Skincare can be fun, creative, and a form of self-nourishment that can bring on a sense of confidence and security – because when your skin is taken care of, you are (almost) prepared for anything.
WATCH: My Winter Skin Care Routine for Dry Skin by Hyram.
It’s exciting to buy a slew of products to layer onto your face while you pretend that you’re being filmed for Harper’s Bazaar’s night-time skincare routine YouTube series.
However, here comes the BUT.
An eight-step beauty routine isn’t necessarily the best thing for your skin, and it definitely isn’t great for the environment.
One of the biggest TikTok skincare trends to emerge on the app is called Skinimalism, and it is calling for more people to cut down their beauty routine.
It makes sense – simplifying your wardrobes, beauty products and routines can be a great way to save on waste.
And it’s especially important when considering the Australian beauty industry grew to USD 3.73 billion in 2020, as reported by Mordor Intelligence – the higher that number rises, the more it will cost the earth.
It also could be a good idea to have a basic routine solely because not all skin types can handle too many products, and facialist Debbie Thomas told Vogue UK that overdoing skincare can potentially irritate the skin.
“The constant barrage of information around new ingredients and formulas has left many consumers confused, and as a result overdoing it. “The most common thing I see with new clients is irritation, sometimes in the form of rashes, inflamed breakouts, redness and flare-ups of conditions like peri-oral dermatitis,” she explained to the publication.
“This is because using too many products, trying new formulas each day, layering incorrectly or combining too many actives overwhelms, overstimulates and confuses the skin.” Overwhelmed, the skin essentially gives up, and we never see the benefits of the actives we’re using.”
Girlfriend reached out to Dr Jill Forer to get an experts advice on whether a stripped back routine is more beneficial for your skin.
Dr Jill made it clear that she is a huge advocate for the shift to a more minimalist routine and that it’s something she has practised for years.
“The old trend of using 50 different products on your face is really a waste of money and often a waste of time, so it’s important to understand what your skin requirements are because not everybody’s skin is the same,” says Jill.
According to Dr Jill, the most important aspect of your routine is ensuring that you are protecting your skin from the sun.
“You need to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun and UV, and a great way of doing that in a minimalistic product is to combine SPF 50 with a skin colour, so it’s got two in one, but no harmful ingredients,” she says.
Her last piece of advice for those interested in a skinimalism routine is to know how many ingredients are in a product.
“It’s important to read products to see how many ingredients are in it, so the fewer the ingredients, the better.”
However, she put it best when she advocated her minimising skincare’s environmental footprint by stating, “When you’re choosing something for yourself, you are choosing something for the planet as well.”
The sustainability factor isn’t the only good thing about minimalism.
Beauty writer Laura Pitcher, who has written for Vogue, Dazed and i-D Magazine, took to her TikTok to explain why the trend is anti-capitalism.
In her TikTok, Laura says, “For as long as skincare has been around, we have been told we need a lot of it. Skinimalism says that we don’t, and we can save money and also get a glow-up from using less products.
“While many people are trying it for the glow up, skinimalism is unintentionally addressing many of the environmental and consumerism issues in the industry,” she finishes.
Near the end of her video, she also mentions how the trend allows people to step away from overwhelming beauty pressures.
“It’s also allowing people to opt out of unrealistic beauty standards,” she says.
Earlier this year, Pinterest even predicted in its 2021 Trend Predictions Report that low-maintenance beauty routines would dominate the year.
The report stated, “It’s the end of the caked-on makeup look. Pinners will embrace slow beauty and let their natural skin texture shine through. This new “effortlessly chic” routine is simple and sustainable.”
It’s always up to the individual to do what’s suitable for their skin, but luckily trialling this trend is super affordable.
All you need to do is cut out your superfluous products and simply use a cleanser, serum, moisturiser, and sunscreen – and if you like the results, stick with it.
So, give skinimalism a go. After all, TikTok’s algorithm will keep following you until you do!
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