Effectively Pare Down Your Skincare Routine For Healthy And Luminous Skin
With the rise in popularity of the ‘no-make-up’ makeup look and achieving that youthful glow, people have realised just how important looking after your skin is. Skincare is so popular, in fact, that the South African skincare market is projected to register a CAGR of 4.25%. In the past few years, many skincare products and trends have come out, and people couldn’t wait to try them out. Most of them have created 8-step-or-more skincare routines and even have different routines for different seasons. However, for this year, it’s all about scaling back. People have realised that overdoing skincare can actually lead to skin problems. By taking a minimal yet targeted approach, you can have a simpler yet more effective skincare routine that addresses all your skin problems.
Microdosing: Less is More
The beauty industry has shifted focus from anti-aging to anti-stress products, and with it comes the microdosing trend. In skincare terms, microdosing means mixing minuscule amounts of a different type of acid, such as glycolic, along with other active ingredients like retinol. According to dermatologists, excessive use of products or active ingredients can often be irritating or stressful for the skin, so microdosing is one of the best ways to improve skin without dealing with the harsh side effects of certain products.
This is also the reason why getting skin booster treatments have become immensely popular, since this type of treatment delivers a customised dose of antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins and minerals, and hyaluronic acid to the skin. Most people who get booster treatments experience an increase in skin hydration, skin glow, and an improvement in texture. Meanwhile, if you want to try microdosing at home, you can try using products with active ingredients such as Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum, Paula’s Choice Resist Daily Smoothing Treatment 5% AHA with Glycolic Acid, or La Roche Posay’s B3 Retinol Serum.
Protecting Your Skin Barrier
Skin barrier protection is becoming an important part of skincare. According to experts, skin barrier protection means helping to strengthen and support your skin barrier, and this keeps the good stuff in, like moisture, and the harmful stuff out, like bad bacteria or external irritants. When the skin barrier is damaged, it can leave the skin susceptible to dryness, flaking, redness, burning, stinging, and sensitivity in addition to worsening skin conditions, such as acne and eczema. A damaged skin barrier can also make it harder to tolerate other skincare products. To protect your skin barrier, you should use products with ingredients that mimic what’s in the barrier, such as ceramides and fatty acids. Consider trying products such as EtaMD’s Barrier Renewal Complex, Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Face Cream, or Tata Harper’s Superkind Bio-Barrier Serum.
Fermented Skincare
Recent studies have found that ingesting fermented food may have anti-aging benefits. Moreover, skin experts claim that fermented ingredients are currently popular in skincare because it uses a natural process to help enhance a product’s potency and penetration without irritating the skin. Our skin doesn’t have the ability to digest ingredients like our gut, so the fermented skincare technology helps to break down the active ingredients into smaller and simpler molecules, making it easier to be absorbed by our skin. This means the products work better and their effects last longer. The popular products that harness this technology include Glossier’s Cleanser Concentrate, Innisfree’s Firming Energy Cream, and the Biophile Bio-Shroom Rejuvenating Serum.
Scaling back on your skincare routine can be a good thing, as long as you use the right products to target certain skin concerns. Try these skincare trends this year and enjoy having beautiful, radiant skin without using too many products.