Elaborate skin care practices are in vogue right now. Think ten-step Korean beauty routines, lengthy face masks at night, and dozens of products, all jammed into women’s medicine cabinets and cluttering their counters. But is all that really necessary? While some women swear by these skin care practices and have seen a measurable difference since adopting them, for most people they’re just impractical. In particular, for women on the go, the time has come to downsize. (Image Credit: Alexandr Ivanov /Pixabay)
Identify Complaints
The first step to simplifying your skincare routine is to identify what complaints you have about your skin. Do you have acne, dry skin, or discoloration? If so, focus on identifying which products do the most to resolve the issue and whether there are non-product solutions. For example, many people find they can clear up their acne by staying hydrated and minimizing makeup use. In fact, staying hydrated can help with a lot of skin complaints, so up your water consumption for a few weeks and see what happens. You might be able to do away with one or more products.
Read The Labels
Another way to minimize the number of beauty products in your skincare routine is by carefully examining the active ingredients at play. How many of the items you use share the same active ingredients? If multiple products share the same active ingredient, then you’re just lengthening your routine without gaining any significant benefits. Pare back your products to avoid repeats. You can always swap them out over time to use up what you have on hand.
Think Multi-Function
Along with eliminating products that share the same ingredients, you can also slim down your product library by opting for items that provide multiple benefits. If you’re looking for a way to fight breakouts, while also moisturizing and minimizing redness-causing inflammation, there’s a ready solution. As Sunia K. cosmetiques authentiques describes, simple, all-natural prickly pear seed oil can do it all. The oil contains such key compounds as linoleic and oleic acids, vitamin E, and vitamin K, plus acne-zapping zinc. Compared to heavy drug store moisturizers and chemical-laden acne creams, a few drops of prickly pear seed oil will leave your skin refreshed without doing more damage.
Keep It Clean
The best way to reduce the number of products you need to use on your skin is so obvious that it’s often overlooked – keep it clean. That doesn’t mean scrubbing your face with harsh cleansers or washing it multiple times a day. In fact, all you really need to do is splash your face with warm water in the morning and thoroughly remove makeup at night. If you have dry skin, a quick application of cold cream can even be a good replacement for normal washing, helping to remove makeup without drying out your skin.
Prioritize Protection
Finally, as you continue to trim the fat from your skincare routine, be sure to keep this one key element in play: sunscreen. Apply broad spectrum sunscreen daily and keep it on you for regular reapplication, especially if you’ll be working out or swimming. Protecting your skin using an appropriate sunscreen will minimize damage and inflammation and help your skin look its best for years to come.
When it comes to elaborate skincare routines, the fact is that most are about self-care more than skincare. In other words, if you want to spend a few hours pampering your skin on occasion, go ahead and enjoy yourself. Just be clear that it likely won’t improve your skin in any meaningful way. Less really is more.