Skinimalism: More Than A Beauty & Skincare Trend

Skinimalism is a newly trending approach to skincare and beauty. It's a bit under the radar at the moment, but seems to be gaining traction with beauty bloggers, skincare influencers and consumers. 

What Is Skinimalism?

Skinimalism is a way of approaching your beauty and skincare routine with a focus on showcasing your natural skin and using the minimum number of products to do so. It appeared on Pinterest’s 2021 Trend Predictions Report as 'the new glow up'. Unlike natural makeup or no makeup looks, which aim to create the illusion of perfectly smooth and bright skin, skinimalism emphasises real textures and visible ‘imperfections’. In terms of skincare, it means skipping the extra toner and serum steps of a comprehensive skincare routine and simplifying it to, for example, just moisturiser and sunscreen.

Why Is Skinimalism Gaining Popularity?

The Pandemic

Arguably one of the most impactful changes to the world arrived in 2020: the COVID-19 pandemic. With more than a year inside, away from the office, friends and family, people began to reevaluate what had previously been considered a necessity. That included wearing makeup every day and complex skincare routines. 

With so much time at home, people are considering how to re-enter the world and what their priorities are. For many, the laid back way of living during the pandemic, while by no means ideal, did have an upside: simplicity. Hence, the appeal of skinimalism. 

Overuse Of Skincare & Beauty Products Is Harming Our Skin

As great as all the advanced skincare products that have been created are, in an effort to fix every issue in an instant, we may actually be causing havoc for our skin. Applying layers of serums, then makeup, then stripping it off and forcing skin rejuvenation with creams and oils can wear out our skin. 

With skinimalism, you stick to what supports your skin, forgoing the tinctures, masks and concealers, to allow your skin to breathe and your natural self to shine through. 

Ingredients (And Their Value) Are Hard To Understand

Part of what is driving the popularity of skinimalism is the fact that, unless you're a beautician or a chemist, reading the ingredients list on your beauty or skincare products can be confusing. For example, aqua is the industry name for water. But that's not necessarily obvious – and the ingredient names get much more complex than that.

Naturally, there are lots of complex ingredients used in skincare products, they are manufactured after all. But that doesn't mean the ingredients didn't come from plants, fruits and flowers rather than by a chemical reaction. Moreover, lab made ingredients aren't inherently bad. All this is hard to convey on a bottle, and most brands don't try, bar splashing ads of grapefruits being thrown in streams of water along with a zesty face wash bottle. 

Certainly, there are tons of professional experts and self-taught influencers who are trying to help people understand how to use beauty and skincare products. In fact, it's a whole industry, from advice publications like Landys Lifestyle and the beauty section of Cosmopolitan, to the many beauty and skincare YouTubers and Tiktokers. We want to know what's best for our skin, but there are a lot of opinions out there. Skinimalism aims to make it simpler by encouraging you to choose fewer products.

How To Make Your Beauty & Skincare Skinimalist

Here are three ways to examine and amend your beauty regimen and skincare routine if you want to start thinking skinimalist. 

One Solution, One Product (With The Right Formula)

There are tons of product variants that do the same job, often marketed separately and optimised for a time of day, a situational use or a skin type. Often all three. Skinimalism argues that one ingredient, say a moisturiser, with the right formula, can work all the time. 

For example, day moisturisers differ from night moisturisers in that they are lighter, since you may be layering other serums and makeup. Night moisturisers are thicker to enable a night of skin rejuvenation without the impact of pollution or sunlight. Skinimalism would say that if you get one moisturiser with the correct balanced formula then you can apply the same one morning and night. The same is true for lots of other skincare products that you'd usually use twice a day, like a cleanser, and beauty products, like concealers. You should still choose products aligned to your skin type, as that won't change, but you don't need two or three variations of a product that have the same goal.

Less Is More

You don't need to be caking your face in layers of foundation, coverup, highlight, bronzer, blush, etc., in order to create a camera ready look (unless you are on camera of course). For skinimalism, as you are getting ready and applying your makeup, think of Coco Chanel's “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off” and then push it to the max. Moisturiser and powder might be enough, perhaps some lip balm. But it’s not necessary to use mascara, lipstick, eyebrow pencils and blush every day, on top of everything else in your skincare routine. Your skin will thank you and you might start to appreciate having a shorter routine and simpler look.

Learn To Accept Your Natural Skin

This is more of a therapeutic step than a skincare or beauty one, but it's just as skinimalist as any other. Accepting how your skin looks, feels and is, in its natural form, will go a long way to helping you make skinimalist choices. 

If you are trying to conceal shaving bumps, enhance slim eyebrows or fake a year-round tan, then you aren't embracing your natural look. Perfect skin is a myth and skinimalism encourages us to avoid aiming for an impossible target. Skin has imperfections but they don't necessarily need to be covered up. That doesn't mean you can't show off with a bright lipstick once in a while or use a spot treatment when you have a flare-up, but consider if it is necessary every day and in every instance.

Skinimalism Is, Ultimately, What You Make It 

By taking a few steps out of your skincare routine,and a few products from your beauty regime, skinimalism enables you to free up your time and embrace a simpler lifestyle. You may even find you enjoy your look more too!