As an eco-friendly yet beauty enthusiast, it's overwhelming to see a spike in the growth of the beauty industry nowadays. In this affiliate era, It is an unfortunate thing to watch many beauty influencers carelessly persuade their audience to try those newly launched beauty products (then ask the audience to buy them with their affiliate link) while knowing they still have a huge bunch of beauty products that I wonder if they use them wisely or not. Who can relate to this? Put your hands up! 🙌🏼
As an eco-friendly enthusiast, I was exposed to the concept of consciousness and minimalist living that slowly but surely shifted my perspective to a “less is more” way of life.
As a beauty enthusiast, I applied the concept to my beauty regimen that I called conscious beauty habits (link to my 1st article).
Until I found that there was this beauty trend called skinimalism that first boomed in 2021 and is predicted to trend again in 2024. I realized it might be a way out of my dilemma.
So, as an eco-beauty enthusiast, I am keen to re-introducing this skinimalism to the public. By spreading how beneficial skinimalism is, hopefully, netizens can be more conscious & smart to consume links shared by their favorite influencers. If you can relate to me, you can freely share this article with your circle to gain awareness of skinimalism to a wider range of audience. And Why “re-introduce?” I believe some of us are already doing it but don't realize it, because however skinimalism (or skin minimalism experts say) is just a name, a term, which in practice, people may have been doing this for years before it became a trend.
What is skinimalism?
Quoting dr. Dia Febrina, Sp.KK from the Antara web page “This skin minimalism concept is a simple skincare that focuses on what the skin really needs," and another definition quoted from the Simple Skincare web page “skinimalism is a skincare trend that encourages individuals to embrace and appreciate their unique skin qualities, flaws, and all. It seeks to simplify your skincare and makeup routine, focusing on the principle that ‘less is more’. The ultimate goal is to achieve healthy, radiant skin.” In conclusion, skinimalism is a skin needs-driven beauty trend. By using fewer but higher quality products we can simplify our beauty rituals to achieve healthy skin efficiently and accept, be grateful & embrace our natural beauty.
Why is it related to sustainable beauty?
Even though sustainability is not only about using less consciously, it is also about the resources (raw materials & workers) and the waste, skinimalism is still the nearest beauty trend that could be applied to sustainable eco-warriors like us. And skinimalism teaches us to know ourselves and our needs so that we only use what suits our needs. Not only does it aim to cut down on consumerism of beauty products by using only what we need, but also using too many products increases the chance of the skin becoming irritated due to exposure to too many products which is indeed a sustainable way to keep our skin healthy in my opinion.
How to start if I want to join this skinimalism trend?
Reflect, get to know yourself, know your skin's needs, and know what you like and what is comfortable for you. This way you can freely choose what product will suit you the most.
Learn about basic skincare steps & best ingredients for your skin concerns to simplify your skincare routine to only the basic steps (cleansing, moisturizing & protecting) and additional step(s) for targeted skin concerns.
Explore minimalist makeup style: clean girl makeup, no makeup makeup look, natural makeup, you name it. It kind of goes back to the 1st point again, reflect, and get to know yourself, but this time to know your facial features better. This way you can highlight & enhance your natural beauty with fewer makeup products.
Choose multi-function or hybrid products if needed. This can save you a lot of time too. Not only beauty products but also beauty tools such as reusable cotton pads that can be used to remove makeup or cleanse and wipe your face.
As much as possible choose responsible or sustainable beauty brands. The best example I could share is Sensatia Botanicals from Indonesia. They produce their minimalist products hygienically with high-quality raw materials that are chosen carefully & sustainably. They care not only about the products but also about the humans behind them. Most of their employees are local residents and they dedicate 20% of their income to empowering local communities. They also accept empty bottles returned by customers for recycling.
Declutter your beauty things. Start by using every beauty product you have daily. Try each product and also try to combine them. If somehow you find that you don't like one of the products, try to use it in another way until you’re really sure whether you like it or not. The goal of this declutter is to leave only what you can use every day.
Reflecting on the journey through this topic of skinimalism as a (sustainable) 2024 beauty trend, we find that after all the practice of skinimalism will depend on each individual whether it will be truly sustainable or not. But I believe there's no harm in trying this beauty trend. To me personally, as an acne survivor, this trend has actually made my skin heal, and as a mom, this trend helps me save time doing my beauty routine. What do you think about this beauty trend that is widely acclaimed as sustainable? Are you interested to try it? Share your thoughts with us by commenting below!
Literature
Salma, V S. (2023, November 22). Manfaat Skin Minimalism, Efektif dan Kurangi Limbah [Web page]. Accessed from https://www.antaranews.com/berita/3836010/manfaat-skin-minimalism-efektif-dan-kurangi-limbah
Dhoker, N. (2023, October 13). What Is Skinimalism? Here’s Everything You Need To Know About This Skincare Trend [Web page]. Accessed from https://www.simpleskincare.in/blogs/tips/what-is-skinimalism
Posted 28 May 2024
