“Less, but better”, a new state of mind that questions our habits of consumption of beauty products. In the Clean Beauty philosophy , gestures are simplified, the number of products used decreases, quality replaces quantity. We are looking for effective and safe formulas that go to the essentials, without superfluous, to keep the skin visibly healthy, every day.
It all starts with sorting through your cosmetics and reviewing how you use them. Using fewer products means selecting the ones that are right for your current needs. Your skin will thank you if you lighten your beauty routine, and you'll save time and money as a bonus.
Less gestures
Skip care
Skip care , an emerging trend in Asia, involves reducing the number of beauty products you use (also called skinimalism ). You stick to the essentials, with one goal: not to over-tax your skin.
It also corresponds to a desire to consume cleaner, more responsibly: few cosmetics but quality, and the most natural possible. We identify undesirable ingredients by looking at the INCI list, thanks to the many apps . We focus on essential skin needs, such as cleansing and moisturizing, even if it means using a product for a specific skin problem (imperfections, etc.) or for a specific need (sun protection).
Skip care is the opposite of the famous layering , which overloads the skin by stacking 10 skincare and makeup products in a row, or more than a hundred ingredients on the skin.
Multifunctional care
A “multifunctional” treatment is a product that offers several benefits.
The famous BB Cream that moisturizes, mattifies, corrects imperfections and protects from the sun's rays is a good example of multifunctional care. An "all-in-one" cream, which combines care and makeup.
Other hybrid formulas, designed from pure and natural ingredients, can be applied to the hair, face or body. Many vegetable oils are used to nourish the face, body, nails, and hair (dry ends).
These treatments facilitate the beauty routine which is ultra-short, practical, fast and economical, but also clean and effective.
The cosmetic diet: zero products
Originating from Japan, this radical method consists of fasting your skin (called "skin fasting"). What is the point of not applying any product to your face for a night, a weekend, or several days in a row? The skin renews and regenerates itself naturally. It would then be healthier, with less visible pores, and a more radiant complexion?
This temporary detox may not be for everyone, but it does have some fans. The best way to form an opinion is to try it!
Fewer ingredients
A woman uses an average of 16 products per day (including toothpaste and shampoo), and men 8*. With a good twenty ingredients per product on average, we arrive at 400 daily components. Imagine the number of interactions they cause on the skin in one day.
A lighter list of ingredients
Cosmetic product formulations have progressed. Today it is possible (but not easy!) to find effective, sensory and clean products on the market, which contain less than 20 ingredients (INCI list). This is the benchmark to follow. These ingredients are judiciously chosen to purify the formula while providing real effectiveness. Quality replaces quantity; exit the so-called "filler" ingredients which have no real action and unnecessarily lengthen the INCI lists.
A better quality formula
A better quality formula is one without unwanted ingredients. Ingredients that don't pollute, and that aren't potentially bad for your skin.
It is also a formula where we favor relevant assets, of irreproachable quality and which have proven themselves.
Multifunctional assets
Clean brands often choose multi-purpose active ingredients, and they are right! Indeed, an ingredient can be anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, regenerating, repairing, antibacterial, etc.
The Less is More routine
It is limited to 2 products (cleanser and moisturizer) to which you can add a serum and/or specific treatment:
- Cleanser: This is the basic morning and evening step to rid the skin of pollution, clean the pores and maintain the balance of the skin's surface flora. Choose a gentle formula whose pH respects that of your skin.
- Moisturizing cream: the essential morning treatment for its barrier effect that protects the skin throughout the day and its moisturizing action that maintains an optimum water level in the different skin layers. For women looking for wrinkle/firmness benefits, anti-aging cream replaces moisturizer.
- The serum: to be used morning and/or evening depending on the skin concern (fatigue, dull complexion, spots, etc.)
- Specific care: isotonic mist, moisturizing mask, eye contour care, skin blemish care, regenerating night cream, sun cream, etc.
Packaging also follows the minimalist trend: fewer cases, instructions, sleeves, the thickness and weight of the packaging are lighter. This philosophy feels good. Let yourself be tempted!
* 20,000 people surveyed, study conducted by UBO, published in 2017.
