The Best Minimalist Skincare Routine For Glowing Skin

Sometimes you don’t want to go through the whole K-Beauty 10 step skincare routine. You just want something simple, minimal, effective and you are on the go. This is why I created this blog post to give you the best minimalist skincare routine to make your skin glow without having to go through too many steps.

This is a 5 basic step skincare routine that takes you through each layer of the skin. When you understand how the skin layers work, then you can create your own personalised skincare routine. I will always recommend that you simplify your skincare routine so you don’t over-indulge your skin.

This post ensures that every step you take in your skincare routine has a reason why. Also, there is a bonus step at the end of the post. Make sure not to miss it. Now let’s go through each step one after the other.

1. Skin Layer One – The Epidermis

This is the first skin layer you see when you look into the mirror; the epidermis. The epidermis is slightly thicker on our palms and the soles of our feet. It is a mixture of glycerine, salt, cholesterol, ceramides, fatty acids, squalene and triglycerides. All these combined together serve as a protective film against harmful bacteria and fungi.

How To Protect The Epidermis

The First Step Is To Cleanse

Cleansing is the first step to protecting the skin layers and is the most basic form of skincare. Cleansing helps to rid the epidermis of dirt, pollutants, makeup and excess secretion such as dirt and sebum. Cleanse gently and not too often such that the skin becomes dry and sensitive.

Look for cleansers that are mild and close to the skin’s natural PH and choose cleansers that work best for your skin condition. I particularly like these cleansers, you can check them out.

The Second Step Is To Exfoliate

Yes, exfoliation is the next step to protecting the skin layers. Although the skin does exfoliate itself. But without our assistance, it might not slough off dead skin cells properly. Removing the dead keratinocytes improves the skin’s surface, making it look clearer and smoother

For this reason, exfoliation is important and should be done every week or two. Ensure you are not exfoliating too much, as this may cause depletion of the skin’s natural oils.

There are several ways to exfoliate, you can either go the mechanical way or the chemical way. This depends on your preference.

The Third Step Is To Tone

I hear people say toners are not that necessary, don’t listen to them. Toners are amazing if you want that moist and well-hydrated feeling. Toners will not only remove leftover residues from cleansers but will also prep and repair your skin barrier for moisturizers. Aside from these benefits, toners also lower the PH of the skin after cleansing.

Be careful the kind of toners you buy, I personally don’t like astringent toners because some are made too harsh for the skin. But if you have really oily skin, you might have to look out for astringent toners made with gentle ingredients.

The hydrating toners help with dry skin. They are packed with humectants that hydrate and refresh your skin. Check these ones out!

2. The Dermis

The dermis is the second skin layer. It is a thicker layer compared to the epidermis and it performs its own magical functions. The dermis controls our body temperature, it supplies oxygen and nutrients to the epidermis and has a significant role in the immune system.

The dermis is that layer that gives us healthy youthful skin because you find collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid there. As we age, there is a decline in these protein activities which is a normal process. However, this normal process can be accelerated a hundredfold with factors such as poor diet, excessive alcohol, smoking, pollution, and dangerous level of sun exposure to name a few.

How To Protect the Dermis

The Fourth Step Is To Moisturize

Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise! Moisturising is not just hydrating otherwise we will all just take a shower and call it a day. Moisturising is helping your skin to retain moisture, hydrate and rejuvenate and to do that, we would need ingredients that helps keeps the skin plump and healthy. While moisturizing, give your skin a gentle massage – this helps to increase penetration and effectiveness.

The Fifth Step Is To Use Sunscreen

Sunscreen is the best protection against the sun. Without that, the sun will continuously break down enzymes within the dermis leading to wrinkles, discolouration, saggy skin and uneven skin tone. There are no other benefits sunscreen provides aside from sun protection.

3. Hypodermis

Hypodermis is the third skin layer and the deepest layer of the skin. It is also referred to as the subcutaneous layer. It is designed to protect us from cold. The hypodermis contains a large number of fat cells, blood vessels, nerves and lymph nodes.

The hypodermis is the home of cellulite. In fact, 85% of women have cellulite. This is common in women because men have thicker skin and it is a completely natural phenomenon.

How To Protect The Hypodermis

The Bonus Step – Live a healthy lifestyle.

The food you eat affects your skin. Eat food that contains fibre, fibre is a prebiotic and that is an excellent source of food for good bacteria. You can find fibres in food such as onions, garlic, unripe bananas, beans, and cold boiled potatoes.

In addition to prebiotics, eat food containing probiotics as well. Probiotics contain live bacteria. You can find these in fermented food such as yoghurt, kimchi (Korean cuisine), and tempeh (gotten from fermented soybeans).

Lastly, get good sleep, exercise, drink lots of water, relieve stress, have a get-together and basically do things you enjoy and do things your skin will thank you for. Read more about how to get clear skin without products here

Conclusion

In summary, the best minimalist skincare routine is to cleanse, exfoliate, tone, moisturize, wear sunscreen and eat healthily. Following these steps ensures your skin is well taken care of.

Skincare is not just one way, it’s holistic. It has to be done from the inside as well as the outside. I know a lot of people treat the skin itself as a separate entity but that would not always address the root problem for a true resolution to occur.