You don’t need a ton of products to achieve your skincare goals. Less is more if you use the right products, in the right way, and for a long enough time.
Here is what my current minimalistic skincare routine looks like. You can use this as a template to create one for yourself.
My skincare goals at the moment are: to tighten the pores, to control oil production, and to target uneven skin tone. All the products I currently use serve this purpose. This is the essence of minimalistic skincare. You need to decide what you want your skincare routine to accomplish and find the right products accordingly. You really don’t need to go extra. I am also slowly introducing retinol into my skincare routine, which is going to be a long-term practice.
So without further ado, let’s jump into the routine!
During the day
- Cleanse the face with Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
- Moisturise with Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel, which is the lightest and the most hydrating moisturiser that I’ve come across (read my review of the product here). This step, however, is optional and not something I do on hot and humid days. On those days I go straight to sunscreen.
- Apply Boost Lab Eye Reset serum
- Follow up with La Roche Posay Anthelios XL Anti-Shine Dry Touch Tinted Sunscreen SPF 50+ (read my review of the product here)
(It’s a good idea to use a Vit C serum before you apply sunscreen. But I don’t since Vit C breaks me out. If it doesn’t irritate your skin I highly recommend you use it.)
In the night
The night is where the real magic happens. We are coming out of summer here in Australia so my skincare routine looks a bit different to when the weather gets cooler.
Every night: Cleanse the face with Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser and apply L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Classic Face Care Eye Cream
Monday: Apply L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum on a dry face. I don’t apply anything else on the nights that I use retinol as it’s a strong product and my skin is still getting used to it.
Tuesday: The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum (targets pigmentation and brightens the skin tone). This is followed by Salicylic Acid 2% Solution, which exfoliates, tightens the pores, and regulates oil production. Of all the products I use, this is the one that has given me the most impressive results. I’ve been using salicylic acid for almost a year now, and in all that time my skin hasn’t once broken out. I really swear by this particular acid.
Wednesday: Same as Monday night’s routine
Thursday: The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum followed by The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA, which is supposed to work in a similar fashion as salicylic acid + control blackheads, but I’m not sure it’s giving me good (any?) results. I’ll be revisiting this particular product.
Friday: Just The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum. I don’t apply retinol the night previous if I know I’m going to be out and about in the day, which is more than likely the case over weekends.
Saturday: Nothing. Cleanse the face and let the skin breathe freely one night a week.
Sunday: The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum followed by Salicylic Acid 2% Solution, the same as Tuesday.
Points to note:
- As you can see there are only a few products that I rotate through the week. I will, once a week, if I can find the time and space for it, apply this AHA 25% + PHA 5% + BHA 2% solution and leave it on for 15 minutes. This acts like a deep-cleansing facial. I’ll skip exfoliation that night.
- My skin gets plenty of exfoliation during the week. I don’t moisturize much because Brisbane is still very humid. But as we move into autumn that will change. I only moisturize if I feel the need to, which I don’t at all in summers. I do, however, use a Calamine lotion to soothe my facial skin, which gets triggered by the humidity. This also aids in oil absorption. If your skin isn’t as oily as mine or if you live somewhere colder and dryer, you must moisturise after exfoliating.
- With all that exfoliation, sunscreen is a must for me. This is one product that I use every single day.
I hope this helped you. Let me know in the comments below or connect with me on Insta if you have any questions about this.
