3 reasons why less skincare is better
Are complicated skincare routines really the answer to radiant, lit-from-within skin? Or will a more minimalist approach get you more of a glow? Here’s why swapping a shelf-full of products for something simpler and more streamlined won’t just leave you more time for life, it’s the key to healthier skin.
Used on its own the occasional active-packed skin treatment, like an AHA or BHA chemical exfoliation, is unlikely to cause much harm. But layered with a daily or weekly cocktail of scrubs, serums, at-home peels, masks and moisturizers, it’s a recipe for overload. Skin can’t cope with an onslaught of harsh ingredients day after day. And that leads to red, blotchy, sensitive, irritated skin. A simpler (and quicker) routine is not only gentler on over-worked skin, it’ll open your eyes to the negative reactions an excessive regime causes.
The reason for that sensitivity? The skin’s natural lipid barrier that keeps moisture sealed in and protects against irritants, has been destroyed. Swapping layers of aggressive, barrier-stripping actives for soothing hydrators, emollients, niacinamide and fatty-acid rich oils restores moisture, and allows the barrier to repair. Which means softer, plumper, hydrated, glowing skin.
Slathering on retinol every night but not sure why you aren’t glowing? Aside from the irritation factor, some combinations of skincare ingredients just don’t mix. They either cancel each other out, or have such different functions that using them together isn’t efficient. Pimple-buster benzoyl peroxide, for example, can deactivate retinol. The same goes for vitamin C and retinol, which need wildly different pHs to work at their best. Keeping your routine simplified allows essential antioxidants and skin-loving ingredients to get to work in the long-term for a radiantly healthy complexion.