A Minimalist's Approach to Skincare

A minimalist's approach to beauty and grooming is simple:

• Reduce the number of products used.

Go through your bathroom drawer and vanity cabinet and take out everything. Separate the hygienic and well-being essentials from the beauty products and then check the expiration dates. Toss any expired items (a no-brainer) and opened products that you haven't used in over a month. Chances are you didn’t like the product enough to be using it on a daily or weekly basis. Evaluate what’s left and keep only the essentials that work for your skin.

• Use only quality products.

Take a look at the ingredient list and if you don’t recognize an ingredient, do a quick Google search. Your skin absorbs roughly 60 percent of what you apply on it so knowing what to avoid is key. Most cosmetic manufacturers use synthetic ingredients as fillers or as cheap substitutes for their natural counterpart to decrease production costs. Small-batch artisanal products may seem pricier at first, but remember, you are investing in your skin. As for the price difference, you actually use less of the quality stuff because the formulations are created with higher potency.