Complex skin care routines with multiple steps are common and long thought to be the ultimate solution for healthy, vibrant skin; however, a new trend has entered the stage that can make skin care significantly easier for consumers. Simplifying skin care routines with fewer steps and ingredients is now being touted by dermatologists and embraced by many consumers. According to New York-based dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner in an article on Today.com, “While 12-step routines are popular, they may not work any better than one or two steps … The fewer products to apply means fewer products you forget to use. So, keeping it simple usually helps people stay on track with regular use of their products.” He continued, “Applying multiple products increases your risk of skin irritation, and we don’t know whether the active ingredients in all the products are even compatible. This means that you may be inadvertently inactivating products because of the combination.”
In the same article, Renee Rouleau, celebrity aesthetician and skin care expert, advised that consumers should consider how much their skin can actually absorb. “A lot of [the] time people are wasting products and money layering on all these things thinking it’s better … Normally, it’s the first two products that are the ones making the biggest difference.”
Echoing Zeichner, Dr. Andrea Suarez, board-certified dermatologist and skin care expert at Derma E (Simi Valley, CA), stated that “The benefit of a simple skin care routine is that it is more likely the consumer will stick with the products long enough to see results. When there are too many products, compliance goes down. Also, fewer products mean less chance of irritation.” Since 1984, Derma E has been vegan, cruelty-free, eco-ethical and dermatologist recommended, and they are the only skin care brand to conduct clinical summaries, according to the company. Derma E’s extensive line of natural skin care products follows this trend of simplifying skin care regimens.
Suarez also noted that the pandemic seems to have caused a shift in what consumers are looking for in their skin care routines. She noted, “I think during the pandemic with stay-at-home orders in place, many consumers were motivated to simplify their lives and focus on self-care. With that came an increased interest in sticking to a sustainable number of products that would yield results, rather than chasing trends.” As it turns out, a skin care routine with a minimal number of products and ingredients can have the same and potentially more favorable effects than using a 10- or 12-step routine.
An article on Byrdie.com also noted this shift toward “skinimalism.” Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Rachel Nazarian stated, “Simplifying your skin care regimen is a trend I’m supportive of … Whether you’re embracing less makeup and showcasing your natural skin instead, or perhaps just using smarter products that minimize the number of steps in your regimen, this trend takes us in the right direction.”
Natural and Wallet-friendly
Retailer Suellen Duga, owner of Choice Health located in Westfield, MA, began carrying Derma E and other natural skin care products when the store opened in 1988. She explained, “Our Choice Health team has done training with all of the skin care lines we carry and places a heavy emphasis on non-chemical botanical skin care routines. We explain [to consumers] how ingredients found in nature perform as well as or possibly better than the chemical laden, high priced big box store selection.” She continued, “90 percent of the customers who come into the store for natural skin care products ask a member of our team for suggestions … and then it comes down to price.” Natural skin care products without chemicals are often much less irritating and safer to use than products containing chemicals.
Byrdie.com noted that there is indeed a consumer trend toward more natural “microbiome-friendly skin care” which are often “probiotic-infused products that add bacteria to the skin and help it maintain its optimal balance. We predicted that the microbiome movement would go mainstream last year, and you can expect that it will gain even more traction in the coming months.
Another trend that Suarez has noticed is that “Now there is a push toward more artificial intelligence (AI) in health care, and that has trickled down to skin care and self-care/wellness products. Consumers want to leverage these technologies to help them make personalized shopping decisions.” Particularly since the pandemic began, more people have been making purchases online across many markets, rather than going to stores in person due to safety concerns. In turn, more consumers expect to be able to use AI to simplify their shopping experiences. There are several companies in the skin care market that allow consumers to create their own personalized skin care routines, a trend which has grown exponentially in popularity. In the article on Byrdie.com, board-certified Dermatologist Dr. Morgan Rabach said, “Personalized skin care brands are useful as long as the active ingredients are scientifically backed … I think they will become more popular as we continue to work from home and go into stores less frequently during COVID.”
As a result, however, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a slump in sales of skin care products at Choice Health, according to Duga. “Before the COVID-19 [pandemic] I would have said [there was] a small increase [in skin care sales], but as of right now there seems to be a total decline [in consumer interest in skin care products].” This is likely due to the increase of consumers using AI to create and purchase their personalized skin care routines online, and a decrease of consumers regularly visiting stores.
Duga stressed, “As a group, [retailers] need to build upon the trust that our customers have regarding selection of knowledge of each product we carry. Customers can be manipulated by the high-priced commercials we see so often … The customer who purchases a natural product may expect it to perform in line with the promises the big names make—and we all know that is not possible for the natural as well as for those chemical laden commercial products.”
Despite the challenges faced by Duga’s store and likely several other small retailers, Suarez stated that Derma E, which sells its products on its own website as well as stores across the country, is “well on track for positive growth trajectory as we close out 2021 and head into 2022.”
All in all, it seems that as an increasing number of consumers are beginning to recognize the benefits of a simplified skin care routine, this trend will continue in an upward trajectory. Not only can a simpler routine provide excellent results, but there is also less risk for irritation, making mistakes and giving up one’s routine due to time constraints. The use of natural ingredients in skin care products is another desirable attribute for many consumers. Furthermore, everyone can benefit from personalized skin care, as the formulas are tailored to their individual needs. When it comes to skin care in 2021 and beyond, dermatologists across the board seem to agree that less is more.” VR
