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Skincare trends have always had that element of needing to constantly buy products if you want to stay on top of the game, and the people have grown tired!
In 2023, more emphasis is placed on your natural beauty, as cakey makeup looks fade out of style and make room for toned-down neutral trends. The same is true for skincare – we’re trading more for less, but focusing on the efficacy of the product.
The main idea behind the skinimalism trend is that you don’t need shelves upon shelves of skincare products in order to look your best – you just need the right few products.
But is this standard achievable? And, perhaps more importantly, is it sustainable?
Keep on reading for a deeper dive into the skin minimalism trend with some tips & tricks on how you can be a part of it too!
What Is Skin Minimalism?
The guiding principle of skinimalism is quality over quantity.
If you’re even a little bit into skincare, you’ve seen those absolutely massive 30+ product hauls on YouTube, with most of them ending up on the influencer’s shelf.
Skincare gurus and casual enthusiasts alike are building walls of barely used creams, lotions, and gadgets, and the new generation is starting to see the pointlessness of it all.
For example, people are coming to realize that you don’t need to tack on layers and layers of products onto your face when you can give your skin all the nutrients it needs with just a few select products.
This doesn’t mean investing in a 10-in-1 moisturizer, it means finding the right formula that has the ingredients you need instead of having a different serum for each of them.
Image source: Freepik
What Are the Benefits of Skin Minimalism?
The first, and most obvious benefit is that you’ll be saving money – and lots of it. Although the typical skinimalism product is more expensive since we’re now focusing on quality, you’ll still need to invest in fewer products in total.
This trend is perfect for those looking to do some decluttering, both in their cabinets and in their routine. The skinimalist’s skincare shelf usually holds just a few products, and their routine takes up no more than 5-10 minutes each morning and evening.
You’re also looking at potentially clearer skin, as multiple layers of product can congest your pores. This can then lead to either dry or oily skin, but using fewer products over longer periods of time leaves room for your skin to breathe and clear up.
Finally, we have to mention the positive impact you’ll be making on the environment. To put it simply, a smaller number of products means smaller piles of plastic containers in the landfill.
Although brands are becoming more eco-conscious and embracing biodegradable materials for their packaging, until this becomes a universal standard, we need to stay mindful of our own personal imprints on the planet.
Minimalist Skincare Routine
If all these benefits have managed to convince you to hop on the skin minimalism trend, then you’ll be happy to know that we’re here to help you get started on creating your new routine!
One thing that stays the same no matter which skincare ideology you subscribe to is that you’ll need a morning and a night routine and that they both start with washing your face.
The first item you should invest in is a cleanser. Ideally, you’ll find one that’s lightweight.
Here’s what we recommend:
After that, you’ll need a moisturizer. Any moisturizer you like works, but you can easily find ones that have certain vitamins or other ingredients that are beneficial to your skin type.
We’ll get more into that later, but keep in mind that you don’t need separate products for every ingredient your skin needs to stay healthy.
Here’s what we recommend:
For the mornings, you’ll also want to put on an SPF. If you’re the type that loves wearing makeup, you can invest in a tinted SPF to avoid putting on an additional layer of product on your skin.
Here’s one we recommend:
If not, then you can find moisturizing serums, or anything else with an SPF to further declutter both your cabinet and your routine.
At night, we recommend using Retinol. But if, for whatever reason, you aren’t a fan, you can easily swap it out for a toning serum or simply skip the step entirely and end your night with the moisturizer.
Here’s one we recommend:
To maintain your skin in near-perfect condition, you can still use scrubs of any kind, but bear in mind that that’s not a necessary part of daily skincare – once every week (or even every other week if that suits you better) is enough.
Skinimalism also doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite facials. An occasional visit to the salon is still great for your skin, but if you really want to be a true skinimalist, you’ll keep those at a minimum too.
This is especially true for treatments you can DIY, such as red LED light therapy, galvanic facials, or dermaplaning.
Minimalist Skincare Routine for Oily Skin
The basics we just covered will ring true for any skin type. However, it’s still important to adapt them to your skin – you just won’t adapt the routine, but the products you use.
For oily skin, we suggest incorporating something with Niacinamide, Hyaluronic, Salicylic, or Glycolic acid.
It’s also best to use natural oils such as jojoba and tea tree and avoid silicones and coconut oil, as they can make the skin even more oily and lead to breakouts.
Here’s a couple of our favorite products for oily skin:
Minimalist Skincare Routine for Dry Skin
The same is true for dry skin – we’re adapting the products, not the routine. The most important thing is to find products that are best suited for your skin type.
In this case, we recommend Hyaluronic acid (again), Ceramides, and Glycerin. You should avoid Salicylic acid and anything with alcohol.
Here’s a couple of our favorite products for dry skin:
Will the Skinimalism Trend Continue to Thrive?
In short, for some people it will, for other it won’t.
Many who try this routine will fall in love with the simplicity that saves time & energy, while others will find themselves missing the products they had to give up.
The trend will most likely persevere in a portion of the population, but its current popularity will decrease over time.
So, if you like the sound of skinimalism, give it a go – you can always buy more products and return to your previous routine.
Cover image source: Freepik
