Skincare has seen a whirlwind of changes in the last few years. We went from a simple cleansing and moisturising routine to spending hours in search of the best skincare routine, often being directed to cumbersome 10-step practices. Then, once the pandemic hit, daily skincare routines at home started taking a more minimalistic route with fewer steps and more efficient, multi-functional products.
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If you are looking to scale down your step-by-step skincare routine without losing out on the results, here’s what you need to know.
Step 1: Too many cooks…
Many believe that the more skincare products you slather on your face, the more nutrition it receives. This isn’t always true. It’s best to use fewer, targeted products and only in the recommended amount. Read the labels carefully to ensure that you’re not using a product more often than you should. It’s also a good idea to track results with consistent usage and eliminate those products that don’t work for you. Don’t need to tone your skin? Skip the step completely.
Step 2: To gain some, please lose some
The first step is to declutter. You may have three ‘perfect’ cleansers, four ‘intensely hydrating’ moisturising and five ‘miracle’ spot creams that are all doing essentially the same thing for your skin. Spring clean your beauty cabinet and keep just one favourite product for every step in your routine. As for trying new products, get a hold of their samples first, try them on, and only purchase if you think you’re filling a gap in your routine. Remember to purchase a new product fulfilling the same purpose as an existing one only if you’re ready to dispose of the one you already have.
Step 3: Tune out the noise
The skincare market today is flooded with new products being introduced on a daily basis. When a buzz-worthy ingredient takes over our social media feeds, it can be tough to resist the temptation of giving it a try. Although exciting, adding too many products to your routine and experimenting with different actives can damage your skin barrier. It is important to do a bit of research and understand what works best for your skin type and concerns, and only commit to those skincare products.
Step 4: Layer skin care products with caution
The last couple of years have seen a surge in popularity of active ingredient-based products. This has led to skincare cocktails where people adopt routines with multiple actives. But, blindly jumping on the bandwagon can do your skin more harm than good. Layering too many actives onto your skin can sensitize it and damage your skin barrier. Further, not every active ingredient can be paired with another. Some may have opposing functions that then cancel each other out, while some may be doing the same things as each other, leading to redundancies. Also watch out for the same ingredient being repeated across multiple products. Do your research to optimise your routine.
Step 5: Eye on the barrier
It’s all about protecting your skin’s barrier, as it keeps all the bad out while locking in all the good. One way to do this is to keep your skin hydrated. Whatever skincare routine you go for and whichever actives you combine, ensure that you are end up with hydrated skin. Hydrated and moisturised skin maintains the barrier and helps heal damage to the skin’s surface. It creates a protective layer that prevents environmental stressors from reaching the deeper parts of your skin.
