Photo: Taylor Heery
As a consumer and skin care enthusiast, it can be hard to keep up with all the new product releases and routine trends. One day, you’re just trying to wash your face. Next, you’re told to buy and apply products X, Y, and Z. Suddenly, 10-step routines with products and ingredients you don’t even really know about become normalized.
It’s important to take a step back and realize that you actually don’t need to use so many different products for your skin care.
Why Less Is More in Your Skin Care
Choosing and applying less can help your skin breathe a little better. Though most may not admit it, skin care routines that reach up to 10 steps and beyond can be taxing for your skin. Too many steps mean too many products, ingredients, and exposure. Here’s an overview of what you’re unintentionally doing:
- You irritate your skin: Too much skin care with numerous active ingredients can irritate your skin and cause discomfort. It’s important to practice moderation to avoid compromising your skin barrier.
- You increase the risk of allergens: Some people who use skin care products will encounter an allergic reaction. Unfortunately, it can be hard to narrow down which product caused it since you’re using so many.
- You use more time and money: Buying all these products costs more than you have to spend. You also spend more precious minutes going through each one.
Photo: Harper Sunday
Going Back to Basics With a Basic Skin Care Routine
Here’s a guide to focusing on what your skin truly needs.
1. Re-Evaluate What Your Products Are For
Skin care products are marketed to do all sorts of things, from reducing fine lines to removing eye bags. However, the reality is your skin care is meant to restore your skin’s natural barrier, not do all those things. To do that, the main thing you need is a product to remove dirt and a product to hydrate your skin again.
There are additions like sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun or lip balm to moisturize your lips. However, that’s why you need to apply critical thinking to your products. You don’t need six or seven items that all do the same thing. Re-evaluate what they’re for, and choose just one for each function.
2. Space Out Targeted Regimens
A basic skin care routine can mean sticking to a cleanser, toner, and moisturizer trio, but you’re free to add in some variety from time to time when your skin needs it. For instance, exfoliating once in a while can help remove dead skin cells – a key step that regular skin care products can’t do.
Just remember to space it out. You should only exfoliate three times a week at most to avoid stressing your skin. The same goes for other regimens like face masks.
3. Choose Ingredients that Work for Your Skin Type
Zoom in on the ingredient list and be more selective with your products. You can use your skin type as a basis for what skin care components would work well for your routine:
- Oily skin: Oily skin is often associated with acne. Thankfully, salicylic acid is ideal for unclogging pores and managing inflammation to mitigate that. You can also use benzoyl peroxide or sulfur to reduce oil production and prevent breakouts.
- Dry skin: With dry skin, you want to prioritize more hydrating ingredients. Think of emollient agents like ceramides or hyaluronic acid.
- Sensitive skin: Vitamin A can be a key supporting ingredient in improving your skin health in the long run. Retinol is gentler and easier to tolerate compared to tretinoin while providing the benefits of reducing texture and signs of anti-aging. While the results may be slower, choosing a product with less strength is better for sensitive skin.
Photo: Ben Masora
4. Set a Budget for Your Skin Care Routine
Another good rule of thumb when turning to minimalist skin care is to set a budget. With a lower allowance, you’ll focus on getting the essentials rather than being tempted to splurge on multiple products. Just remember to have a reasonable amount – quantify it by seeing how long the product will last you and calculating how much it would cost per use.
5. Apply Your Products in the Right Order
With fewer skin care steps, you may think your routine becomes a lot less effective. However, it actually improves, especially if you apply the products in the proper order. Start with cleansing your face, then apply medicine or other treatment. Lock it in with moisturizer or sunscreen, depending on the time of day.
6. Know That a Little Goes a Long Way
Some may compensate for fewer steps with more product, but it’s important not to overdo it either, as you run into the same cons of excessive skin care. A little goes a long way for almost all products.
Follow the recommended usage on the package, and you should be good to go, but note if you still have any adverse reactions. It could indicate an allergy or sensitivity.
Final Thoughts: Simplify Your Skin Care...
It’s time to scale back your skin care routine and go minimalist. Purge whatever products aren’t contributing to your clear skin, and prioritize what truly works for you. The sooner you do, the better your results will be.
