BUY TO GIVE BACK! A portion of your purchase goes towards supporting SUBZ Pads. Underprivileged school girls receive reusable sanitary wear so they don’t have to give up their right to education.

Simplifying your beauty routine: the power of the “Less is More” approach

“Skinimalism” is a trend that encourages people to allow their natural beauty to shine through, even without makeup. Social media feeds refer to it as the new glow-up. We discuss a few ways of maximising that natural look without full-face make-up.

Skinimalism combines natural beauty with minimal makeup. It's about fewer skincare efforts to improve skin discolouration, pores, and blemishes, combined with an acceptance of your skin as it is. This makes it an appealing approach for many of us. Ultimately as your skin condition improves you won't need to cover it with dispensable layers of cosmetics.

Using too many products can overload your skin. Creams and lotions can cause breakouts and skin concerns because the skin can only process so many active ingredients. The "less is more" approach looks to minimise skincare and cosmetic products to reduce skin irritation, which will improve the skin's overall health and appearance. Not only that it reduces your spending on skincare products.

By choosing the correct ingredients, you can minimise the number of chemicals you apply to your skin via your skincare products. This will not only have a benefit on your skin's health and appearance but your overall health as well.

How do you practice Skinimalism?

Here are our tips for getting into that skinimalistic regime:

1. Use multipurpose products

Skincare and cosmetic products target specific concerns in your skin. However, you do not need a product for every concern. Instead, try to address several concerns with a single product. For example, retinoids and vitamin C can smooth fine lines, wrinkles, and reduce dark spots. These ingredients also promote collagen production and improve the skin barrier. Serums containing these two ingredients are an excellent choice and a skinimalism must-have. These two ingredients work in cooperation, so there is no need to be alarmed about adverse reactions.

2. Stick to the basics

Sticking to the basics means using only what is essential for your skin. Applying too many products can potentially irritate your skin and make its condition worse. Traditional skincare routines consisted of cleanse, tone, moisturise, and finish with your sunscreen. Moisturisers would include day cream, night cream and eye cream. We now know that serums are a better option than creams, and toners are long gone (for the most part). Skinimalism calls for avoiding the duplication of ingredients entering your skin, especially those that can cause irritation. Skin products should contain scientifically researched ingredients with multiple functions. The aim is to promote healthier skin while controlling inflammation (low grade inflammation that results in inflammageing).

A note about hypochlorous acid
Even when using effective products, it is important to use them correctly and not combine them in ways that can harm the skin. Hypochlorous acid is the most exciting cosmetic ingredient in decades. Its effect on the skin is nothing short of miraculous! The origin of hypochlorous acid is the human body’s own immune system. Here at Thoclor Labs, a biotechnology company in Stellenbosch, we offer medical grade hypochlorous acid that is produced in our laboratory. Normally, hypochlorous acid is used to fight infection, heal wounds, and maintain health in cells. Research also supports its function to stop ageing in the skin caused by inflammation – inflammation results in accelerated ageing in the skin (and in the body for that matter). But hypochlorous acid also does something more miraculous – it reverses ageing in the skin! Skin that has been treated with hypochlorous acid returns to a more youthful appearance. Elasticity is improved, collagen build-up resumes and the manufacture of hyaluronic acid by the skin is restored, improving hydration with regular use. It is important to use only pharmaceutical grade hypochlorous acid.

What about makeup?
When applying makeup, you do not need to include multiple products to get that everyday look. Apply minimal makeup to highlight your best features and help bring out your natural glow and beauty.

3. Eat healthy

Glowing skin is also directly affected by our food choices, as some foods can help to keep skin healthy. Several essential nutrients, present in foods, promote healthier skin – these include omega fatty acids, beta carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, and zinc.

4. Exfoliate with care

Exfoliation involves removing dead skin cells, usually with a chemical or granular material. Avoid scrubs containing ground nut shells, though, because the irregular edges cause skin damage. Scrubs with rounder particles are gentler on the skin but please avoid those containing microplastics. Exfoliating products should not be used at the same time as retinols as they may lead to skin irritation.

5. Skip DIY chemical peels

Because topical chemicals are designed to remove the outer layer of skin, there is a substantial risk for burns and permanent skin pigment changes with the at-home use of chemical peels. Please always consult a trained professional should you be interested in a chemical peel.

6. Beware of fad products

Instead of milky cleansers or those presented as bars of soap opt for a liquid gel cleanser. Soap bars and milky cleansers pose a threat to the naturally low pH of the skin, resulting in an imbalance in the skin’s natural biome. Cleansing oils may worsen the condition of the skin in some cases, leading to acne and dermatitis. These are not our favourite choice. Skin-bleaching agents should not be used as they damage the skin. Their ingredients also affect the production of melanin and may have lasting consequences on the skin’s ability to maintain an even tone, leaving you with permanent damage.

A healthy skincare regimen

Thoclor Labs recommend using a clear gel cleanser, followed by our GF2 skin spray, containing our hypochlorous acid, twice a day. If your skin feels dry, a vitamin C/hyaluronic acid serum can be used in the morning once the GF2 has dried on the skin. Opt for a sunscreen at SPF 15 instead of a sunblock (there is mounting evidence that the ingredients used in sunblocks could harm the kidneys and liver). Be sunwise and minimise your sun exposure.

If you are using any Retinoids use these at night once the GF2 has dried on the skin.

The bottom line is to not overload the skin with too many products or ingredients – give this a try and experience why the “less is more” approach is becoming so popular.

error: Content is protected !!