Minimalist Skincare Routine

Before starting on what all should be included in your minimalist skincare routine, let's discuss a little bit about the current scenario of the skincare industry.

Over the past few years, skincare has really blown up! People have really started to think about what they put onto their skin. Being a skincare enthusiast, I love that we are becoming more aware of how to take care of our skin, but this incline in sales hasn’t gone unnoticed by the beauty giants!

Sales of skin care products in the US grew by 13% in 2018, hitting $5.6 billion, while makeup sales increased just 1%, according to data from The NPD Group, a market research company. With this rise comes an unfortunate increase in plastic packaging and bottles.

In the U.S. alone, over 60 million plastic bottles are thrown away every day!

Yes, you heard that right, EVERY DAY! While this waste isn’t just limited to our skincare products, they are still a big part of it. This is not just a sustainability issue, but companies are in a way making us believe that we should have the assortment of products making us spend more. The big picture includes the overall health of the planet, making us responsible for an unsustainable future.

Living in the age of excess is not easy. More products are being made now than ever before - The Beauty Industry is releasing products left and right. This huge onslaught of a variety of products can get overwhelming, and sometimes, we tend to buy products that we don’t actually need, swayed by the “benefits” that we are advertised. (I’ve been there, trust me)

According to EWG, the average number of products a woman uses in one day is 12.

So how do we, as an individual, try to cut down and consume at a responsible rate? The answer is simple - Just buy what you need!

I'll be sharing a basic skincare routine to help you take a Pause from the excess to re-evaluate what your skin really requires.

Let’s start with the basics! A skincare routine should have 4 products:

1. A Cleanser

2. Toner

3. Moisturiser

4. Sun Sunscreen

These are the primary products that you must include in your routine. This is the foundation onto which you add in your Vitamin Cs, exfoliators, brightening treatments, retinol, etc. and not the other way around.

These are the starting pillars that you should have in your day-to-day skincare routine.

Cleanser

A good cleanser’s purpose is to cleanse the skin, get the dirt, and grime off your face without stripping the natural oil of your skin. Sometimes cleansers give you that squeaky-clean feeling which isn’t the best and can, in the long run, harm your skin barrier as well. So always look for a cleanser which is gentle and mild.

For dry skin types - milk, gel, or cream cleansers work the best without stripping too much moisture.

For oily skin types - a salicylic acid cleanser is a good option or a one with mild exfoliating ingredients.

The main objective of a toner in a skincare routine is to increase the water content of the skin. They are usually water-based liquids with active ingredients and essential oils.

Some even argue, there is no need for a toner and that is essentially true. It’s definitely not a necessity but they are able to penetrate further into the skin as compared to a moisturizer, so dry skin types may actually be able to reap the benefits of a toner better.

And speaking from my personal experience, having incorporated a toner in my routine has helped my skin a lot. It looks a lot more plump and hydrated. Everyone’s skin is different and not one single product suits everyone. So I would recommend you give it a try for yourself.

They are responsible for hydrating and retaining the moisture of the skin.

There are mainly 3 types of moisturizers: gels, creams and lotions.

Gels: they have the lightest consistency of all the 3 and are usually suitable for oily skin types. They are very soothing to the skin.

Lotions: they are thicker than gels and are water-based. Feel non-greasy to the skin. Suitable for hot summer months.

Creams: the thickest consistency of the 3, they tend to stay on the top of the skin, suitable for dry skin types. They have a higher percentage of oil.

You scream, I scream, We all scream for SUN-SCREEN!

Honestly, I feel like this is the most important step in the skincare routine. The majority of the premature wrinkles, fine lines, and pigmentation are caused due to us stepping out without sunscreen.

Those pesky little pigmentation marks would just go away faster if we incorporate a sunblock into our routine.

I would recommend going for a mineral sunscreen: they are formulated with Zinc Oxide and Titanium Di-Oxide.

I’ve left the treatment stage out of the routine which includes serums, acne treatments, retinol, ampules, exfoliators, etc. They basically target a specific skincare concern, be it acne, rosacea or just plain brightening of the skin. This would be the next tier of your routine after you have successfully identified the products that are to be included in your basic skincare routine.

This stage would look different for everyone because these different skincare concerns differ from person to person. We all have different areas that we need to focus on. So that’s a whole different article! (Let me know if this is something you would be interested in!).

Hope you learnt something from this article, and it makes you rethink about your routine in a whole new way.