When it comes to our skin care routine, until recently it seemed that the "the more, the better" approach was the best - the more serum with active substances we apply, the better our skin will look.
However, it turns out that excess in this matter can also be harmful to us. And instead of beautiful, radiant skin, we struggle with irritation, redness and even skin damage. That's why skinimalism is becoming more and more popular. What is?
Skinimalism is balanced care that celebrates the natural beauty of our skin. The emphasis is on the quality of cosmetics, not quantity. This is care that provides the skin with what it needs in the right amounts.
The huge number of cosmetics available on the market, the abundance of information about new active substances, all this leaves us, consumers, lost and, as a result, we often make mistakes when choosing cosmetics. "The most common things I see in new clients are irritation, sometimes in the form of rashes, inflamed breakouts, redness and flare-ups of conditions such as perioral dermatitis," says Debbie Thomas, skin specialist. "That's because using a lot of quantities of cosmetics, trying new formulas every day, combining too many active ingredients, often mutually exclusive - all this often leads to overstimulation and overloading of our skin. Overwhelmed skin basically gives up and we never see the benefits of the active substances we use.
This is where skinimalism comes to the rescue, as it places emphasis on the quality of ingredients and a balanced, effective formula. “A good formula does everything,” says Colette Haydon, a cosmetic technologist. “There is no such thing as a product that is good for one part of your skin and not the other – all skin has the same daily needs.” With this in mind, you can avoid buying two moisturizers - for example, one for the day and one for the night - and stick to one well-made formula.
It is equally important to know that a single multi-tasking product, if well formulated, can contain more than one active ingredient and in the right proportions for the skin. “When we as consumers try to mix several single-ingredient serums to achieve the same result, it is almost impossible,” says Thomas. Some ingredients actively work against each other; others do similar work; and there are also those that actively strengthen themselves. To truly understand all these things, you need the knowledge of a good formulator with years of experience. Googling just won't help - that's one of the reasons why so many get it wrong.
Both experts advise against routines consisting of 15 products and many steps. Instead, they say, it's better for the environment and your skin to go back to the basics - that is, using fewer products and focusing on their quality. This will save us not only time searching for new products, but also money. Ultimately, our skin will benefit from it if it is cared for in a healthy way. Because healthy skin is beautiful skin.