If you’re officially over trying to navigate a beauty cabinet that’s bursting to its seams with endless serums, moisturisers and masks, you’re not alone. According to Mintel, 28% of UK women stripped their routine back in the last year, with Millennials leading the charge, with a massive 54% opting for a cull. So, whether you’ve been suffering from skin that’s mysteriously misbehaving and you’re not sure why, or, you just want to make more conscious choices when it comes to your beauty routine, listen up as we show you how to adopt a more minimalist approach…
Aside from the precious space you’ll free up, stripping back your routine and your product collection can have a hugely positive impact on your skin. Using too many products at once can easily cause confusion and lead to overloading, and overwhelming, of the skin, “Not all products work well together and with so many skincare choices available, it’s easy to overuse or combine products that might not work well together,” says Sophie Hinchcliffe, founder of Tandem (a multi-tasking brand, whose mantra of ‘Skin’s complicated. Skincare doesn’t need to be’ we can get behind ). It’s something Dr Pamela Benito agrees with, “The skin can’t handle all the ingredients at once and can also get red and sensitised, with irritation and an itchy rash effect, which usually results in increased dryness.”
Using layers of different products all the time is also a sure-fire way to invite breakouts, not least because you’re mixing actives, but also because of hard-to-keep-track-of expiration dates; hands up if your shelves would put Sephora to shame and you ever experience inexplicable spots? As a rule, most skincare products have a shelf life of between 12-24 months, but it stands to reason that the more you have open and on the go, the harder it is to keep track of what’s fresh and what’s less so.
When it comes to what products should stay, most experts are pretty clear on the non-negotiables. “Vitamin C in the morning to ramp up your antioxidants to protect against pollution and free radicals, daily sunscreen – SPF30 or higher, and a retinol product in the evening to re-build collagen and keep skin turnover working well,” says Dr Benito.
Beyond that, if you do want to add in a little extra once in a while, look for multi-tasking products that can service your skin effectively without the need for multiple options. Founded by beauty PR guru Jasmine Wicks-Stephens, faace is a brand comprised of a neat trio of hardworking masks – Stress, Period and Tired – all formulated specifically to address multiple skin needs in one clever formula. “Multi-tasking products mean less faff, more action!” says Jasmine, “If you talk to top facialists or derms, they all tend to say the same thing, which is use well tested actives but not too much and don’t overload the skin. Simplifying your regime makes sticking to this advice easier.”
In a move away from routine-bulking boosters and single ingredient serums some brands are purposely combining actives and ingredients, a move that’s as beneficial for skin as it is for the environment. “Streamlining is the way forward,” says Adam de Cruz, founder of ADC Beauty which features only one (yes, you heard right) product, the High-Performance Moisturiser. “Not only will this help you be kinder to your skin, it also helps you do a little more in the bit for the environment, reducing the amount of consumption, packaging and ultimately waste produced by brands and the wider industry.”
The good news for those planning on swapping out multiple products for singular, more sustainable options is that more and more brands are listening. If you were one of the 11% of UK women that ditched single use face wipes last year (big brownie points to you), there are myriad multi-functional cleansers with a decidedly kinder environmental impact. Skin Alchemists’ The Humble Warrior Cleansing Oil is a heavenly elixir that can also be used as a facial oil, beard oil, body oil and scalp oil. “Using multi-purpose products mean that both the brand and the customer are producing less waste, requiring less raw materials, helping to lower carbon footprints and produce less carbon emissions,” says founder Theresa Edward.
Multi-purpose products that are no-nonsense in their approach to formulation also promote a more inclusive message across the board, allowing everyone, regardless of age and gender to feel catered for. “It crosses boundaries that have been created over the years regarding skin ‘type’ and skin ‘concern’,” says Vanderhoe founder Olivia Thorpe. And of course, if you’re one of the 60% of Brits that struggle to stay organised in amongst mounting to-do lists, cutting back on your skincare routine is also a nifty time-saving opportunity. “We are a generation of fast paced, anxious doers,” says Wicks-Stephens. “Which in some ways is great, but also means a lot of pressure. If you can streamline any aspect of your life, but still feel like you are doing some good, then that’s a positive thing.”