On the surface, ‘skinimalism’ might seem a tongue-twister, but as complex as it sounds, its meaning is, in fact, rooted in simplicity. Coined by users on Pinterest, skinimalism is about stripping back your skincare, bringing your natural skin texture to the surface and embracing slow beauty that supports sustainable skincare and clean products to nourish your best skin health.
Simplified Skincare for Life
The idea of skinimalism has gained popularity, as people become more aware of how their skincare choices are impacting the health of the planet, as well as their own skin. By reducing the number of products you use as part of your skincare routine, you not only benefit your skin but also save time, money and the planet from unnecessary chemical and plastic waste because you’re using fewer products for longer.
For you, skinimalism might be wearing less foundation to let your natural skin shine through, or it could mean stripping your routine back a few steps and committing to a more sustainable way of life.
Skin science
Our skin is great at regulating itself via a skin barrier and a process called homeostasis. While we should support our skin with the extra care it sometimes needs to keep it looking and feeling its best, when we overload it with too many products, it can interfere with the homeostatic balance and compromise our skin. This can lead to inflammation, irritation and acne and is more likely if you have sensitive skin and aren’t aware of the way that certain skincare ingredients work together. For example, retinol is a powerful and effective active ingredient, however, when used with AHA/ BHA acids it can cause excessive dryness, which can irritate the skin.
By addressing one skin concern at a time and only using a handful of products, you can work with your skin rather than against it to nourish its best health.
Followed by our founder
For our founder, the idea of simplified skincare inspired her to launch her business and sits at the heart of all her products. Having experienced sensitive skin for many years, she also fell into the trap of applying multiple products with the purpose of solving her skin sensitivities but unintentionally made them worse.
Now she lives a life of slow beauty and only uses a few products consistently, as part of her routine. If you’re keen to begin your skinimalism journey she offers the following advice:
- Invest in a good cleanser, which you can use to double cleanse, rather than buying two separate cleansers.
- Buy a quality serum that focuses on supporting your skin concern, whether that’s dryness, oiliness or hyperpigmentation.
- Tackle one skin concern at a time, rather than trying to target everything at once.
- Invest in a good facial oil which will seal in your serum, and nourish and moisturise skin. Face oil can be used both at night and in the day, so can be a multi-use product.
- Buy one good moisturiser if you don’t like using a Face oil in the day.
- Invest in a high SPF cream to protect your skin from the sun.
- Be consistent with your skincare routine.
By beginning with good basic skincare, you can, not only learn about your skin and identify which products work best for you, but also work alongside your skin’s natural ability to take good care of itself.
Sources:
https://www.vogue.co.uk/beauty/article/skinimalism-beauty-trend
https://www.johnlewis.com/content/beauty-hair/skinimalism
