Were you also someone who succumbed to the hype of the 10-step Korean skincare routine and ended up trying it? Just because you can use a hydrating essence, brightening serum, moisturizing face mask, and whatnot, doesn’t mean you absolutely have to. Using the right amount of products can also help you achieve the radiant skin you’ve been wishing for!  It is essential to remain mindful of the number of products you’re purchasing and the impact it's having on our Earth ( and on the skin as well). 

With skincare, the internet might tell you that more is more. When you can get the goodness of an AHA, BHA, and a retinoid, why wouldn’t you use them to try to get the brightest, smoothest skin you possibly can? But if you cocktail too many products all at once, in an effort to get the most efficient results super quickly, you could be overwhelming your skin instead of giving it the tools to thrive. Enter: Skinimalism, which urges you to do the least, instead of the absolute most.  

What is skinimalism?

Skinimalism ascribes stripping back your skincare routine in favour of a simpler approach. Think about reducing the number of products and active ingredients in your regimen or using two-in-ones that have more than one benefit. If you follow an intuitive skincare route, you can give your skin what it needs at the moment. As opposed to overwhelming it with everything all at once. So, instead of layering on 12 products, you’re hydrating with a hyaluronic acid-based serum when you feel dry, calming it with a face mask when it’s irritated, and exfoliating when your skin is breaking out or peeling.

Why is this a good idea?

1.Saves time and money-

This is probably the most obvious benefit of Skinimalism. When you’re conscious about the amount of money you're investing in skincare, you focus only on the products you actually need. If doing that complicated skincare routine took you thirty minutes, following skinimalism will help you finish it off in 10. 

2.Enjoy full benefits-

Often when you layer too many products on your skin, you might not be giving it the appropriate time to properly settle onto the skin. Skinimalism ensures you use fewer products, in that way your skin can take advantage of the product to its best potential.  

 3.Less reaction-

Experimenting with too many products can actually wreak havoc on the skin’s natural moisture barrier, which is made of skin cells, lipids, cholesterol, amino acids, and fatty acids. This layer acts like a protective sheath, so if you break it down with too many AHAs or retinoids, you can cause inflammation and irritation. 

It also messes with the skin’s PH. The skin’s acid mantle is slightly acidic for a reason: to keep moisture in, and bacteria out. But if it’s too alkaline thanks to the extra-clarifying soap you’re using, or too acidic, you could cause inflammatory conditions like eczema or acne. 

Who is this good for?

Everyone! But especially those with sensitive skin types. If you’re finding that your skincare products have been causing more harm than good, you’re likely trying too much too fast, and it’s giving your skin information overload. The same goes for those with acne-prone skin—if you break out, you might be trying too much to get rid of your zits but may land up causing inflammation or barrier issues instead.

What are the products under Skinimalism?

The products that your skin absolutely requires should be included in your routine, followed by products that address your other skin concerns relating to acne and pigmentation. Here’s how to build a routine and stick to basics! 

1.Cleanser

Whether it is a 10- step or 2-step routine, a cleanser is a must. It allows your skin to breathe after a day of being exposed to pollutants, dust, and sweat. How? It helps remove all the dirt and grime that has accumulated on the face, just like Hydrating facewash, which is a deeply hydrating cleanser that’ll help you to unclog pores and brighten the skin simultaneously. 

2.Moisturizer 

Using moisturizers that are rich in antioxidants and ceramides will help in fighting free radicals that might be damaging to the skin and effectively hydrate it as well. It facilitates improving hydration. Ceramides can increase hydration and help to retain moisture. Foxtale’s smoothening moisturizer will help your skin achieve a smoother texture and maintain its barrier. 

3.Sunscreen 

Layering your skincare products without sunscreen can render them ineffective. Sunscreen is an essential part of your routine and should be included (if you're looking for a sign, this is it). It not only protects you from the sun's harmful UV rays, but it also reduces the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles. 

