The concept of slow beauty which implies minimalism together with self-care awareness is winning more and more hearts. Its followers can see a direct correlation between a growing number of skin problems and the enthusiasm for applying more and more face products. They urge to say ‘No” to the endless row of pots, jars and bottles on a bathroom shelf. We find out if it makes sense to learn calm and balanced attitudes to cosmetics for the sake of skin health.
“Enlarged pores, oily sheen, closed comedones as well as hypersensitivity ...” – this is me complaining to my beautician during a regular visit. “How do you take care of your skin now?” she asks. I am proudly listing a dozen of respectable brands I apply daily, go on describing how I exfoliate my face with a special powder, make my face as clean as a whistle, mentioning my obsession with acids. However skin problems still aren’t gone.
And in response, I hear that the only right thing to do is to stop chaotically applying a variety of beauty products and reduce face care just to three basic steps: cleansing, toning and moisturizing. “Acids, vitamin C as well as retinol should be applied strictly according to health reasons and once the problem is solved to stop taking them immediately. Despite the fact that many manufacturers do not release home care products containing high concentration of active substances due to safety reasons, it’s only a specialist’s responsibility to prescribe such beauty preparations,” says Elena Shmeleva, medical cosmetologist at Aldo Coppola Beauty Center at «Vremena Goda».
Less is more
The first example of "slow consumption" concept became the slow food movement, which started in Italy in the 1980s as a protest against the first McDonald's opening in Rome. The idea of slow beauty has become a reaction to an incredible cosmetic boom as well as the market oversupply with new brands, beauty products and innovations.
Earlier just three products for proper skin care used to be enough - cleansing gel, toner and moisturizer. Beauty masks were supposed to be applied once a week. Now we are strongly encouraged to supplement skin care system with innovative products, apply masks daily and make sure to wash makeup off in 2 phases.
European brands have echoed the Korean style of K-Beauty, which implies never-ending layering of various beauty products, and consequently expanded their product range. Thus, it came to be that besides familiar lotions and creams on our shelves; there have popped up such innovations as hydrophilic oils, boosters, exfoliate powders, pre-serums and mists. The innovations nobody has ever been aware of. The adepts of slow beauty are calling to stop and think twice: do you really need another serum? How will it fit into your regular care system? Will it harmonize with other beauty products? After having a little reflection, it makes sense to cancel the purchase.
Дневной крем Cellular Performance Advanced Day Cream SPF 30, SENSAI
Крем для кожи вокруг глаз Cold Plasma Plus+ Eye, PERRICONE MD
Кислородный детокс-крем DetO2x Cream, VALMONT
Clean job
We tend to be going too far with skin care just from the very first step. Being in competition with each other, brands offer a variety of gadgets for washing as well as multi-stage cleaning systems, as if to suggest that one gel or foam is can never be enough. “It makes sense just in case you’ve applied water-proof makeup or you suffer from oily porous skin - then you do need to remove impurities first with the help of oil or micellar water and only after wash face with a gel or scrub-gommage. If the one having thin dry skin practices this ritual on a daily basis, after time the skin will cease to synthesize moisture itself and it will result in irritation and dryness. Since such hard cleansing deprives skin of a protective lipid layer,” warns the medical cosmetologist of the «Petrovka Beauty» Clinic’s Elena Selivanova.
Балансирующий спрей Mist 27, COSMETICS 27
Увлажняющая эмульсия-молочко Tsukika Milk Lotion, MENARD
Мицеллярная вода, VERSO SKINCARE
A good match
There is another negative outcome due to the excessive and reckless use of cosmetics, which sounds like another argument in favor of minimalism in skin care. The ingredients tend to contradict each other. Some of the most effective components such as retinol, AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) acid, vitamins C and E, niacinamide and SPF in best case just neutralize each other either cause irritation at the worst one.
What is in the list of dogmas for expert skin care?
Do not use retinol with AHA acid and together with vitamin C.
Remember that when retinol and SPFs are combined, the latter tend to lose their sun-protection properties. “It is essential to be aware of the goal you are pursuing by applying this or that beauty product, and do your best to maintain consistency in skin care.
Skin care may vary and change over time, but you’d better avoid doing it every single week: getting used to a new beauty product, as a rule, entails stress for the skin,” said Adel Miftakhova, the author of Don’t Touch My Face telegram channel.
Увлажняющая сыворотка Pure Hyaluronic Serum, PESTLE&MORTAR
Крем для кожи вокруг глаз White Caviar Eye Extraordinaire, LA PRAIRE
Увлажняющий крем Water Drench, PETER THOMAS ROTH
Slow but sure
In the confrontation of beautyholics, who are buying up each new beauty product, and the adepts of slow beauty, there is a growing trend that common sense is winning the trend of the past to leave half the salary in cosmetic stores. Today there are appearing more and more the so-called panacea beauty products that can replace the whole cosmetic bag as well as the brands that insist on minimalism in skin care and on sticking to the limited but golden set of skincare products. Among such brands we can mention, for instance, Pestle & Mortar, Malin + Goetz, Cosmetics 27, Bellefontaine, Cellcosmet.
Ever excited beauty bloggers are being replaced by chemistry-conscious ones who are succeeding in reasoning and clarifying the advantages of buying a particular beauty product.
The followers of Paula’s Choice, SkinMinimalist, Just About Skin blogs are learning about the compositions of the beauty products and only after that they rush to the checkout. Slow beauty in action!
Восстанавливающая сыворотка, MALIN+GOETZ
Ночная регенерирующая сыворотка Serum Precieux, ANNE SEMONIN
Успокаивающий тонер Cicapair, DR.JART+
There are 3 major rules of slow beauty
- Choose a target
Skin care should aim at working to solve the main problem, for example, to fight acne, pigmentation or couperosis. Those who chase two rabbits will catch neither. - Minimize beauty products
Apply only one beauty product with a powerful ingredient in the composition, and choose the rest ones from the basic product lines just to supplement your prime skin care. - Take your time.
Give your skin some time to show results (as a rule it takes not less than 28 days), and don’t change your regular skin care too often in order not to provoke stress.
Энзимный пилинг Beta-Enzyme, MBR
Омолаживающий концентрат для кожи шеи и декольте, LA MER