Skinimalism: This Year's Top Beauty Trend

By: Nicole McCray

What if we told you the biggest beauty trend to keep in mind for 2022 involves throwing away most of your skincare products? We all love scrolling through the #shelfie hashtag on Instagram, the beautifully organized, color-coordinated skincare products are enough to make any girl drool, but the exhaustive, 10+ step routines are becoming a status symbol of the past. What you don’t see in those gorgeous Instagram photos are the side effects of overusing too many products with powerful active ingredients.

If dry, flaky, red, sensitive skin and frequent breakouts sound all too familiar to you, you’ll understand why minimalist skincare routines are becoming the newest craze among beauty influencers everywhere.

Skinimalism emphasizes simplicity. It’s about skipping the caked-on makeup and letting your skin’s natural texture shine through. In other words, it’s about sticking to the essential products that really do something for your skin… nothing more, nothing less. And despite past skincare trends, if you ask any dermatologist, it turns out less is more when it comes to skincare. That’s why skincare experts tell you to only introduce one new product to your skincare routine at a time.

In fact, the biggest risk of using too many products at once is irritation. While this may not sound like a big deal at first glance, it can lead to inflammation and even hyperpigmentation. It can take months for these issues to resolve.

We’re exploring self-care at home more and more these days, which means the sale of products like masks, scrubs, chemical exfoliators, moisturizers, and cleansers has been on the rise more than ever before. But, we’re noticing a distinct shift in recent months as multipurpose products are flying off the shelves. Making Botox last longer with a minimalist routine that boosts collagen production and protects against sun damage are the new priorities.

And when consumers can get solid information from a reputable source without the need to try a bunch of different products, it cuts down on spending, too. This is one reason brands are striving to produce more informational content and personalized recommendations.

Consumers are also becoming tired of the unrealistic beauty standards perpetuated by beauty product campaigns and photo editing apps. False promises and unrealistic expectations are becoming a real turnoff to shoppers. Just because you can hide the imperfections on your skin with primer, concealer, foundation, and powder doesn’t mean you have to.

All that being said, the skinimalism, “let your natural skin shine through” trend hasn’t slowed down the launch of new skincare products. The constant barrage of new information and products leaves consumers confused about what they really need.

That’s probably why we all feel driven to experiment with so many products. And it makes it difficult to create a minimalist routine that works for you. When you’re cutting back to just a few products, you want to know you’re committing to the right ones. Focusing on your most problematic issues, rather than trying to fix everything at once with a bunch of different products, will make a huge difference in how your skin looks overall. Committing to a consistent routine of a few solid products will keep your skin looking its best.