The trend towards a more minimal approach to beauty has been steadily increasing for years but since Covid-19 this “more natural” approach has become mainstream and far reaching.
Gone are the days of overly contoured and “caked on” layers of makeup that once dominated YouTube and social media. With face masks covering a large portion of our faces and many of us working from home – makeup is less important than good skin and hair care. It’s time to welcome no makeup or the no makeup look. I for one, am happy for the change.
So what is minimalist beauty? Simply put, less is more when it comes to ingredients, packaging, communications and beauty steps.
Transparent Ingredients
The US is one of the few markets that does not require more transparent ingredient labeling on beauty brands. The EU has adopted transparent in gradients as well as legislation banning harmful ingredients in cosmetics years ago. The American consumer is seeking clarity and transparency on beauty brands, thus the rising sales of natural and handmade beauty brands. In a 2019 poll from the Honest Product for Cosmetics & Personal Care, 94% of shoppers say they need more honesty and transparency from brands on their product ingredients. The reality is that without transparency consumers do not trust the brand. Consumers want to know the ingredients, how/where they came from and that there was no harm in the process; like animal testing.
Transparency in beauty & wellness: why 2020 will be a breakthrough year
Back to Basics
Emphasis on healthy skin, lashes, brows and hair vs camouflage or hiding with makeup or extensions. This is all about addressing the foundation of your look, like your lash and brow health. An example is WINK Lash & Brow Oil. Wink is an organic lash & brow enhancing oil, aimed at helping to naturally stimulate hair follicle growth. By leveraging a custom mix of essential fatty acids, this hypoallergenic beauty oil will give lashes & brows a more lush & full appearance. Don’t fake it; enhance your natural beauty with Wink. Visible results at 2 weeks; full results at 8-12.
When it comes to skin care it’s about using fewer but better items with optimal potent ingredients. Amalie SHINE Brightening Facial Oil and REWIND Organic Toning oil are two examples of options that can improve your skin to a point where you no longer feel you need to wear makeup.
Simple and recyclable packaging
The beauty industry has a history of lavish, wasteful packaging. Luxury aligning to sustainability can bee a challenge. High end, intricate packaging is counter culture to consumers desire for sustainable and recyclable packaging. The good news is that recyclable and sustainable packaging is on the rise in nearly every category. In fact, there is such demand that finding enough sustainable packaging is a challenge for many large companies. Check out more trends here with beauty packaging.
A simplified beauty routine
This means fewer products (AM and PM) that can multi-task. It also means you use the best active ingredients for maximum results. An example would be how to care for your face. There are three key steps each day – 1. Cleansing – washing your face. 2. Toning – balancing your skin. 3.Moisturizing – hydrating and treating your skin. You can streamline washing by using one cleanser that cleans your entire face vs one for eyes, face and/or specialty makeup cleansers. I love Cetaphil Gentle skin cleaner. It is mild and does not irritate skin and for me balances my skin. If your looking for other options Allure has a top 10 list here.
Face toners are designed to remove any additional dirt or residual unwanted oil from the skin so that your skin is prepared for moisturizer. Toners are designed to do a few things:
- To shrink pores- seek astringents such as alcohols or witch hazel that tighten skin.
- To exfoliate skin -look for ingredients like hydroxy acids that increase cell turnover for glowing results.
- For dry or sensitive skin – opt for soothing, moisturizing ingredients and humectants like glycerin or aloe to hydrate without irritation.
Good housekeeping does a nice job of highlighting the top 11 toners for every skin type.
Lastly, moisturizing skin. This step can often be combined with UV protection as many moisturizers contain SPF.
For hair why not try a conditioner and shampoo in 1? I like this list from Style Craze because they focus on the specific benefits of the product and the specific hair need. If you have noticed, the shampoo and hair conditioner isle has become so fragmented, it’s nice to see things simplified. If you can find a 2 in 1 hair treatment that works for you will be saving time, money and the environment. I personally like the Pantene items. For the entire list from style craze check here.
In summary, minimalist beauty is about streamlining and simplifying your beauty regime in all ways. The best way to attain minimalist beauty is to invest in fewer, better items that enable you to look your best.
Gentle Reminders: If you liked this type of content and want to see more, scroll to the top of the page, enter your email in the right hand column, and click “subscribe.” To share with friends, use the social sharing icons below. This blog contains affiliate links; both clicking on and purchasing through links help pay for this content.
