A Minimalist’s Guide to Skincare/ Minimalist Skincare for Healthy Skin
In our modern, fast-paced life we often forget things, especially when it comes to skincare. We often put on sunscreen but forget the moisturizer, cleanse the face but forget to use a face oil later. This is because there are just too many products in our vanity and we sometimes can’t even remember their names!
To combat this fatigue, there is a concept called minimalist skincare in the beauty world. It adheres to the idea of using a few, very few, and very essential products that help maintain healthy skin. All other surplus products are cut out of the routine. This minimalist skincare for healthy skin is pretty simple and quite easy to follow. If you are here to downsize your vanity and still maintain healthy skin then here’s a minimalist’s guide to skincare.
The Minimalist Movement
This movement gained great momentum during the pandemic and multiple lockdowns. People were shut in their houses, with nowhere to go, and not much makeup or falsies to wear. This paved the way to a simpler skincare regime, that also matched the simplified lifestyle most regular people were forced to follow. In no time women swapped their pantsuits for athleisure co-ord sets, cut down on their beauty products, and began to exchange multiple skincare bottles for just one simple serum or cream. This gave them effective results, as well as saved money (another essential during the lockdown).
And there onwards we saw the minimalist skincare routine grow. Now, the baseline of this concept is simple — more doesn’t always mean better!
Is the Minimalist Skin Care Routine for You?
The Minimalist Skin Care Routine is for anybody who wants healthy skin with fewer products. But of course, some people benefit more than others. Like:
- People with blemish-free and relatively smooth skin
- People with normal skin type
- People with sensitive skin type
- People who have tried elaborate skincare routines in the past and failed
- People with irritated skin, allergies, or other skin diseases like rosacea and eczema
- People who are on a budget for skincare
- People who are unable to spare much time for skincare in a day
A Minimalist’s Guide to Skincare
Now the question arises — how to start with a minimalist skincare routine?
It’s simple. If you have an elaborate routine with vanity full of products, then start by sorting out the essentials. Keep only those skincare products that you know your skin needs badly. Eliminate those products that cause you any kind of redness, irritation, or allergies (even if minor or occasional). For healthy skin, preferably choose gentle and natural products like the ones we make here at Savarnas Mantra. This ensures that your skincare is not toxic to your health, and is easily sustainable.
If you are not following a skincare routine, then congratulations! You are lucky to be a blank slate and start a minimalist skincare routine from scratch. To give you the gist in a nutshell, here are the few products that we think are essential for a minimalist skincare routine:
- CLEANSER
Face-washing is a necessity. You may already be using one in your bathroom, but having a cleanser makes a world of a difference. Cleansers are gentler cleaning agents, usually used to remove makeup effectively. Even if you don’t apply makeup, a cleanser gently rids the skin’s surface of dirt, dust, and impurities while also rinsing out the pores of excess oils, bacteria, and dirt.
- Acne-prone skin: use a cleaner with drying agents like salicylic acid, glycolic acid, etc
- Sensitive skin: use a non-alcoholic cleanser to avoid irritation
Use a cleanser in the morning and at night before bed. To remind yourself to cleanse daily, keep the tube of cleanser on your sink, along with your face wash. Wash your face with a cleanser first to get rid of makeup and dissolve impurities, then go for the face wash.
- MOISTURIZER
All skin types take note — use a moisturizer. This is the real hero of the minimalist skincare routine. Because a moisturizer is essentially helpful in several ways:
- It keeps the skin hydrated and hence looking supple
- Keeps the skin bouncy and glowing
- Prevents wrinkles, fine lines, and other signs of aging
- Reduces skin irritation
- Helps even out any blemishes and uneven tone
- Oily/acne-prone skin: use a lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturizer that doesn’t block pores
- Dry skin: use a heavy moisturizer that is preferably rich in hyaluronic acid to impart intense hydration
- SUNSCREEN
Sunscreen is a must. It is the base of a minimalist routine. Choose sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or more, and wear it daily without fail. It is recommended that you carry it along, and replenish it every three hours — 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm. Why are we stressing on sunscreen? Because:
- It protects against sun damage and harmful UV rays
- Prevents sunburns
- Protects you from skin cancer
- Delays premature signs of aging
- Keeps the skin even-toned
- Avoids unwanted tans
- Oily/acne-prone skin: use a non-greasy and non-comedogenic sunscreen
- Dry skin: use a hydrating sunscreen
Other Sundry Products You can Add:
The products mentioned above were the essentials, but in case you are facing a specific problem like intensely dry skin or signs of aging, then you can also add these products to your skincare:
- Anti-aging: Retinoids/retinaldehyde/ bakuchiol
- Dry skin: Hydrating serums
- Uneven skin tone/ blemishes: Restorative serums
- Acne: Acne-control masks and spot gels
Products you can Ditch in Minimalist Skincare:
- Face oils: Since you are already hydrating your skin with a moisturizer, you may ditch the face oils. If you need to address a specific concern like blemishes or dull skin then replace the face oil with a moisturizer that addresses those problems.
- Face masks: A mask is usually applied once a week, but in minimalist skincare, you can go weeks without using one. Or you can even completely ditch it. Most neutral skin types can easily thrive without face masks if the rest of their needs like hydration and sun protection are taken care of.
- Chemical peels: Another product that you can easily ditch, and still maintain healthy skin.
- Toner: Here’s the trick to ditch a toner — use a cleanser that has the properties or ingredients of the kind of toner you need. Eg. if you use a toner enriched with aloe vera then hunt for a cleanser that is aloe vera-rich.
- Under-eye cream: To replace this product, choose a moisturizer that works on anti-aging, puffiness, dark circles, wrinkles, etc. Smart choices save you a ton of products and money. Go for moisturizers with retinol, caffeine, etc, and apply it generously under the eye too.
- Night cream: Again, a good, relevant moisturizer can take care of most things a night cream would.
To make it simple — minimalist skincare is one where you only use what is essential and works for you. This not only gives you healthy skin but also reduces the amount of substance that gets absorbed by your body. You only need to be observant about what kind of products work for your skin, take note of how to cut down the rest of them, and be courageous enough to do it! To help you find that courage, here are a few Savarnas Mantra natural products that perform multiple functions and are perfect for minimalist skincare:
- Savarnas Mantra® Natural Rose Cleanser
This deep-cleansing formula, enriched with rosehip seed oil, is helpful in generating lost skin cells. It not only cleanses your skin and pores but also helps prevent pimples and acne. So acne-prone skin types can easily use this cleanser in their minimalist skincare.
- Savarnas Mantra® Natural Vitamin E + Squalane Moisturizer