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I keep thinking about skinimalism.
I donāt keep my finger on the pulse of consumer trends āĀ at all āĀ so I really have no skin in the game here (pun fully intended). But over the years I have scratched my head at the wonder of how modern society has lured many, many a smart woman I know into the belief that she needs a million potions and elixirs to be viewed as passable in public.
Why is this? Why do we fall prey to this idea by Who Knows (and we all know They are always in charge here) that not only must women always look younger than they are, but they must also continually stay up to date on style trends to stay relevant? Itās one of the most glaring double standards given to the fairer sex (stereotype also fully intended), and yet even the most feminist-persuaded among our kind buy into the lie.
Donāt get me wrong: Iām not saying I think itās ridiculous to care about how you look. Not at all. I donāt scoff at makeup, doing your hair, assembling outfits, or going the extra mile in your grooming routine if any of these are your thing. I think a basic standard of cleanliness and a certain respectable sartorialism that echoes the day is beyond a decent baseline. I like playing around with my hair and wearing fun earrings (though you can keep your overflowing, vial-filled counters to yourself āĀ the thought makes me break out in hives and thus cancels the entire point of the endeavor).
But to wring our hands with concern that the clothes make the woman or the makeup makes the girl is just ā¦well, a shame. And the fact that a societal weariness at product overload is now being tapped for more product overload, just with the brand name Minimalism⢠slapped on it is āĀ well, it would be funny if it werenāt so infuriatingly consumeristic.
Weāve become a culture where weāre defined by what we consume, use, endorse, and spend our money on, and Iām afraid itās left women bereft of everything thatās better.
I donāt pretend to know what Iām doing here. All I know is that my since-childhood leaning towards a minimal style, a preference for traveling light through the world, and a frugal nature that balks at the price tags on these fountain-of-youth tinctures has led me to some tried-and-true favorites that havenāt steered me wrong yet.
Again, Iām not throwing anyone under the bus if playing with potions is their hobby. But I do think it necessary to add voices to the fray that lean toward thrifty and low-waste. If we vote with our dollars āĀ and I believe wholeheartedly that we do ā then we vote for the kind of world we like to see with what we smear on our morning and evening faces.
Hereās what works for me these days. If you lean toward the natural and economical as well, Iād love to hear in the comments if youāve found stuff that works for you!
Body
Cleaning: Bar soap encased in this sort of contraption, which both gives just the right scrub to work the soap into a lather and allows me to hang dry the soap overnight. I usually pick up whatever low-ingredient, low-package local soap Iām around (farmerās markets FTW) āĀ right now, though, Iām using this classic French beauty and couldnāt be happier. Itās huge and lasts forever.
Moisturizing: Homemade hair butter. Iāve been using this delightful stuff from MadeOn since 2013, and while I still love the company, I also make my own to save money. Iām still working on my final ratio of ingredients, but I think I lean towards 2 parts shea butter, 2 parts coconut oil, and 1 part beeswax, melted together over a double-boiler. I then stir in sweet orange essential oil (or grapefruit), then pour into a mold and toss in the fridge until completely cool and hard. Iād love to whip it a la this tutorial, but havenāt taken the time yet (I started one time and gave up at about 20 minutes). A tiny bit goes a long way āĀ I dab it on my face in the morning and at night.
Deodorizing: Right now Iām toggling between this stuff from Apple Valley and a Hey Humans! stick in a compostable tube from Target. I thought Iād never call a deodorant delightful, but thatās how Iād describe the stuff from Apple Valley āĀ it works miraculously, yet itās kinda pricey so I only use it at night post-shower. Also, it doesnāt travel well since it melts. (Oh, and Iām of the school that we over-antiperspirant-ize and thatās been bad for us, both for our health and our collective culture.)
Face
Cleaning: The oil-cleansing method. Canāt stop, wonāt stop; itās been well over a decade now since I discovered this foolproof method of clarifying my face while living in Turkey. Itās about as easy and frugal as it gets āĀ the only difference now from that original 2009 post is that I only do the OCM if Iāve worn makeup that day (which happens only 3-4 times a week, max). If Iāve gone bare for the day, all I do is lightly buff my face with this sort of thing + water in my evening shower.
Moisturizing: See the homemade hair butter, above. I first use either Moroccan Argan or almond oil at night.
Deep cleaning: Every few weeks Iāll make a bentonite clay mask āĀ Iāll mix equal parts clay and apple cider vinegar, toss it on my face, then freak out my boys as it slowly turns to stone (Tate joins me). When itās fully dry and cracking, Iāll wash it off with warm water + a washcloth, then finish with a splash of cold water and the moisturizing routine above.
Makeup: I can go into more details one day if anyoneās interested, but these days, hereās all thatās in my bag:
Under-eye concealer from DAB Herb
Moisturizing foundation from DAB Herb
Translucent powder from DAB Herb
Rose rouge from DAB Herb (I use this both on my cheeks and eyes)
Cream eyeshadow from DAB Herb (only once in a blue moon)
Eyebrow wand from Thrive Causemetics
Eyeliner from Thrive Causemetics
Eye brightener from Thrive Causemetics
Mascara from Thrive Causemetics (I looove this stuff)
Lip shimmer from Burtās Bees
Hair*
Cleaning: I switched to bar shampoo over the pandemic in an effort to cut down on plastic waste, and while there was a bit of transition, Iām now fully on board and canāt imagine going back to liquid shampoo (I no longer do poo-free). Iāve tried a number and have come to the conclusion that there are lots of good bar shampoos but you have to sample a variety to find what works for you. These days, Iām a fan of this bar from Acure.
Conditioning: I spray my hair with a concoction of one part apple cider vinegar, three parts water, and about 10-15 drops of either lavender or rosemary oil. Shake well, then spray on wet, clean hair. Let it rest for about a minute, then rinse.
Smoothing: See the homemade hair butter, above. Iām telling you, this is my Windex.
Teeth*
Cleaning: Right now Iām a fan of my Hey Humans! Toothpaste + silk floss + bamboo toothbrush situation. I also started brushing using the Bass technique during the pandemic and my teeth feel much cleaner. Who knew? (Not me, but maybe you did.)
*not technically skin, but thought you might be curious in a collection like this
This is pretty much all I use āĀ itās frugal, travels well, and keeps my repertoire pretty clutter-free. Iāve truly gotten rid of everything but the above, and itās just how I like it. Itās simple.
I suppose Iāll also add: drinking tons of water throughout the day, walking as much as I can, and sleeping with an eye mask + mouth taping for better deep sleep.
ā¦This is about it on my end. Iād love to know if you have thoughts on the skincare industry, the trend of skinimalism, or most of all āĀ if youāve found a tried-and-true method or tool that works well for your skin situation. Do share!
Oremus pro invicem,
Tsh
My Skinimalism Routine
The windex comment/meme is the best!!
As usual, your reflections are spot on! This brought me back to my early 20's when I had horrific acne (whyyyyy) and tried every 'natural' acne system I could get my hands on to no avail. What finally worked was diluted Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap as a cleanser, apple cider vinegar as a toner, and coconut oil to moisturize. It was a valuable lesson learned! I still swear by the Dr. B's peppermint soap and now use a moisturizer from Lily Ana Naturals, and I think my skin looks better at 34 than it did at 24. š I've been wanting to find a non-drugstore concealer and mascara and just might try the ones that you shared.