Skinimalism: 2023’s Latest Reigning Beauty Trend
As the topic of skin care has gained popularity in recent years, most of us have established our own daily skincare routines that we religiously follow. However, a new beauty trend emerged in 2023 – Skinimalism, where people are adopting simpler skincare routines that feature key multipurpose products.
What is Skinimalism, and Why is it a Growing Trend?
Following the lifestyle trend of minimalism, consumers are now looking for ways to simplify their skincare routines by replacing extensive, complicated steps with simpler, streamlined routines that target effectiveness and efficacy. With this, the beauty trend of Skinimalism has emerged.
The lifestyle of extensive daily skincare routines was popularized by trends such as the 10-step Korean Skincare Routine, which involved double cleansing and a huge range of products from exfoliants and essences to eye creams. The idea of ‘more is more’ led users to continuously feed their skin with all the best skin care products from the top skincare brands.
However, consumers soon found that such long routines were not only tiring to keep up with, but also expensive to maintain. Some also found that the multitudes of products they were using overloaded their skin, causing skin sensitivity and other detrimental side-effects.
On another level, dermatologists also warned against the potential risk of uninformed consumers introducing conflicting formulations to their skincare routines. The order of layering the various products matter too – when skincare products are layered incorrectly, consumers may find their skin barrier compromised. Common side effects of this include dryness, irritation, and the clogging of pores. Despite the common misconception that more products mean better skin, such situations would end up doing more harm than good, especially for those with existing skin conditions.
With the rise in environmental awareness, consumers also began to realize the increased carbon footprint they were left behind by using a whole arsenal of skincare products. In overhauling their consumption habits, consumers have also sought to incorporate a more sustainable lifestyle that extends to their daily skincare routines.
Skinimalism is the combination of ‘skin’ and ‘minimalism’, indicating the shift from shrinking skincare routines to only including the necessary amount of steps and products. Despite cutting down on the overall routine, the trend still hopes to maintain efficacy by including multi-functional skin care products, such as foundations with UV protection and concealers that contain brightening ingredients.
By adopting skinimalism, consumers save money and time on products, while increasing the likelihood that they stick to their planned skincare routines. They not only save space, but also get to reduce waste and minimize environmental impact by consuming fewer products and packaging.
At the core of it, skinimalism also encourages users to embrace their natural beauty alongside reducing excess. By doubling down on shrinking the overall skincare and makeup routines, the trend leads consumers to spend less time and energy on upkeeping perceived beauty ideals.
How to Practice Skinimalism?
To begin the journey of skinimalism, consumers should first understand the various types of key skincare ingredients and their uses. The best ingredients to look for should provide multiple benefits to the skin, such as Antioxidants, which help with a wide range of concerns from reducing inflammation and UV protection, to skin hydration. Another vital ingredient is Niacinamide, which aids hyperpigmentation and scars, while also controlling oil production and reducing pore visibility.
With a good basic understanding of skincare ingredients, consumers can then move on to sourcing multi-function skincare products that include a combination of these key components. Products such as the PCA Skin ReBalance, which includes niacinamide and various hydrating oils, can be used for all skin types on the face, neck, and chest for all-rounded moisturization and skin tone evenings. This can help to reduce the need for separate serums and essences, while its light texture makes it usable for both day and night skincare routines.
Besides multi-function skincare products, consumers can also look out for makeup products that contain beneficial skincare ingredients. Especially for those who use makeup on a daily basis, such products can help to cut out steps in their daily skincare and makeup routine. For example, the Colorescience Pressed Mineral Foundation doubles as a hydrating UV protectant, while the ZO Skin Health Sunscreen + Primer functions as a two-in-one makeup essential.
However, the key to making skinimalism work is patience and consistency – consumers should be sure to give products time to show results before deciding to try something new. This saves the skin from being overwhelmed by the changes in products, while also allowing it to settle into the new routine.
By practicing skinimalism, consumers are hopefully able to de-clutter their lives and homes, while also being able to embrace a more natural, simple self. It may be a jarring change at first, but we hope to see long-term results for ourselves and the environment with this new trend.