We all love the idea of these thorough, self-care indulgent rituals for ourselves - especially when it comes to skincare. Think of every time you've perused the aisles of beauty products... the inspiration you feel to buy those things to use and make time to take care of you, to look and feel amazing. But then, the inevitable happens - the goodies just sit on your counter collecting dust and reminding you how often you don't take the time to use them all. The truth is, we make time for what we can, and the rest gets deprioritized.
So , although we all want beautiful, healthy, balanced skin - we don't usually make the commitment, not for long anyway. How can we succeed at this daunting task? The commitment of a solid skincare routine so we can have what we desire: healthy, glowing skin. The answer: start small. We all read enough self-help content these days to know the best way to set a new habit is to make small steps towards it. Enter: skinimalism.
The concept of skinimalism is exactly how it sounds, skincare with a minimalistic approach. Instead of a counter full of products for every concern you've ever had, test and keep using a few staples that keep your skin healthy - and learn to accept that we may get a hormonal pimple or two every. freaking. cycle. A basic skincare routine that addresses basic concerns that everyone has looks like:
hydrate (drink water! 64+ oz/day)
cleanse daily
moisturize daily
protect daily
That's it. The golden rules of having healthy skin. The confusing part, and the part where you end up buying a bunch of stuff we don't need, is in trying to figure out which products to buy for your needs.
A successful skinamalism approach requires you taking time to understand what your skin needs. Once you set this routine, you can sprinkle in the fun stuff - masks, exfoliation, peels... to tackle the stubborn issues. Toss the idea of fixing everything at once, you must get your skin microbiome (the little world of creatures that live on us - and most of them are helpers) to a homeostasis (happy, stable place).
Let's look at some examples of product highlights to look for and try, based on your skin type - and when we say try, that means using them for a month, consistently, and paying attention to how your skin responds to it. It takes 28-40 days for our skin cells to turnover, so a month is the minimum amount of time needed to decide if a product is good for your routine.
First and foremost: look for products that are non-toxic or "clean" - lots of manufacturers are using these buzzwords now, so buyer beware! If you have a question about a product, shoot me an email and I'll be happy to share my perspective on whatever it is. Bonus: if it's in a glass bottle, chances are good the product manufacturer cares enough to bottle it sustainably, so the ingredients are probably not total crap.
Sensitive, dry, aging skin
Look for products that say they are suitable for sensitive, dry, + aging skin. Most important for you will be hydration + retaining moisture - second will be healing, + lastly, protection. Acids are a no-no for you, unless it's a gentle exfoliating toner. Cleanser: mild + gentle, ideally a creamy cleanser. Serums: hyaluronic acid + CBD + Vitamin C. Moisturizer: fragrance-free + a bit on the heavier/thicker side. You should also incorporate a heavy duty night cream or face oil for boosted moisture retention. Always follow-up with an SPF.
Normal skin
Look for products that say they are suitable for normal skin. Most important for you will be retaining moisture - second will be maintaining, + lastly, protection. Acids are ok for you, but should be used sparingly for exfoliating. Cleanser: if you wear make-up, an oil cleanser followed with a creamy cleanser, if you don't wear make-up, you can go with a creamy or gel cleanser, no added acids. Serums: hyaluronic acid + CBD + Vitamin C. Moisturizer: a lightweight formulation to keep your skin hydrated. Weekly use of an oil can be beneficial for added glow. Always follow-up with an SPF.
Combo skin
Look for products that say they are suitable for dry and oily skin. Combo is tricky, because really, you need different ingredients to treat different areas. Ugh! Reference dry skin above for the dry patches, which are usually your cheeks and maybe your nose, and for the (usually) T-zone oily area: Most important for you will be reducing oil production - second will be maintaining, + lastly, protection. Acids are ideal for you, and should be used every other day to everyday, depending on if use causes dryness - look for balance to decide how often to treat. Cleanser: if you wear make-up, an oil cleanser followed with a salicylic acid cleanser, if you don't wear make-up, you can go with a gentle salicylic acid cleanser. Serums: hyaluronic acid + CBD + Vitamin C. Moisturizer: a lightweight formulation to keep your skin hydrated, and using something heavier at night on the dry areas. Weekly use of an oil can be beneficial for added glow. Always follow-up with an SPF.
Oily skin
Look for products that say they are suitable for oily skin. Most important for you will be reducing oil production - second will be maintaining, + lastly, protection. Acids are ideal for you, and should be used every everyday, but look out or irritation or dryness - balance is needed to decide how often to treat. Cleanser: if you wear make-up, an oil cleanser followed with a stronger salicylic acid cleanser, if you don't wear make-up, you can go with a strong salicylic acid cleanser and follow-up with an AHA + BHA toner to shrink those giant pores. Serums: hyaluronic acid + CBD + Vitamin C. Moisturizer: a lightweight formulation to keep your skin hydrated. Weekly use of an oil can be beneficial for added glow. Always follow-up with an SPF.
Pro-tip: draft a note in your phone to document your skin condition on day 1- something like: dry + rough with redness; then jot down your skin's look + feel every week as you go through the month. Your future self will thank you for it. I mean, if you're going to spend $50 - $150 every couple of months, better be sure you're using the stuff that yields results, right?
What we recommend
We get asked often about sets or kits, so we are releasing our first discounted set! Our Daily Maintenance Set addresses most skincare concerns (dryness, dullness, scarring, spots, fine lines...) and is a great place to start a non-toxic skincare routine. Learn more about what's included here + don't hesitate to shoot us an email with any questions! Just a reminder, we offer a 100% refund within 21 days of delivery if it doesn't work for you - not all skin is created equal, but we think you'll love what you see.