Simple. Sustainable. Trendy.
These are keywords that sum up skin minimalism quite nicely.
Frankly, I didn't think I'd see those exact three words grouped together quite this soon in the beauty industry, so I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised to hear that skin minimalism (aka "skinimalism") is the hottest beauty trend in 2021!
So what exactly is skin minimalism, you might be wondering?
At the very least, it is the concept of embracing a more minimalistic approach to skincare. With a 'less is more' attitude, the idea is that we swap out our elaborate skincare routines (that require a plethora of products) for the bare essentials that are needed to achieve healthy, glowing skin.
Why is this so good? At the very least, skin minimalism is:
- more sustainable for the Earth
- easier on your wallet
- lower maintenance, and
- better for your skin
What's not to love about that?
I can honestly say this is the first trend in my entire life that I plan to jump unabashedly headfirst into because it combines all of the things I try to achieve with The Green Goddess:
- environmental awareness
- the ongoing issues of sustainability
- deep love and acceptance for who we are
- clean beauty
- a simple/slow/organic (read: logical) approach to skincare
Sign me up because I just drank the blue Kool-Aid!
Can you tell how excited I am that the philosophy of skincare I have been following for the last decade is finally trendy? It's like music to my ears to hear that we are finally at a point on our consumer journey where we realize there is a better, simpler, more holistic, healthy way of caring for ourselves (and our Earth!).
Another thing I must say that I really adore about this trend is the whole attitude it encompasses. For those who embrace this new skincare philosophy wholeheartedly, it's akin to saying:
"I don't give a hoot what the world thinks I should look like anymore. I'm just gonna do me."
And there isn't a thing more beautiful than that, in my opinion.
Just so we're clear - this attitude doesn't mean we stop caring about what we look like, nor does it mean that we neglect our skin's needs. It doesn't mean that we give up on our desires to be beautiful. It also doesn't mean that you can't buy the products you need that bring you joy and that are good for your skin.
It means that instead of striving for a state of "perfection" through applying multiple cosmetics with 10-step routines, we choose to embrace our imperfect selves and tell the world to love us just the way we are. We allow our true selves to shine through with our skin's health and well-being at the forefront of our minds.
In other words, we stop giving too many you-know-whats.
And with our energy freed up to no longer obsess about every freckle, flaw, pimple, wrinkle, or age spot, we can instead turn our attention to asking ourselves more essential questions, like:
What the hell have I been doing to my skin all these years in the name of beauty?
Yikes. I reckon that could be an uncomfortable question for many women.
Squirmish as it might be, asking this powerful question might grant us sparkly new eyes with the incredible superpower to see a whole lot of unnecessary products designed to fix yourself jammed into your cupboards and drawers.
Maybe, after realizing we have fallen prey to the industry and its harmful messaging, it would then become easier to distill our skincare regime down to the essence of what our skin needs to be happy.
Hard questions aside, how lovely would it be to focus on ingredients and formulas that are genuinely clean, simple, and even multifunctional to encourage naturally radiant skin? Let me give you a quick example.
Years ago, when I first started wearing makeup, I used to purchase an eye makeup remover specifically for that task. It was a small bottle filled with a funky blue liquid and questionable ingredients that cost a pretty penny.
Nowadays, I simply use organic coconut oil to remove my eye makeup. It works like a charm! And because this ingredient is already in my life for creating cosmetic formulas and cooking adventures, it's a win-win all around. No more toxic eye makeup remover, no more unnecessary purchases, happier wallet, happier skin!
I'm not the only one thinking this way, either. As shown below, more people are starting to ask these very questions.
Pinterest declared in their Pinterest Predicts 2021 report that annual searches for how to get naturally glowing skin are increasing four-fold every year, and search terms such as natural everyday makeup have gone up 180% year after year. The report indicates that pinners are looking to "streamline their regimens and discover clean products with natural ingredients," concluding it is officially time to "say goodbye to the 12-step beauty routine".
Beyond all the reasons that more and more women are starting to embrace simplified beauty routines, focus on clean ingredients, and love ourselves the way we are - there's another big reason why this movement is so critically important.
Did you know that the beauty sector is one of the most unsustainable industries in the world?
Think about it.
