How to Choose Products for a Minimalist Skincare Routine
A minimalist skin care routine focuses on only the essential products necessary for maintaining healthy, glowing skin.
There are many benefits to living a minimalistic lifestyle. Doing more with less isn't just good for the planet but better for your wallet, home, mental space, and even your skin. Minimalist skincare is newer to the beauty world. But it's rising in popularity by challenging beauty norms and simplifying daily routines.
In a world where 10-step skincare routines and beauty subscription boxes reign, it's worth considering an alternate approach. Let's dive into the trend of minimalist skin care. We'll explain why it deserves your attention and how to choose the right products to kick off your journey.
What is minimalist skincare?
Minimalist skin care, or "skinimalism," is a trend based on simplifying beauty regimes and focusing on skin health, not products. The New York Times explains that people spend "years using really badly formulated products, which is like years and years of eating junk food."
Minimalist skin care eliminates "junk food" products and focuses on effective formulas with quality concentrations of active ingredients. This trend has risen in popularity because many are discovering that common ingredients harm the skin.
The skin's barrier is extremely sensitive, and using excessive products can create an unnatural and irritating cycle on the skin. Unfortunately, some skincare products are creating the problems we're trying to solve.
A multiple-step routine is overkill. The skin can only absorb so much at a time. In addition, multiple products all boasting different active ingredients may yield less effectiveness when layered. In short, skin minimalists don't need a closet full of products to maintain beautiful skin, just a handful of staples.
So, what products do they use? That's next.
What products are in a minimalist's skincare routine?
A minimalist's skincare routine looks different from the average girl's vanity. It only includes what healthy skin needs daily: A cleanser, a serum, a moisturizer, and an SPF. Of course, a beneficial facial mask or specific nighttime treatment is welcome, but not in excess.
These skincare products should all preserve, build, and protect the skin's barrier and support its natural functions. The brand or bottle of skincare doesn't matter as much as the formula does. That's when the ingredient list comes into play.
Tips for choosing products for a minimalist skin care routine
Identify your skin type and concerns:
Before choosing products, you must understand your skin type and any concerns you may have, such as dryness, oiliness, acne, or sensitivity. This will help you select products tailored to your specific needs.
Look for products with minimal ingredients:
Minimalist skincare routines focus on using only the essential products necessary for maintaining healthy skin. When choosing products, look for ones with a short list of ingredients, as this indicates that the product provides effective skincare without any unnecessary additives.
Consider multi-functional products:
A minimalist skin care routine often involves using fewer products, so choosing ones that can perform multiple functions is essential. For example, a moisturizer containing SPF can save you from using two separate products.
Minimalist Cleanser
Your body is naturally equipped with pore-cleansing agents like sweat and sebum. As these substances move through the pores, they give them a good "wash," pushing all that buildup out and protecting the skin from infectious bacteria.
So instead of opting for an irritating "deep cleansing brush," try breaking a sweat! You'll want to rinse off, but a simple splash of water or a spritz of rose water works just fine.
But, when you feel like you need more of that clean feeling, or when you've been wearing makeup all day, it's good to opt for a minimalist cleanser. These are cleansers designed to be gentle and effective without using a long list of ingredients.
Minimalist cleansers contain just a few ingredients chosen for their ability to cleanse the skin without causing irritation or stripping away its natural oils. Minimalist cleansers are less likely to cause redness, dryness, or other common side effects of traditional cleansers.
Some common ingredients to look for in a minimalist skin cleanser include moisturizing oils like jojoba or almond oil and soothing agents like aloe vera or chamomile extract.
Minimalist Serum
Minimalist serums are a type of facial serum designed to be simple and effective without using a long list of ingredients. Some common ingredients to look for in a minimalist serum include active ingredients like retinol or vitamin C and moisturizing agents like hyaluronic acid.
Minimalist Moisturizer
Most of the skin's hydration exists within from naturally occurring hyaluronic acid molecules that live inside the skin and other natural moisturizing factors you'll probably recognize on the ingredients label of your skincare products: glycerin, lactic acid, amino acids, urea, and sodium pyrrolidone carboxylic acid.
On the outside, your sebum (what you might think of as "oil") "helps seal in moisture and prevent the skin from becoming dry," Devika Icecreamwala, a board-certified dermatologist in California.
Then, sebaceous fluids, fatty acids, vitamin E, and ceramides form the skin barrier, slowing the evaporation of your skin's hydration.
This means we don’t have to reinvent the wheel when choosing a minimalist moisturizer! Instead, the best minimalist moisturizers, like plain jojoba oil, are close chemical matches to what already exists in and on the skin.
Minimalist Sunscreen
If you have a love-hate relationship with sunscreen, it's understandable! Unfortunately, many are formulated to include barrier-stripping irritants like denatured alcohol and fragrance. Some even use orange peel oil, which causes the kind of sensitivity the sunscreen is supposed to protect your skin from!
When choosing a minimalist sunscreen, look for mineral options to protect from the sun's harmful UV rays without causing irritation or clogging pores.
How to read a skincare ingredient label (in less than 15 seconds!)
Reading the ingredient label on a beauty product is nearly impossible without a background in chemistry. However, there are some tricks to decipher a label and ensure it's worthy of your minimalist routine. Many skincare products contain harsh chemicals that can be drying, irritating, or even harmful to the skin.
Avoid products that contain chemicals such as sulfates, parabens, and synthetic fragrances when choosing products. Natural ingredients are often gentler on the skin and can provide effective skincare without causing irritation or other adverse reactions.
When choosing products, look for natural ingredients such as aloe vera, tea tree oil, and vitamin E. Ingredients are legally required to be listed in order starting with the highest concentrations. These descend until ingredients are less than 1%, which can be listed in any order.
If key active ingredients are listed low on the list, you're being "angel dusted." This means the concentration of the active ingredient is so low it won't benefit the skin. One exception to the rule is Retinol (or Vitamin A) which is supposed to be under 1%.
Is skincare minimalism right for me?
Whether you make do as a minimalist or can't help but splurge at Sephora, simply trying to make more conscious decisions is a step in the right direction. Skincare minimalism looks different for everyone, but at its core, it's just about skin health.
If you focus on high-quality, well-formulated products, you're more of a skin minimalist than you know!
Amanda Larson is a beauty and wellness copywriter and content creator. Her studio, Cote Creative, helps companies find their creative side to become brands people love. Connect with her on Instagram or via her website, cotecreativeco.com.
