Simplify skincare with skinimalism

HYDERABAD: Say goodbye to overwhelming skincare routines and wasted money with skinimalism, the skincare trend of 2023. Equip yourself to embrace mindfulness as a consumer and give your skin what it needs, not what brands want.

The portmanteau of skin and minimalism means exactly what it sounds like minimalistic skin care. It involves the use of a minimum number of products to produce the same or better results than an extensive skincare routine by letting the skin breathe, rest and just be itself. “It’s not about the number of products but about choosing the right products for your skin,” said Dr Swapna Priya, dermatologist, Cosmosure Clinic, HITEC City, on the use of a variety of products for skincare.

“I have patients visiting me who use different serums and toners from different companies with the same composition,” says Dr Swapna, adding, “This is unnecessary and even unhealthy, as some of these combinations might cause unwanted reactions. People on medication also have to be extra careful when experimenting with multiple products.” But the days of stuffing your closet with multiple toners and serums are over, as the rising trend is skinimalism. “It saves your money, time, skin and the planet from a whole lot of debris,” she shared.

Adding to a sustainable lifestyle skinimalism is all about embracing one’s faulty skin instead of idealising the filtered, so-called perfect skin on social media. The skincare industry, in its rapid growth, sidesteps consumer well-being by providing what it needs instead of what we want: a concoction of unnecessary products. Not only will you be repulsed by all those products later, but you also won’t be able to use them all well before they expire, noted the doctor.

“A person without huge skincare issues can stick to four minimal practises of skincare: cleansing, sunscreen, moisturising and serum,” says our expert. The tedious skincare process would mean over-processing your skin by soaking in all that content, overwhelming it with numerous ingredients, and creating havoc on the sensitivity of your skin. Skincare products should be chosen based on expert advice that suits your skin type and there should be consistency in usage for results, concludes Dr Swapna Priya.