Why "Skip Care" is Replacing the Korean 10-Step Regimen

I have a confession: Despite the fact that I own 10+ face oils, 4 different moisturizers, 3 spot treatments... most nights I only follow two steps. 

When I first became a certified Skincare Enthusiast™️ I’d wash my face, tone, and layer on at least 6 different products morning and night. My dream was that one day, I’d have #GlassSkin too (sigh). But unfortunately for me, my skin’s way of thanking me for elaborate efforts and money spent was to freak out with acne and eczema galore. 

What’s the harm of a complicated regimen? 

Using more product sometimes means less happy skin. And irritated skin is the root of so many of our skin issues: breakouts, premature aging and hydration included. (Learn more about the effects of a damaged skin barrier here). 

Think about it: each individual product has around 10-30+ ingredients (if you see the word fragrance, that number can be upwards of 300) so the more products you use, the more likely it is that you’ll react to at least *one* of those ingredients. Also, if the products you’re using aren’t specifically formulated to be used together, you’re also increasing the chances of ingredient incompatibility as well. And last but not least: there’s also the chance that the ingredients you’re layering actually inactivate each other, rendering all your efforts useless. 

Enter: Skip Care  

The latest skin-care trend is the answer to our desire for a more streamlined approach that gets the job done just as well. Enter: skip-care, beauty minimalism at its finest. 

A skip-care routine can be as beneficial as its lengthier and just as trendy counterpart (ahem Korean 10-step regimens), but instead with fewer, more powerful products used. It’s about using products that star multi-tasking ingredients (like niacinamide, green tea, and bakuchiol), and using just what your skin needs, and nothing more. 

There are two steps I can’t live without, and there are two steps that I recommend as the foundation of any good skincare routine: to cleanse thoroughly, and to apply (and reapply) a broad spectrum sunscreen. Everything else is a bonus, and just depends on your skin’s mood. 

I wash my face morning and night (hydrating milky cleanser in the morning, and double cleanse at night with a balm and gel cleanser to really clear out the pollution/grime), and I wear an antioxidant rich sunscreen rain or shine. Then, depending on what my skin needs, I’ll work in products like serums, face oils and spot treatments as needed.  

Don’t get it twisted, there’s nothing wrong with a Korean 10-step regimen, and there are still many nights that I choose to layer it all on. However, a complicated, multi step regimen is just not always better, and it’s a myth that you can’t get the same benefits from a simplified routine.