Skinimilism – an actual thing?

If there’s one thing lockdowns, mask mandates and working from home showed us about skincare habits it’s that heavy-handed beauty regimes are so 2020. Sure, here in Aotearoa we’ve managed to so far avoid extended ‘stay-at-home, no-salon-for-you’ orders, but we got enough of a taste when the pandemic first appeared to know we needed to simplify things, especially in the beauty department. We now want skincare regimes to be simpler, more streamlined and hence why the concept of ‘skinimilism’ is taking hold around the world.Women are adopting a less is more approach and baring all in the process. Before we begin, it’s easy to dismiss skinimilism as another fad but if you ask any skincare specialist worth their salt you’ll find this beauty trend shouldn’t really be considered a trend nor fad to begin with. In fact, many experts agree that skinimilism will be influential long after the initial buzz has faded primarily because a no-makeup look with an end goal of glowing skin is timeless. Women have always wanted naturally beautiful skin without needing laborious, complex beauty regimes to achieve it. If we’re being really honest, perhaps the only reason skinimilism has only just gained mainstream appeal isn’t the result of a pandemic but because it represents something many women have traditionally felt uneasy about – going largely makeup free and showing your true self in the process.

Skinimilism 101 

As the name suggests, skinimilism is about taking a minimalist approach to skincare. The first thing you need to do is park your plethora of products and focus on the essentials - a decent cleanser, toner, moisturiser and sunscreen (even in winter). No more over-cleansing, over-exfoliation or layering on products that might actually be fighting each other once applied. It’s about getting back to basics and understanding what your skin actually needs so you’re able to maximize its potential. To get started, cleanse then leave your skin free of makeup or skincare for a few hours. Look for redness, dry patches or shininess then touch it (with clean hands) to test for rough patches, bumps or oiliness. When you’ve worked out the areas needing attention, focus on them using less products with less ingredients, chemical or otherwise, to reduce the risk of irritation. When you’ve figured the best way to deal with a particular skin issue, move to the next, gradually building up your ‘skin IQ’.

Radiant skin from within.

If you want to become a true ‘skinimilist’, you also need to go deeper, on a cellular level. This is when things like hydration and elasticity come into play and for that it’s likely you’ll need collagen supplementation. Collagen helps skin cells renew and repair themselves plus supports the production of other proteins including elastin and fibrillin which gives skin its youthful glow. The great thing about collagen, depending on the brand, is that the more premium options are inherently skinimilist in nature – very few ingredients done well. Our pick is hydrolised formulas from Radiance who have been doing collagen longer than most. The proteins they use are specifically designed so the body can absorb and use them efficiently. The other good thing with Radiance is they have Pure Collagen formulas that are nothing but, you guessed it, pure collagen. Definitely skinimilist in that regard. They’ve also just put out vanilla and chocolate Creamer options which means with Radiance you can pretty much take your collagen anyway you want – powder, tablet or gummy. To find out more about Radiance Beauty Collagen formulas, click here. If skinimilism is based on less makeup, more natural, glowing skin, we can see this new ‘trend’ being around a long time. It’s certainly an easier, less complex way to care for your skin but there’s also something liberating about not bowing to social pressures of wearing makeup or always looking super groomed. Skinimilism encourages appreciation for natural beauty - something we can all get behind.