Adopt the Skinimalist approach for Glowy Skin
This article was first written for The Beauty Book.
Skinimalism is the biggest beauty trend of 2021. Cited in publications like Vogue and InStyle, it approaches skincare with a “less is more” ethos, to allow the beauty of the skin to shine through, rather than bombarding it with topicals that fight the skin’s natural processes.
After a particularly wet and chilly winter, we have some simple skinimalist tips to share, to get your skin looking its best as the weather warms up.
Hydrate, don’t Exfoliate… or Scrub or Strip.
It’s a common misconception that the best way to reveal fresh, healthy skin is to exfoliate away dry skin in order to reveal the fresh, youthful skin hidden beneath. However, most people are too vigorous and regular with their exfoliation practice, and as a result, can cause damage to the skin. Similarly washing the skin to keep it clean and remove makeup and dirt can easily strip the skin, effectively cleaning it of both the bad bacteria and the good.
The skin has a protective outer layer, called the acid mantle, which is made up of the skin’s natural oils and sweat. It provides a physical barrier and a biological deterrent to dirt and irritants in the environment. As the name suggests it’s slightly acidic, so it kills bacteria that lands on the skin surface, as well as locking in moisture to prevent the skin from becoming dehydrated.
The acid mantle is delicate and can easily become damaged with too much scrubbing and exfoliation, leading to dehydration and irritation. Dirt and irritants can easily be transferred from the skin, via fingertips or makeup causing blackheads and acne.
With the coming of Spring, plants start to produce more pollen, which is airborne in our environment. Skin that has a compromised barrier is more likely to become itchy, as the airborne irritants settle on the skin.
Our Spring Skinimalist Solutions?
Hydrate with a natural moisturiser that supports and helps strengthen the skin’s barrier.
Botanical oils are similar in their biological makeup to the skin’s natural oil, called sebum. Natural skincare companies, like LOVESKIN, offer botanical serums that contain a mixture of plant oils chosen for the specific benefits they offer. Because of their similarities to the skin’s sebum, botanical blends offer bioavailable support to the skin. This basically means that the skin can access and the mobilise the beneficial properties of oils, think of it as a garden salad for your skin. By comparison, if you try to apply skincare that is overly processed, like overly processed food in the digestive system, the body isn’t easily able to access the nutrients contained within the product.
Cleanse with an oil, instead of a soap or foamy cleanser.
For those who struggle with acne or oily skin, the idea of adding more oil to your skin can be scary. However, once you understand the science it all starts to make sense.
Oil attracts oil, it’s a chemistry thing. When you massage oil onto your skin it mobilises the dirt and makeup, without causing damage to the acid mantle, leaving the all-important protective layer intact. As a result, the skin remains hydrated and free from dirt and bacteria. Fine lines and wrinkles are reduced, the skin’s natural oils rebalance and the skin develops a healthy glow, thereby eliminating the need to introduce additional steps to replace lost moisture, fight acne or reduce the visible signs of ageing.
The beauty of the skinimalist movement is that it’s great not only for your skin, but also reduces the cost of buying a myriad of products and reduces waste. So do yourself, your wallet and the environment a favour by introducing these simple changes to reveal fresh, glowing skin this Spring.
