I had a hard time coming up with a name for this post - I'm just not exactly sure what to call these kinds of skincare products I've fallen for lately. Rather than reaching for several lotions and potions that claim to do it all, I've been building my skincare routine around simplified formulas, changing it up depending on how my skin is feeling and what its needs are for that particular morning/night.
This philosophy dawned on me with the release of Glossier's The Supers.* It was really the first time the thought, "You're not just a skin type," from their ads, had even occurred to me. Three serums with one or two main active ingredients, meant to be used whenever you feel like you need them? I'm sold. Super Pure comes in handy around that time of the month when my skin is freaking out, while Super Glow is perfect for early mornings when my skin could use a little more energy. And Super Bounce is the one I reach for the most - whenever my skin is feeling parched.
A similar line of simplified skincare is the much-talked about brand from Deciem, The Ordinary. Like The Supers, these products all have one or two main ingredients so you can curate a whole routine. It's so easy to customize - they have a large range of products with detailed scientific descriptions, and everything is so affordable. I've recently been trying the Advanced Retinoid 2% and the Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2%. I've already noticed positive results in my skin - I use the Retinoid around every other night, and then I use the Lactic Acid a few times a week (always on a night I'm not using the Retinoid).
Once I had a set of serums I could use to "customize" my routine depending on what my skin was needing, I also wanted some simple products to seal it all in and to add in here and there. A good, basic cream is a necessity for my perpetually-dry skin, and the Glossier Priming Moisturizer Rich* works wonders. I love that I can use it with any combination of products without worrying about it reacting with anything. It's just a good, basic cream - the kind of thing everyone could use in their skincare collection.
For extras, I turn to Drunk Elephant - their formulations are free of "skin-sensitizing" ingredients, like silicones and perfumes. Any time I need a face oil I've been reaching for the Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil - like the Glossier cream, it's just a good basic that works with everything and is ultra-nourishing. And rather than using a plethora of masks every week, I've only been using the TLC Sukari Babyfacial - this stuff is the most amazing, and definitely worthy of all the hype it's been receiving. I use it once per week, and I really look forward to my "Babyfacial day" (Wednesday if you want to know) every week. It sloughs away dead skin and leaves it fresh, glowing, and never irritated. I feel like it just gives me a clean slate to start the whole process over again.
I think my skin has been really responding well to using simpler formulas targeted to its specific needs. It's also made me get a lot more in touch with my skin, so much that I can now easily tell what will and won't work for it. Do you like using more simple, single-use skincare products, or do you prefer the heavyhitters that do a lot at once?
You can shop my Glossier favorites through my rep page here for 20% off your first order!