In the past 20 years, skincare has exploded from the simplistic cleanser-moisturiser routine to a layered, nuanced process. As beauty trends shift from full glam to glass skin, skincare is taking over the makeup realm in the mainstream, spotlighting what is natural over what can be created. But between the new products, new innovations, and new ingredient lists, it can all become so overwhelming to keep up.
Enter Skinimalism, a return to the simple routines of before, but with an improved list of products. Following the same rules of minimalism, Skinimalism works to improve a skin routine by decluttering it, limiting it to what’s functional and focusing on long-term intentions over trendy quick fixes.
Skinimalism has been popular with those in the beauty space since 2021. And it’s clearly not hard to see why. For some, it takes the burden of constantly playing catch-up. You find what works and stick to it. In a practical sense, Skinimalism is an efficient practice for those short on time, as well as those short on funds. And it helps to reduce environmental waste by limiting overconsumption. But for the skin, it allows the skin to naturally and gradually build a strong, healthy skin barrier. It lets it breathe while the products work on what the skin can’t fight against. Skin and skincare work in tandem here, patching things up in order to give a refined appearance.
So, how to start a skinimalist routine? Just like minimalism, the first step is to stop buying things altogether and note down what has been working so far. Next is to declutter. Do we really need two separate moisturisers for day and night when all our skin needs is hydration? Instead of focusing on branding and aesthetics, Skinimalism turns to formula performance. Which leads to the main pillar of Skinimalism, which is multi-tasking formulations. With the skincare and makeup industry turning into hybrids of one another, there are plenty of versatile products on the market that combine skincare steps and streamline the process.
The Cleanse & Clarify Dual Action AHA Cleanser & Mask by MZ Skin is a good example of this. With a formulation of alpha hydroxy acids and fruit enzymes, it helps to cleanse the skin while also acting as a mask that exfoliates.
Milky toners are also a versatile product to add because they work as both a toner and a serum because of their rich formulations.
And finally, tinted SPFs and tinted moisturisers hit that sweet spot of makeup and skincare without overwhelming the skin. While they can also be used as prep for foundations, these light coverage formulations continue Skinimalism’s principle of enhancing the natural skin.