The whole purpose of the beauty industry is to make you buy, buy, buy:
buy this, buy that, you need this, you want that, this will make you pretty, this will make you less ugly, you should look like this, you should do this, add these extra steps, you should be ashamed of that, this is too big, that is too small, this will fix your problems, hide this over here, cover that up over there, eradicate that entirely, change yourself in this way, she's prettier than you because of this, jump on that new trend before it's too late! Etc.
This cracked record needs to change.
We are tired of hearing the same tune.
The time has come for a new soundtrack.
How refreshing that the melody our ears now crave to hear is the harmonious sound between people and the planet.
Until now, most well-meaning discussions on sustainability and environmentalism in the beauty industry have focused solely on packaging. This issue is a topic we have addressed ourselves, too, in our last blog post, "How We Put The 'Green' in The Green Goddess."
Although it's a good starting point, the conversation must run deeper to make real and lasting change. If we hope to become a truly sustainable industry, beauty brands must face the music and admit that the way we push products on consumers is a big problem. And as customers, we must look at our buying habits and get rampant consumerism under control.
We know that the beauty industry is guilty of pushing products, and consumers are guilty of overbuying. According to Lorraine Dallmeier, a Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist, and CEO of award-winning online organic cosmetic formulation school Formula Botanica, the average woman uses no less than 16 products per day, every day. That's a lot of products!
She mentions in this podcast that a mere 60 years ago, it was standard practice for women to wash their hair only once a week. And 100 years ago, makeup was only worn by women with "loose morals" (prostitutes). I give these examples because today, they seem ridiculous to most!
But what changed?
The messaging, of course.
Haircare companies told us to start washing our hair more, and makeup brands said that all women should wear makeup.
And we listened, as good consumers do.
But we're getting tired of that same old messaging. We are wisening up.
So now we find ourselves transitioning from an era where, for many years, the industry standard was based solely on gaining infinite economic growth with finite resources at hand.
We are entering a more sustainable era where we become conscious of our cosmetic purchases along with the harmful messaging that has governed our lives for decades. We are becoming more aware of pressing environmental concerns. Can I get an amen?
And although that is cause for celebration in my books, I still recognize we have a long way to go. With that in mind, I have a question that you can ponder over the coming days and weeks:
Does the idea of buying fewer products fill you with dread?
I know it can feel scary to let go of products. As women, I suspect we attach a good deal of our self-worth to some of our products - I get that.
I think it's important to highlight that this process doesn't have to happen overnight - it can be a slow, organic unfolding that plays out over time. As you use up one product, consider if you need to repurchase it. Is there something else you have on hand that could serve the same purpose? Perhaps you can seek out a cleaner formula next time?
And finally, when your cupboards and drawers have dwindled to a reasonable stash, and you need to purchase an essential again, seek out products with dual (or more) purposes.
This leads me to precisely the reason why I love simple skincare formulas. Let me give you some examples below of some multifunctional products from our product line. You might be surprised to see that your favourite product can be used in ways you never imagined!
That face elixir you have from The Green Goddess? It's a moisturizer, yes. But did you know that you can use it to cleanse the skin as part of an oil cleansing method? Essentially, it both cleanses and moisturizes the skin effectively. And due to its high vitamin content and antioxidant properties, it has anti-aging qualities that make it the perfect skincare indulgence at night before bed on the face, neck, and eye area.
That diaper salve you have from when your babies were young? Did you know that you can use it on cradle cap, sunburn, bug bites, rashes, eczema, and dry skin? And that's just the tip of the iceberg! We are constantly finding and hearing about new ways to enjoy this product.
That Magic Monster Spray that your kids no longer need? It can be used as a gorgeous face toner, room spray, or aromatherapy stress aid when you need a timeout. Or spray it on your skin before applying your body butter to make it absorb faster!
Our cocoa butter bars? You can use this multifunctional bar for anything from preventing stretch marks on pregnant bellies, treating dry and cracked heels, elbows, and shins, utilize it as a post-shave recovery bar, or for dry cuticles on hands. It's amazingly versatile!
I could go on and on, but you get the picture.
So now I want to hear from you!! Do you have any hesitations about jumping on the skin minimalism bandwagon? What products do you consider "essential" that you could not live without? Do you think this trend needs to stay for the long haul? I'd love to hear your thoughts so comment below!
Wishing you green blessings and sunshine,
xo Sarah