your psoriasis or rosacea flare up.
Calming Moisture
This product works beautifully as a face moisturizer, as it helps to tame inflammation and heal the skin barrier while leaving behind a radiant sheen. You can also use it to moisturize an irritated scalp, as a leave-on mask, and as a makeup primer.
Body Repair Lotion
Ultra-soothing and fast-absorbing, this deeply hydrating lotion replenishes and soothes dry, inflamed skin while immediately restoring radiance. Use it as an all-over body lotion, as well as to soothe dermatitis and eczema flare-ups, calm radiation burns, soothe irritation from cosmetic procedures, and after shaving or waxing.
Restorative Skin Balm
Try this cure-all balm to instantly soften chapped lips and severely dry skin. It also works great for softening scars, moisturizing cuticles, helping wounds to heal, and easing dryness and itch around psoriasis and dermatitis patches.
Have you tried the skinimalism approach to skincare?
Featured image courtesy of Roman Odintsov via Pexels.