Are you sick and tired of following a 12 step skincare routine with no visible results? Same here. With the ever-growing hype over skincare, it’s only natural to fall under the spell of self-proclaimed beauty gurus who promote all sorts of “miracle products” just to get clicks, views and subs. One week it’s a magical serum, the next one is a miraculous mask and then just when you thought that your bottom dollar is safe, bam, another fancy little bottle steals the spotlight and you just can’t help yourself.
Although acne, fine lines and wrinkles aren’t life-threatening conditions, we can all agree that we’d be better off without them. And since cosmetic companies and influencers know these pain points a little too well, some of them use this as an opportunity to offer “fast”, “wondrous” or “incredible” results if you just get the next product in the line.
However, like every other frenzy, this one too is coming to an end. With more and more professional dermatologists and experts claiming that less is more, the focus of skincare enthusiasts such as you and me is slowly starting to shift to quality over quantity. I don’t know why we’ve forgotten this golden rule that’s as old as time in the first place, but I’m glad we’re rediscovering its meaning.
Why the Less Is More Rule Is Your Friend?
The less is more rule isn’t there to stop you from living your best life next time you’re shopping for skin care products online. It’s there to protect your skin, save you time and money and make your routine feel more like a pampering ritual.
First things first, how can your skin benefit from using fewer products? According to Dr Cybele Fishman, a dermatologist in New York City, overwashing, over-toning and over-exfoliating can prevent your skin from doing its job of protecting your body against invading pathogens. In an interview for Today Style, he explains that a lengthy routine can even do more harm than good.
On the same note, Dr Justine Hextall from the Tarrant Street Clinic explains that around 50% of the people she treats have way too complicated routines that damage the skin barrier and unbalance the natural acidic pH.
Apart from being good for your skin, using fewer products is also good for your pockets. Why waste all your money on all sorts of cosmetics, when you can buy the essentials and use your savings to invest in other self-care products such as soft bamboo pillows and pillowcases for your beauty sleep.
What Are These Essentials You Speak of?
Now that it’s clear that you need fewer cosmetics, let’s have a look at what a basic skincare routine is before you run off on your next skin care products online shopping spree. A minimalist skincare routine consists of three steps.
- Cleansing
- Toning
- Moisturising
These three are the staples of every skincare, everything else is optional. If you’re blessed with flawless skin, this should be enough to keep your skin in top condition for years to come. But if you have skin concerns which you’d like to address you can include specially developed skin treatment products such as serums or masks.
The number of steps in your beauty regimen should only be determined by your skin’s needs and you should never follow the trends blindly. Another key thing that’ll determine which skincare products you’ll need is, of course, your skin type.
What About the Quality Aspects of Skincare Products?
As previously mentioned, a few quality products can outperform a 12-step routine any day of the week. But what makes a product worthy of your attention and money? Is it the ingredients? The way they’re sourced? The packaging? It’s all of the above.
First and foremost, before buying skin products from a well-stocked beauty store you need to get to know the ingredients. Once you do a little research, you’ll be stuck for words by the humongous amount of nasties found in skincare products. In fact, some of the cosmetics in Australia can be classified as toxic industrial chemicals that can break havoc on your skin and your overall health too.
Usually, these products are also being tested on animals, so not only that they’re potentially dangerous to your wellbeing, but they also have a devastating effect on poor animals and the environment. Even if you’re not quite on the “save the animals, save the planet train” yet, you surely don’t want innocent creatures dying so you can look your best.
The importance of choosing ethical skincare is best captured in the words of Aussie top model and entrepreneur Miranda Kerr. “What you put on your skin soaks in”, she said when asked why the natural and organic ingredients are so important in her own company Kora Organics.
How to Build a Minimalist Skincare that Works?
If you’re an absolute novice in skincare, you may be bamboozled about what goes where, which comes first, how often you need to use these products etc. Let’s start with the hardest one, what order should a skincare routine go in? Just kidding it’s not that hard when you’re working with the basics.
The first step in every skincare routine is cleansing. This step removes all the impurities such as unwanted oil, dirt and debris. It should be done regularly followed by toning to get your pores ready to soak in all the goodies from your moisturizer or any other treatment you’re planning on using.
When it comes to treatments such as brightening serums, you should follow the instructions on the specific product. For instance, some serums that contain retinoids/vitamin A should be a part of the nighttime routine to achieve optimal results.
As for other products such as exfoliators or deep cleansing face masks, you should be careful not to overuse them to avoid stripping your skin dry of all the healthy natural oils. It’s best to use these products once a week or as recommended.