What You Need to Know About the Skinimalism Trend
We’ve always believed that simple, effective skincare is the best way to unlock smooth, hydrated and glowy skin. And a resurfaced trend has put a name to our less-is-more philosophy. Meet skinimalism.
What is Skinimalism?
Skinimalism is a beauty trend that takes the minimalist approach to skincare, serving as the unfussy antidote to the complex, actives-filled skincare regimens popularized over the last few years. It asserts that those 10-step skincare routines are better left to the expert hands of your esthetician during the occasional facial—and that doing them every day may be doing your skin more harm than good.
Skinimalism prioritizes the essential products your skin needs with quality ingredients proven to be effective. The result? Healthy, balanced skin and an uncomplicated routine that’s easy to understand and even easier to stick to.
Benefits of Skinimalism
The main benefit of a skinimalist skincare routine is that you avoid as many potential irritants as possible, resulting in skin that is strong, naturally balanced and soothed.
Reduces Irritation from Over-Using Actives
There’s no denying that active ingredients like retinol and other exfoliating acids can work wonders on the skin. But when they’re overused, they can lead to redness, texture issues, acne and more. As dermatologist Dr. Loretta Ciraldo told CNN, layering on multiple products containing actives every day can “[introduce] a lot of irritants and conflicting formulations into people’s skin routines.”
Removing extra actives from your skincare routine allows your skin the chance to calm down and find balance, without needing to layer on yet another product.
Strengthens the Skin Barrier
Instead of emphasizing aggressive ingredients, skinimalism focuses first on skin health using gentle and deeply nourishing ingredients that support hydration and repair. A skinimalist routine is an easy way to strengthen your skin barrier, resulting in a glowier, more resilient complexion.
Create a Routine that is Actually Sustainable to Maintain
Dedicating half an hour to your skincare every now and again is a form of self-care we can get behind. But doing so every day is something that even the biggest skincare lover is going to struggle to maintain. By paring things down to just a few key steps, you can create a routine that you’re more likely to stick to. Establishing that type of consistency is where you unlock real, long-term results from your skincare.
Simple, Skinimalism-Inspired Skincare Routines
Skinimalism is all about simple, effective routines that prioritize using products proven to work. It’s an approach that aligns naturally with how we’ve always thought about skincare at Summer Fridays.
Here are two of our favorite skinimalist routines.
The Basics: A Minimal Three-Step Skincare Routine
With just two key steps, this routine is perfect if you don’t have any major skincare concerns, but just need a little bit of support staying balanced and hydrated.
Step 1: Cleanse with Pink Dew Gel Cleanser
Clean skin is a non-negotiable in any routine. Pink Dew Gel Cleanser, a lightweight and non-drying foaming gel, lifts away impurities that can clog pores without stripping your skin barrier. Thanks to a combination of gentle Coconut-Based Surfactants, hydrating Coconut Water and antioxidant-rich Cherry Extract and Vitamin B Complex, the cleanser leaves your skin feeling soft and refreshed, but never tight.
Step 2: Moisturize and Hydrate
Once your skin is clean, layer on a protective moisturizer designed for your skin type.
- Sensitive skin: Reach for a fragrance-free, lightweight hydrator like Jet Lag Deep Hydration Serum. Packed with Squalane, Glycerin and a skin-soothing complex of Aloe and Colloidal Oatmeal, it delivers a dose of hydration to soothe the skin.
- Oily/normal skin: With three forms of Hyaluronic Acid, Coconut Water and Ceramides, Cloud Dew Gel Cream Moisturizer deeply hydrates and nourishes the skin. The new-and-improved formula also contains the same mix of Coconut Water and Cherry Extract found in Pink Dew Gel Cleanser, giving skin an extra boost of glow without greasiness.
- Very dry skin: If your skin is parched, finish your routine with a generous layer of Jet Lag Mask + Moisturizer or Rich Cushion Cream Ultra Plumping Moisturizer. Both contain Hyaluronic Acid and Glycerin to help your skin lock in moisture, the thicker texture of Jet Lag Mask + Moisturizer is perfect for protecting dry, flaky skin, while the plumping ingredients found in Rich Cushion Cream make it ideal for skin that’s dehydrated from the inside out.
Step 3 (AM only): Protect with ShadeDrops SPF
At night, you can leave your skin as is after cleaning and moisturizing. But during the day, we recommend protecting your skin from damaging UVA/UVB rays by finishing your routine with ShadeDrops SPF 50 Mineral Milk Sunscreen.
Treating Skincare Concerns: A Minimal Four-Step Skincare Routine
Skinimalism doesn’t mean skipping targeted treatments. It’s about picking one main concern to tackle at a time and adding in just one or two additional products to reach your skincare goals. Here’s how we do it.
Step 1: Cleanse with Pink Dew Gel Cleanser
As with any routine, starting with clean skin is a must. Pink Dew Gel Cleanser is formulated for all skin types, making it a great first step, no matter your skincare concerns.
Step 2: Treat Your Skincare Concern
Next, reach for a product designed to target your biggest skincare need.
- If you want to improve texture: Exfoliate away dead skin cells and other impurities to reveal smooth, glowing skin with Gentle Reset Daily Exfoliating Pads. Made with a gentle blend of AHAs and PHAs, these pads are designed to improve texture and skin tone without leaving your skin feeling stripped or irritated. (For a deeper dive on how they work, check out this article.)
- If you want to improve brightness: Grab CC Me Vitamin C Serum if you’re looking for brighter, glowing skin. Formulated with gentle-yet-effective 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid (a highly stable form of vitamin C), Ascorbyl Glucoside and Niacinamide, the serum can also help reduce the appearance of dark spots and discoloration over time.
- If you want to improve the undereye area: Tackle puffiness and dry undereyes with Jet Lag Eye Patches. Infused with Caffeine, Peptides and other moisturizing ingredients, they help soothe and de-puff tired eyes in ten minutes. If dark circles are your concern, follow your morning cleanser with a light layer of Light Aura Vitamin C Eye Cream. This lightweight eye cream features the same soothing ingredients as the Jet Lag Eye Patches but adds brightening Vitamin C into the mix to help reduce darkness and softly illuminate the skin over time.
- If you want deep hydration: Drench your skin in soothing hydration with Jet Lag Mask + Moisturizer. To use it as a treatment step, apply a thin, even layer to clean skin. After leaving on for 10 minutes, gently wipe away any remaining product before following with your daily moisturizer.
If you have a few skincare concerns, you can eventually start to rotate what product you use in the treatment step to target them all. For example, you could focus on improving texture by exfoliating with Gentle Reset Daily Exfoliating Pads five times a week, then give your skin an extra boost of hydration with Jet Lag Mask on your days off.