If you're someone who has oily and acne-prone skin, Foxtale’s matte finish sunscreen will be your best friend. It leaves no white cast and gives the perfect matte finish, along with protecting your skin. People with dry skin, don't feel left out. Our dewy finish sunscreen will do the perfect job of protecting you from harmful UV rays and giving it the hydration it deserves!  

Additional concerns 

While cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen are the ABCs of your routine, there must definitely be some more concerns that your skin must be having. If you’re suffering from hyperpigmentation, use a Vitamin C serum. Vitamin C serum will help reduce pigmentation and brighten your skin. If you want to tackle acne, use products containing salicylic acid as it unclogs pores and cleans them deeply, and decreases sebum production leading to fewer breakouts. Foxtale’s Acne spot corrector gel will help reduce pimple-related inflammation and redness. 

The conclusion- 

Skinimalism is all about being conscious of the products you use on your face and not getting caught up in the hype of using a thousand products. It is an excellent start towards a more sustainable way of life. The lesser, the better. 

 

Peanut butter and jelly, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, Vitamin C and ferulic acid. Some matches are made in heaven. But in the realm of lotions and potions, mixing and matching could be risky business instead. Learning to (not to) layer skincare is an art.

The benefits of your favourite skincare actives—Vitamin C! Niacinamide! Retinoids!— are all over the internet. It is easy to fall prey to the cure-all layering routines that promise smooth, poreless skin in just a few weeks. But that get-glow-quick scheme can leave your skin overstimulated if you’re whipping dangerous skincare cocktails. These are not only be harmful together, but could also cancel each other out. If you’re a neophyte, you may want to keep these ingredient non-pairings in mind before putting your routine together.

Retinoids + Vitamin C = redness, irritation and potential sunburns.

Retinoids are Vitamin A derivatives that rev up skin cell turnover. This unclogs dead skin cells and helps improve collagen production. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that blocks tyrosinase production (which is responsible for pigmentation) and scavenges free radicals too. Both these powerhouse ingredients are anti-ageing marvels. But when layered together, they leave your skin photosensitive, which can increase chances for sun damage. These ingredients have a huge pH gap, so if you wear both together, you could be lowering the retinoid’s pH and raising the Vitamin C’s pH levels. This means that both ingredients could be rendered useless. For best results, use a Vitamin C serum in the AM and then apply a Vitamin A-based product on at night.

Retinoids + Alpha Hydroxy Acids = raw, painful skin.

Retinoids and AHAs (like lactic or malic acid) both improve cell turnover, bolster collagen production and promise to leave your skin blemish, fine line and pigmentation-free. But if you’re tempted to use both together in an attempt to get brighter skin quicker, wait! Both remove dead skin layers on the top, thinning out the skin in the process. This can cause contact dermatitis, burns or scarring, especially if your skin isn’t used to exfoliation.

Retinoids + Benzoyl Peroxide = Irritation, and zero effects.

The theme here is to use retinoids carefully—they’re good servants, but bad masters. This is especially so when used with benzoyl peroxide. The two anti-acne ingredients work in very different ways, and may actually cancel out each other when used together. Benzoyl peroxide is able to kill the p.acnes bacteria that causes acne. Because when it is applied, it degrades and releases oxygen, which is able to kill the bacteria on the surface. Retinoids, on the other hand, work by reducing comedone creation by reducing pore obstructions by keratin and debris.

Benzoyl Peroxide + Vitamin C = no results.

If you have a zit and a patch of pigmentation, you may want to fix both, ASAP. But if you spot treat with BPO and then apply a Vitamin C-based toner, neither will actually work. Benzoyl peroxide works by creating oxygen, which oxidises the already-unstable L-ascorbic acid molecules, rendering them both useless.

We did an in-depth dive into the perils of acne and how to fix them, here.

Niacinamide + AHAs = potential irritation and redness.

