Skinimalism is the latest beauty trend

Less is more has always worked perfectly for fashion and design aesthetics. Post pandemic year, the minimalism philosophy has garnered considerable interest among beauty and makeup aficionados too. No one has the time or interest to follow complicated beauty routines and attempt pancake makeup anymore; the year 2021 is all about skinimalism and keeping beauty real and pocket-friendly.   

Delete, downsize:
With the whole situation of the pandemic and each one of us still learning to live around this new normal, a lot of people have preferred to downscale their skincare routine as they are more homebound. Skinimalism is all about down-scaling your skincare regime by sticking to the absolute must-dos to maintain healthy skin, informs cosmetic physician Dr Jamuna Pai, founder of Skinlab. She says, “I have always been a firm believer of the ‘Less is More’ concept when it comes to following a skincare routine. Layering products on your skin takes away the skin’s capability to heal and repair itself. Skin minimalism is all about using active, potent ingredients for a particular skin concern, which is effective and safe.”

No filter, no fake:
Millennials are all about empowerment and self-confidence. This trend is yet another manifestation of this philosophy. It’s about letting your natural skin shine through — texture, pores, blemishes, discoloration, and all, mentions Arushi Thapar, Sr manager marketing at Plum. She explains, “The new beauty lexicon includes 'natural, healthy, no toxins, no filters, everyday glow, and ‘no makeup’ makeup. The pandemic only helped — people got more aware, more conscious, and more used to their natural skin and beauty. The best way to ease your way into skinimalism would be to look for products that are versatile and that work well together, of course. The other way is to stick to the basics and invest in the essentials. A must-have routine is a good cleanser, toner, and moisturiser-cum-sunscreen. This is the holy trinity of skincare regimes for that all-natural glow.”

Social media approved:
According to Pinterest’s recent 2021 trend predictions, skinimalism is going to be a major beauty trend in 2021 based on the search volume the social media entity has noticed on trends like ‘natural glow’ ‘minimal skin care’ etc. It’s being defined as the new ‘glow up’. The idea is to show healthy, nourished skin rather than hiding it under layers of makeup or too many products. Manish Chowdhary, co-founder of WOW Skin Science, highlights it as “a minimalist approach in your skincare regime”, and adds, “There is a need to declutter our lives after all the stress that pandemic has brought on over the last one year. People want to take a simple approach to skincare just like everything else in life. They want to take away the stress of taking care of their skin by using maybe two or three products that help their skin and meet the nourishment needs. Also, after living a year without makeup, too much cleansing or moisturising, letting skin be in its natural form, millennials want to continue like that — they have realised that you do not need a seven-step, elaborate regime to have healthy skin. There is also no urgency to hide blemishes or scars — rather deal with them from inside and with few key products. You don’t need to use more than 3 products at a time — just respond to your skin’s true needs. Just keep a good face wash, a mask, and a moisturiser and you are good to go.”

Bare essentials:
As the younger lot is obsessed with the idea to save the planet and keep the budgets under control while they are at it, the trend of skinimalism makes absolute sense to this generation. It is unlike something that we have observed in the over-the-top beauty and makeup industry, remarks Pratibha Singh, VP, brand management for Sublime Life. She points out some interesting facts and says, “Millennials have a great habit of researching before they empty their pockets over any skincare or beauty product. Rather than making hasty impulsive purchases, they prefer purchasing one product that will cater to multiple needs. The beauty industry has taken into account that consumers are looking for something raw and real as compared to conventional flawless beauty. The foremost thing to do is de-clutter all of your makeup and skincare
products. Less is always more — you do not need that extra moisturiser or that third red lipstick. Sticking to a routine that has a minimal number of products will not only leave you with radiant skin but also help you save the planet. For essentials, invest in a good sunscreen, moisturiser, a potent serum,
mascara, and some lip and cheek tint.”