Where are you at with your skin routine? 

The last couple of years have been a bit wild in terms of skin health trends and fads. It might feel like between Instagram, Tik Tok and the omnipresent campaigns of celebrity skincare lines, you’ve been doing more than ever. How is all of that working out?

If it’s working out well, that’s great! We’re not here to take that from you.

But what if you feel like you’re doing more than ever, but not necessarily getting any farther any faster?

Sometimes it seems like skincare trends seem to presume that you have an infinite number of hours in the day to stand in front of the mirror. And that’s just if you are focusing on your skincare routine. If you are dedicated to make-up in addition, then forget about it. Remember foot contouring? We hope you’re not still doing that, but it’s a great example of the lengths that we’re asked to go for the benefit of beauty nowadays.

It feels like there is more expectation than ever to not just look good, but look your absolute best, at any given moment. Looking gracefully effortless and effervescent actually takes a lot of real-deal effort. It should come as no surprise that the counter trend to this maximalist approach would be on the horizon.

But is it here? Pinterest seems to think so. That site declared “skinimalism” to be one of the hot trends to watch in 2021, setting off a slew of fashion magazine think pieces. But we’re not going to lie, at Skin Actives we tend to agree, at least in principle. Now, we’ve covered the Korean skincare trend with it’s maximum steps, and if that’s working for you by all means, keep doing it!

But if you’re ready for something more simple and less time consuming, skinimalism is here for you!

What is Skinimalism?

Well, it may seem hard to imagine after years of collecting up the ultimate array of skin care products, but skinimalism is a routine based around using as few products as possible, rather than having a huge swath of products for each and every bespoke concern.

Now, there is some room to work here.

Unlike many skin care routines, there are no set steps in skinimalism, there is no prescribed sequence or pattern. Instead there is more of an underlying philosophy that says “Use only what you have to, leave the rest.”

And that can perhaps be hard. What do we need, after all? The question becomes subjective to the listener.

For instance, if you struggle with breakouts and blemishes, then addressing those concerns could hardly be considered going too far and contrary to the core concept of skinimalism. And maybe you are heading aging off at the pass and applying some anti-aging cream to your face, is that really so bad? Definitely not.

So the answer is that skinimalism is going to look a little different for each and every one of us. 

Skinimalism is more than a series of steps, it’s more than just embracing a product or a brand. It’s a way of thinking. It’s an entirely different approach to skincare. So what are the basic precepts you can build your new skinimalist routine around?

1. Less is more - We think that maybe we’ve said these words once or twice here on the Skin Actives blog! So this one should come naturally. Not only do you not have to lather on products, but you can cut back on the sheer number of products that you are using. And, if you use make-up, skinimalism applies there too. Maybe consider cutting back on not only the physical amount of make-up you use in one go, but the number of different cosmetics you are using to achieve your look.

2. Meet your needs - Skinimalism is not a “natural” type of skin care routine. Instead of thinking of it as “back to nature”, think of it as “back to basics”. We’re not talking about cutting out certain ingredients or focusing overly on buzzwords like “organic”. When we talk about having a more “natural” look, what we mean is really, less overworked. Less curated. Less extra. But in all of this make sure that your needs are being met! All different kinds of people have all different kinds of needs. Just because you are adopting skinimalism doesn’t mean you can’t, or shouldn’t address them.

3. You are beautiful - There may be this innate urge to shrug off this precept and say, ‘oh sure, isn’t everyone?” But seriously, take a second and reread the words. Let them sink in. You are beautiful, and a beautiful person. This is critical. Using skincare to look like someone else, or really, in a certain way, like no one at all, obliterates your personal beauty. Skinimalism is about letting the “natural you” shine through. We’re not saying “embrace your flaws”, we’re saying “don’t be afraid to be beautiful in your own skin.”

That’s it. These three concepts are going to carry you a long way. As you are developing your skinimalism routine, when you get to a fork in the road, check back against these core precepts. Really internalize them and live them. 

Where do we go from here? Read on!

Skin Actives Skinimalism

Below you’ll find some great ways to introduce Skin Actives products into your new skinimalism routine. Keep in mind that there are no set steps, no set products. Adopt and dispense with the products and steps that either serve you or don’t. That said, we’ll break down some of our offerings based on commonly understood skincare concepts, for the purpose of conversation.

Because skinimalism reduces products and steps, you’ll find that many of the products listed below work double-duty, often performing more than one role at a time. Not only does this make your routine fast, simple, and easy, it makes it affordable as well!

Cleansing - Skin Cleansing Oil

Some people are afraid of cleansing with oil. If you’re one of them, here’s a great chance to break that habit!. Not only does our Skin Cleansing Oil cut through grime, pollution, and the dead skin cells clinging to your face at the end of the day, but if you wear make-up it will take care of that too. Meanwhile this delicious-smelling blend of oils will be adding needed lipids to your skin. 

Moisturizing - Hyaluronic Acid Gel

We’ve talked a lot in recent weeks about collagen synthesis and how incredibly important this process is to your body’s overall health, and skin’s appearance. Hyaluronic Acid Gel works on two fronts, both hydrating your skin and supporting this key restorative roll. 

Moisturizing - Rosehip Seed Oil

Struggling with dry skin is not the business. Your skin needs lots of nutrients to do what it’s supposed to do best, and that is to protect what’s inside of your body from the outside world. Instead of stripping away the lipids that your body produces on its own, how about introducing some healthy lipids to help it do its job? Rosehip seed oil is antioxidant rich, soothes irritation, and is gentle enough to use daily. And like so many skinimal products, a little bit goes a long way.

Spot Treatment - Eye Cream with ROS* BioNet™ and Apocynin

Don’t let the name fool you, our Eye Cream is great for more than just eyes. If you’re embracing skinimalism, you’ll want a little something to address spot areas on your face, but why not your arms, hands, neck and decolletage too? As long as you are working against crepey skin and wrinkles around your eyes, you might consider dabing a bit on around the other areas you see lines potentially forming on your face. Around your nose, your jowls and your neck are all great places to find some improvement with use of this cream.

If this is your first time visiting Skin Actives Scientific, and you’d like to learn more about how our products can feature into your skinimalist routine, we have tons of great resources for you! Check out our skin care lines based on concern, our amazing Ingredient Glossary composed by our founder, Dr. Hannah Sivak and our skin care quiz! We also add new content to this blog twice weekly to help you become your own skin health expert.

Soft Sciences

Because skinimalism focuses so heavily on less not more, and by allowing your natural beauty to shine through rather than covering it up with cosmetics, there are some additional, sort of, soft approaches that can help you with your skinimalist routine.

Now some of these recommendations may seem very familiar, but they bear repeating. Your skin health starts with your personal health and well being. So, it’s not too far out to say that making sure you are getting enough sleep at night, eating a well balanced diet and getting in some light physical activity once a day will help you look and feel your best while embracing your new routine. Remember, skin health is about more than just how you look. But that being said, healthy looks good!

Thanks for joining us for another blog this week Skin Actives Family! We hope to see you here again soon. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to us here at info@skinactives.com and ask for Rachel. And if you decide to give skinimalism a shot, give us a shout on Instagram or Facebook, we love to hear from you!