Minimalist Beauty: Simple, Ethical Skin Care & Makeup
I went back and forth about this post. Wasn’t sure if minimalist beauty fit with what I normally write about with Raising Slow. But, I decided, minimalist beauty is nothing if not a time management tool and an act of self-care, two things we all probably could use a little more of.
I am a sustainable and ethical beauty advocate. By switching to cleaner, more natural products, we look and feel better and finding fewer, more effective, more beautiful products that give us a few extra minutes in the morning is the ultimate luxury. So, minimalist beauty…
Minimalist Beauty: Fewer steps, less time
We are constantly being bombarded with ads for products we “need” in order to lift, tighten, smooth, moisturize, hydrate. We are told we need to look younger, fitter, more well rested. We need to pluck and paint and brush and wax and … I am exhausted thinking about all the steps the beauty industry tells us we need to look good.
In 2016, the average woman’s beauty routine took 40 minutes and has 27 steps. Seriously, 27 STEPS!!! (up 10 from 2006). Absurd (and a perfect example of how effective marketing is) Who has time for this? Or money? And do they have kids? Because there is no way mine are going to let me take 40 minutes to make myself look good (I barely get 4 in the shower!).
Side note: When I started writing this, I considered putting it under “time management” because of the above stat. I mean, if minimizing our beauty routine can give us a few extra minutes in the day, I suppose it is time management, right?
Maybe it is time to take one or two (or 15 or so) steps back and consider a minimalist beauty routine.
By scaling back the number of products that we use, we can significantly reduce our environmental impact, not to mention give ourselves a little extra time, a little extra money, and a little less stress.
What Is Minimalist Beauty?
Minimalist beauty is conscious living through our skincare, hair care, and makeup routines. It is finding a bit of peace with what we were born with (and what we have “acquired” at this point – bags under our eyes, a little extra cellulite, maybe a few stretch marks). It is working with our natural beauty, rather than fighting it.
Minimalist beauty can be anything from finding a long-term solution for our most pressing skincare problems, recognizing that beauty is as much about what we eat as it is about what we put on our bodies, or acknowledging that no amount of expensive moisturizer is going to combat those got-up-four-times-last-night-with-a-sick-toddler under eye bags.
Ultimately, minimalist beauty is uncomplicated.
It is a simple beauty routine that feels good, looks good, and does good.
Minimalist beauty finds what works and sticks with it. It minimizes overconsumption of beauty products and the clutter that comes with it.
Minimalist beauty is about finding single products that do many things, and do it well. It is about simplifying what we put on our skin and hair to ingredients we can pronounce, understand, and potentially can eat. It is about using tools instead of products.
Minimalist beauty is not just about minimizing the number of products and steps in our beauty routines. It is also about minimizing the number of ingredients in our products to fewer, more effective ones, and minimizing the packaging our products come in.
It is about staying hydrated, moving our bodies, reducing stress, eating well, and taking care of ourselves inside so we don’t have to work as hard (or use as many products) to look good on the outside.
Minimalist beauty is about finding simple products that work well and do it all, with simple, effective ingredients.
Minimalist beauty is about spending less on higher quality, more ethical products that work better, and enjoying them more.
Minimalist beauty is time saving, effective, and healthy. It works without a lot of fuss, counter space, or unnecessary ingredients.
Minimalist beauty might be the most luxurious style of beauty there is.
What Minimalist Beauty Isn’t
Minimalist beauty doesn’t have to be a bare bones, no makeup look. It doesn’t need to be all DIY masks and “crunchy” makeup. It can be just as luxurious as any maximalist routine is, potentially even more so.
It can be a simplified, more effective, more beautiful version of what you are already doing.
It’s about finding products that do double duty, simplifying to the most effective and meaningful products.
It not about going for a “no makeup” look, although you can if you want. Keep the bold lips, keep the cat eyes. Do what makes you feel good, just try to use fewer, better products in doing so.
Fewer Products
Often times, we need additional products because one of our products creates a new problem. Our shampoo is over-drying, so we need an anti-frizz serum. Our face wash strips us of our natural oils, so we break out. We now need a spot treatment.
What if, instead of overcompensating, we found products that were a little gentler, that didn’t strip or over-dry. If we found products that just worked, without over doing it?
Yes, I know, it takes a little work, a bit of trial and error. But, in the end, a simpler, more effective product is always better than several products that are there just so solve a problem the previous product created.
Fewer Ingredients
At the heart of minimalist beauty is finding products with simple, effective ingredients. Generally, the fewer ingredients, the better. I look for products without fillers and fragrance.
Find multi-purpose items (like this RMS Beauty lip stain for lips and cheeks, Cocokind’s Golden Elixer for skin and hair, Bentonite clay for so many things) that easily do two or more things.
Think Pure
Just like your diet, skincare should be pure, as close to natural as possible, and completely nourishing. It should be without synthetics.
Ingredients At Home?
Along the lines of thinking pure is considering kitchen (and therefore edible and safe) ingredients for skincare and beauty.
Coconut oil (the only body oil and makeup remover I use), baking soda (an exfoliant, toothpaste, and a pre-shampoo bar staple), apple cider vinegar (hair rinse, toner) are all beauty powerhouses. I love essential oils, but know they can aggravate some. These can be found in most kitchens and are single ingredient, inexpensive beauty products.
Lifestyle
One minimalist way to clearer skin and shinier hair is to clean up our lifestyle. Getting enough sleep (I know, a lofty goal!), drinking enough water, reducing stress, and eating right are all incredible ways to look better without a single product.
There is almost no product that can remove or hide the damage that an unhealthy lifestyle can do. No cream that will fix an all-nighter’s bags, no moisturizer that will hide internal dehydration, no anti-blemish cream that will completely get rid of stress-induced acne.
Realistic Routines
Some of us are beauty maximalists. We buy products, spend an hour or so getting ready in the morning and quite a bit of time at night as well. We honor our self-care days with intricate weekly beauty rituals.
Most of us don’t.
Most of us buy a product or two, use it a few times, and then forget that it exists for weeks at a time. And then, use it again, forget… etc. until it has expired. No judgement here, I’ve absolutely done this. I completely understand the allure of a new mask or serum.
But, we don’t need all of that and we don’t usually use it all.
We need to clean, moisturize, and protect our skin. Seriously, that is all we need. Everything else is a bonus.
A serum, toner, weekly exfoliant and mask, and night cream are additions that can help but aren’t necessary.
A Few Quick Tips to Minimalist Beauty
Aside from reducing what you use, consider a few product alternatives:
Instead of:
Anti-cellulite cream: try coconut oil combined with dry brushing (which also feels incredibly energizing in the morning).
Blow drying for a long time: Try a microfiber wrap. Leave it on for fifteen or twenty minutes while you eat breakfast and get dressed, then style. Most of the moisture will be gone, reducing your blow-dry time (and your need for a heat-styling protectant).
Daily shampoo: Wash and style your hair less frequently with a good dry shampoo. Either buy one or DIY your own, and immediately cut down on many of your hair products and time spent styling.
Eliminate Fragrance: Fragrance is quite possibly the biggest toxic offender when it comes to beauty. Try an essential oil or just nothing at all instead. Please. For your own health (and that of others) do this.
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In addition to reducing your environmental footprint, freeing up a few minutes each morning, and looking better, consider the additional benefit of a minimalist beauty routine. You may feel more mindful, more in tune with your skin (and therefore your health) and less flustered and rushed in the morning. And all of this may reduce some of your stress… which of course will help you to look and feel just a little bit better.
Want more natural beauty posts? Take a look here.
