The simple life: how to pare back your skincare routine
Sometimes less is more when it comes to keeping your skin happy
‘Harder, better, faster, stronger’ seems to be our modern mantra but when it comes to skincare, sometimes what we actually need is to take a more softly, softly approach.
A 10-step routine may be touted as the pinnacle of skin perfection but if your complexion is acting up, the first thing a dermatologist will advise is to give your skin a break from potent active ingredients and an onslaught of products.
And they’re not the only ones to endorse a more streamlined approach; as more people are turned off by indecipherable ingredients, not to mention the time-consuming nature of a complex regime, we’ve seen the rise of the clean beauty movement. Look out for minimalist brand Lixirskin, whose range of essential products has been developed with this desire for simplicity in mind.
More products, more problems?
‘The more products you’re layering on, the harder your skin has to work,’ cautions facial therapist and skin expert Nataliya Robinson. ‘Applying fewer products and choosing those with a shorter list of ingredients can help to minimise skin concerns.’
So what would a simplified regime look like? Pamela Marshall, clinical aesthetician and co-founder of Mortar & Milk suggests: ‘a gentle cleanser to start; something milky or balmy to be removed with a flannel as there should be no splashing when cleansing. Next use a PHA serum, and then a hydrator,’ she continues. ‘This three-step routine can be followed morning and night. In the daytime, choose a moisturiser with a UV protector of SPF30 or higher.’
The great barrier relief
A healthy barrier means healthy skin so avoid bombarding it with too many products, especially if it feels dry, flaky, sensitive or red. ‘Ideally you should be maintaining your skin’s barrier every day,’ says facialist, aesthetician and all-round skin guru Fiona Brackenbury. ‘When the skin is stressed, it’s best to strip back your skincare routine and gorge it with barrier-boosting ceramides to increase moisture and reduce inflammation.’
Active wear
Scaling back doesn’t mean that skincare has to take a backseat, it’s more about giving your skin what it needs to look and feel its best with minimal steps and ingredients. If your complexion seems inexplicably vexed or uncharacteristically irritable it might be time to press pause on your love affair with AHAs or relinquish the retinol until things calm down. It doesn’t, however, mean that all actives are off-limits, especially free-radical fighters like antioxidants or strengthening niacinamide.
‘The total number of ingredients isn’t nearly as important as the number of active ingredients,’ says Pamela. ‘I never recommend using multiple AHAs or retinols simply because they can compromise our skin’s barrier function. I generally keep clients (and myself) on four to five products in total but I do recommend polyhydroxy acids or PHAs. These second-generation AHAs do all the work of their first-generation counterparts without the irritation. What's more, they're anti-inflammatory and hydrating.’
