Have you ever walked into a beauty store and been overwhelmed by all of the cleansers, toners, serums, essences, masks, oils and treatments promising you flawless skin? Although there are many benefits to each of the above products, using too many products can actually lead to less than optimal results! No wonder people are now embracing the new minimalist skincare trend.
Skincare can be done in three easy steps when you keep it simple! Using fewer, higher quality products helps the skin to operate at its best (or naturally). A great ingredient choice for minimalism is sea buckthorn. Seabuckthorn contains many vitamins, antioxidants and essential fatty acids that can contribute to a healthy and balanced complexion while simplifying your skincare routine.
Reasons why people are moving towards minimal skincare routine
The skincare industry has been promoting the benefits of multi-step skincare routines for years, however many consumers are realizing more skincare products are not giving them exact results!
Oh, and did I mention that by using a minimal skincare routine you get a whole lot of other benefits?
A minimal skincare routine will:
- Decrease risk of irritation & sensitivity.
- Save time each day.
- Decrease expenses associated with purchasing skincare products.
- Make planning out future skincare purchases much easier by identifying products that work for you.
- Support your skin's natural barrier.
Instead of layering active ingredients on top of each other, minimalist skincare utilizes only one active ingredient at a time per application.
Comprehending benefits Sea Buckthorn in skincare
Understanding the popularity of Sea Buckthorn among Skincare/Beauty professionals is critical to developing an effective routine. Sea Buckthorn is a highly nutrient-dense berry that is one of the richest sources of skin-nourishing compounds. It contains:
1. Vitamin C
Vitamin c works to help brighten skin tone and also assists with the production of collagen which can help to create firmer and more youthful looking skin.
2. Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a great antioxidant that helps to save skin from free radicals produced by the environment stressors, while keeping the skin moist and hydrated.
3. Essential fatty acids
Sea Buckthorn is unique in that it has four essential fatty acids (Omega 3, 6, 7 and 9). It nourishes skin by maintaining the skin barrier and reducing water loss.
4. Antioxidants
Sea Buckthorn also contains a variety of Antioxidants (Carotenoids and Flavonoids) that will protect the skin from oxidative damage, thereby preventing premature aging.
This single ingredient giving all the necessary benefits to skin makes it the highest approaching ingredient for minimalist skincare.
What does a minimalist skincare routine look like?
You do not need to have a complicated (10+) step system; you can have an efficient, effective skincare routine based on the use of Sea Buckthorn and have healthy, youthful skin using very few products.
Step 1: Gentle cleanser
Cleansing is at the core of any good skincare routine.Using a gentle cleanser will remove dirt and excess oils, sun screen etc without stripping skin or damaging skin barriers. Using too harsh of a cleanser will cause irritation or dryness.
You must look for a cleanser that is :
- Sulfate-free
- Maintain your skin's natural pH
- Leave skin feeling good after washing
- Cleansing 2x daily should generally suffice for most people.
Step 2: Sea buckthorn oil or serum
Using a sea buckthorn based serum directly after cleansing will provide strong concentrated nutrition.
A great serum will provide your skin both antioxidants as well as fatty acids while hydrating and repairing their skin barrier.
Potential benefits:
- Softens skin
- Adds a natural glow to skin
- Doesn't let skin lose its moisture
- Reduced dullness
This can replace the need for many other additional treatment type products.
Step 3: Moisturizer
A moisturizer helps to lock in hydration while also helping to strengthen the skin barrier. When following a minimal skin care routine, look for a moisturizer that will enrich your own skin type and not have to layer 3 or more creams.
If you have dry skin, go for:
- A rich cream with sea buckthorn oil
- Ceramides to support barrier
If you have oily skin, look for:
- A lightweight gel-cream texture
- A non-comedogenic formulation
If you have combination skin, opt:
- A lotion which provides hydration without adding too much weight
- The goal of this regimen is to feel comfortable without a heavy feel.
Step 4: Always apply sunscreen
No matter how effective your current routine of skin-care products is, a daily application of sunscreen for protection against the sun is the bare minimum you have to do for your skin.
The following are the primary effects of ultraviolet exposure:
- Premature aging
- Dark spots (hyperpigmentation)
- Collagen breakdown
- Damaged skin
It is important to use broad-spectrum (uva and uvb protection) sunscreen with a minimum of spf 30 as the last step in your morning skincare regimen.
In fact, the use of a single product (sunscreen) will typically have a larger impact on the long-term health of your skin than using several additional products.
How sea buckthorn can benefit each skin type
Sea buckthorn is one of the best products to incorporate into a minimalist skincare routine because it can be used in a variety of ways.
Dry skin
Sea buckthorn contains fatty acids that replenish moisture to the skin and help strengthen the skin barrier. People with dry skin tend to have the following benefits from using sea buckthorn:
- Less tightness in the skin
- Improved moisture level
- Softer feeling
Sensitive skin
Combining a simple skincare regime with the nourishing properties of sea buckthorn may help minimize irritation on your sensitive skin. An additional benefit of using fewer products is that you reduce your chances of creating an irritating reaction.
Oily skin
Contrary to common belief, the use of facial oils is not necessarily a bad thing for oily skin. When used properly, sea buckthorn will:
- Help maintain a balanced oil level in the skin
- Provide antioxidants
- Nutrient-rich moisture and
- Will not leave an oily feeling on the skin.
Mature skin
Mature skin can benefit from the nourishing properties of sea buckthorn, which supports overall skin health. This includes improving:
- Elasticity of the skin
- Hydration of the skin
- Radiance of the skin
- Overall resilience of the skin
Best Minimalist Skincare Routine
The primary goal of a skincare routine is not to use the minimum number of products possible. Instead, the best minimalist skincare routine is to use only the products that actually work for you and your skin type. Here’s what a perfect daily routine might look like:
Am
- Gentle cleanser
- Sea buckthorn serum (can also be in oil form)
- Moisturizing lotion/cream
- Sunscreen
Pm
- Sentle cleanser
- Sea buckthorn serum (or sea buckthorn oil)
- Moisturizing lotion/cream
The four products listed above will help provide your skin with hydration, nourishment, antioxidant protection, and barrier support.
Mistakes made in skincare
Many people have overly complicated routines without realizing it. Doing these mistakes is making your skin worse than better.
1. Switching products too frequently
Your skin needs time (usually several weeks) to get used to using a new product. If you're frequently switching products, this will only make it harder for you to know how your skin is reacting.
2. Layering too many active ingredients
Using lots of different active ingredients at once, like multiple acids, retinoids, and/or exfoliants, can irritate your skin and may compromise the integrity of the skin barrier.
3. Going along with the trend despite your skin condition
Social networks may serve as good sources of information about popular skin care products, but in most cases, it is not beneficial to your skin. On the contrary, it would be much more beneficial to stick with the same products rather than change them because of the latest trend.
4. Not understanding the skin barrier
Your skin's barrier is the foundation of healthy skin. If you wash your face too much or exfoliate too aggressively, you will damage your skin's barrier. Ultimately this will have a negative impact on your skin's long-term health.
Conclusion
Having an effective skin care regimen doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to have multiple skin care products or even 10 steps skin care regime. Rather, you should go for a minimalist skincare routine by finding skin care products that can be used for various purposes and have a low risk of irritating or overloading your skin with products.
The advantage of including seabuckthorn in skin care routine is that sea buckthorn offers three important nutrients that your body needs, which are found in a single ingredient – antioxidants, vitamins, and fatty acids.
Including at least one sea buckthorn skin care product will help make your skin care routine easier and healthier for you. You can get quality skincare products from Wellwith, a trustworthy natural skincare brand in India.
