“That’s all you’re carrying?”
Yep, it’s all I need!
Every single time I travel anywhere with my best friend, she tends to look at my suitcase, shake her head, and laugh at my obsession with staying as minimalistic as possible. From my clothes and accessories to my makeup and skincare—I love organizing my items.
Skincare is probably my favorite part, because reducing the number of steps in my morning and nightly routine have rid me of so much stress! Reducing these steps have also dramatically, and positively, transformed my skin and made it look so much better. Now that I don’t have a ten-step regimen, I actually take care of my face.
Now, if you’ve got a big event coming up, or just want to make your life easier, I believe minimalism is the way to go. Luckily, it’s very easy to make the switch if you know what to do. For those who want a simple, effective routine, here’s what you can do.
1. Count Your Steps
First, assess the situation: how many steps are in your current routine? Count the products you keep on your bathroom shelf. I bet you’ll be surprised at the sheer amount of them. Once you’ve counted your steps, you can start cutting down the unnecessary ones.
2. Rely On The Basics
Now’s the time to figure out the basics of skincare: washing, moisturizing, and SPF protection. Cleanse, moisturize, and use an eye cream in the evening. Do the same each morning, but add sunscreen on top. What you add on top of that depends on your specific skin type and the problems you wish to address.
3. Target Problems
Oily, dry, dull, scarred, or wrinkled… what’s bothering your skin? If you have pimples, for example, use a vitamin C serum if your skin is dull and lacks that healthy glow. If you struggle with dark patches and age spots, then using skin lightening products can really help you transform your complexion. ClearifiRx is a great way to brighten your complexion and improve any hyperpigmentation problems you may have since it is customized just for you by board-certified dermatologists. Anything you add to the basic steps should have a purpose. Don’t use a product just because it’s there, and don’t buy things that aren’t specifically aimed to work for your face. Piling on too many unnecessary layers will only lead to clogged pores. What’s worse, those products that actually are good and beneficial for you will stop working because they won’t be able to penetrate into your skin properly. So, read the labels and shop for things you actually need.
4. Make Your Own Masks
Making your own face masks at home is inexpensive and totally effective. Here’s a little recipe for my favorite face mixture: mix 1 tbsp of yogurt and 1 tsp of honey with ½ tsp of ground turmeric. Add in 1 drop of lemon juice (only one!) and stir well. Apply it to a cleansed face, leave it on for 20-30 minutes, and then wash it off with lukewarm water. This mask is great at nourishing my skin during the cold months, and the turmeric in it has some great anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The drop of lemon is there to brighten my complexion, and the yogurt and honey are there to soften and moisturize. It’s really easy to glow and feel beautiful whenever I use this consistently. I also like that I can whip this up in under five minutes with the things I have lying around at home.
5. A Quick Note On Exfoliation
I’d say that a good scrub is worth having on your shelf, but try not to use it more than twice a week—you really don’t need more than that. If you like, instead of a physical scrub, you can consider using an AHA or BHA exfoliator. These will smooth and brighten your skin without you having to rub at it harshly. Just make sure to introduce them slowly and use them only once a week if you’re a beginner.
6. Microneedling
Ever heard of dermarollers or Microneedling before? Microneedling is an innovative skincare technique and an effective treatment that dramatically improves the skin appearance by repairing skin including acne scars, fine lines, wrinkles, stretch marks and pigmentation and makes it firmer, smoother, and suppler. All you have to do is to pick a roller and massage your face gently up and down. I would recommend DermRollers for this. DermRollers is the #1 peeling roller made up of 100% safe medical grade titanium microneedles and gives you the best results.
It’s all about being mindful when it comes to your skin. Once you look at your routine and examine it closely, you can minimize the number of products you need. Remember, great skin will come from consistency and diligence, not from having a ten-step routine you barely stick to.
Photo by Humphrey Muleba on Unsplash