Niacinamide helps restore cellular energy, repair damaged DNA, which makes it a cure-all ingredient that most pros love to suggest. While some people can tolerate these two ingredients together, some with sensitive skin may be worried about the niacin flush—which occurs when niacinamide hydrolyses into nicotinic acid when combined with an acidic product. This conversation can cause facial flushing, which can result in redness and tingling.

There really can be too much of a good thing—and some power duos are best used separately instead of together. It might be best to ease in actives and space them out, because too many strong ingredients–while they may feel satisfying in the short run—can hurt more than they can help.

The list of skincare DON’Ts is never ending – and we are happy to discuss it all with you! Click on our WhatsApp icon to chat with us at any time!

When you’re inundated by skincare brands and products that claim to be your best option, it is fair to wish for simple solutions that promise to solve your issues in the most natural way possible—using ingredients from your kitchen. DIY skincare seems safe. After all, your grandmother has been relying on her aloe vera & cucumber juice face mask recipe for years. While it might be an attractive prospect, and may even feel like the cleaner way, it leaves too much to chance. If you’re mixing things up in your kitchen in lieu of well-formulated skincare products, you could be playing too fast and loose. Here’s why.

It can mess with your skin’s pH and moisture barrier

A coconut oil and sugar scrub sounds like the perfect idea, but may take a no-prisoners-approach to your skin instead. Sugar particles are all different sizes and shapes, and the sharp edges may cause micro-tears in your skin. This may actually cause you to over-exfoliate without realising. Coconut oil is highly comedogenic. So while you might be using it to brighten skin, it can clog pores and cause breakouts in the long run.

Lemon—another DIY favourite—could damage your skincare barrier instead of fortify it. The skin has an acid mantle, which helps seal in moisture and keep skin firm. When it deviates too much from its median, the skin can get irritated. This can lead to acne, irritation and pigmentation. Lemon juice is super acidic (with a pH of 2) and can alter the skin’s pH, which is usually between 4-5, which–when messed with—can take a lot of TLC to nurse back to health.

You can’t trust the source of your ingredients

It is nothing like pharmaceutical-grade Vitamin C, which is formulated at a pH that won’t damage the skin. The neutralised ingredient is measured out and stabilized (and tested and then re-tested in a lab). This ensures that it won’t burn, sting or irritate the skin. It is also tested to make sure it works efficiently in that concentration or housed in that packaging. This is unlike a lemon from the grocery store, that could be non-organic or lying on the shelf for days. Even if the skincare product is using filtered lemon juice extracts, it’s in a well-researched high concentration to ensure efficacy.

Fruits and vegetables aren’t shelf-stable

Preservatives and parabens may sometimes get a bad rap. But they actually play a super important role in making topical skincare products safe, stable and actually effective. If you’re using eggs to mattify your skin or yoghurt to moisturise, you could inadvertently be introducing bacteria to your skin instead. They’re more perishable than you might assume.

Natural doesn’t have to mean better, safer or more effective

Consumers can sometimes fear the unknown, like ingredients they can’t read or pronounce (like niacinamide, glycosphingolipids and polyhydroxy acids). But these are high quality ingredients that do exactly what they promise to do, thanks to research and lab-testing. Plus, it is important to note that even in “natural” skincare products, ingredients have to be processed to make them safe enough to be bottled. Synthetic ingredients, on the other hand, are made in the lab to mimic these natural ingredients. These have any possible allergens or additions filtered out. Poison ivy is natural, but you don’t want it anywhere near your face, ever.

It is important to note that skincare is not a one-size-fits-all, and the aloe vera + apple cider vinegar + mashed banana + peach mask that works to brighten your friends skin? It might totally backfire on you (or it might just not work at all!). Instead, do your homework. Read ingredient lists, research labels and hold skincare brands that have done the research, work and due diligence accountable. This is how you can get what you really signed up for. If you need help creating a skincare routine from scratch, read our guide

Have more questions about ingredients that work together and don’t? You can reach out to us through WhatsApp!