Made popular by Korean celebrities from South Korea, the complex, 10-step skincare routine of layering mists, toners, essences, serums and sealed with a moisturizer, is the new normal. However, using multiple products concurrently can cause clogged pores or irritation, especially for those with sensitive skin. Enter skip-care, a pared-down routine with multi-tasking products that do the heavy lifting, letting you avoid the use of unnecessary products for a simple, yet proper skincare routine. It also minimizes the likelihood of ingredients interfering with each other and reducing efficacy or making each other redundant. Other than saving you time, money and energy, using fewer products with essential ingredients your skin actually needs, still offers your complexion similar benefits as its more complex cousin.
Skip care is a trend that’s been embraced by busy millennials who are always on the go and prefer a minimalist approach when it comes to skincare. Want to hop on the bandwagon? Here’s how to truly embrace the skip-care trend. Ditch your rigorous regimen in favour of a low maintenance skincare routine consisting of the essentials; cleanser, essence or serum, moisturizer and sunscreen. Want even better results? Consider pairing it with a non- or minimally-invasive aesthetic treatment such as neurotoxins, Micro-Focused Ultrasound with Visualisation (MFU-V) or dermal fillers as a targeted, long-lasting solution to help with skin concerns like fine lines, wrinkles and volume loss. Bonus, you’ll see almost immediate results—something topical skincare can’t do—and let’s be real, everyone likes instant gratification.
Skincare
Cleanser: Every solid skincare routine starts with a good cleanser. While it should be doing a basic job of removing dirt and oil from your face, consider picking one that also has brightening or exfoliating properties. Alternatively, you can consider using a micellar water to remove makeup and impurities in one fell swoop. Plus, you don’t even have to rinse after!
Essence or Serum: Next, pick an essence or a serum (a thicker, more concentrated version of an essence) packed with actives such as probiotics, hyaluronic acid, peptides or niacinamide to help fight visible signs of ageing, keep blemishes at bay and skin plump.
Moisturizer: The last step in your skip-care routine, locking in the goodness of your essence or serum of choice, with a moisturizer. For day time, look for a lightweight one that has oil-control properties, contains antioxidants and Vitamin C to protect your skin against pollution and oxidative stress. Better still if you can find one with SPF so you don’t have to apply a separate sunscreen. For night time, you’ll want one that contains Vitamin A to speed up cell turnover rate, ceramides to help maintain the integrity of your skin’s natural moisture barrier, and calming actives such as green tea or chamomile extract to calm any redness and inflammation while you slumber.
Aesthetic Treatments
Dermal Fillers: Get brighter, more hydrated skin with micro injections of hyaluronic acid fillers placed superficially under the skin. Thanks to hyaluronic acid’s ability to hold a 1000 times its molecular weight in water, it behaves like a water reservoir under the skin, retaining moisture for long-lasting hydration and improving skin elasticity. You can also opt for calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) filler which helps to stimulate collagen and elastin production which in the long run improves skin elasticity for more youthful looking skin. Regardless of which dermal fillers you choose, you’ll be able to achieve a supple, smooth and radiant complexion that lasts for several months after a single treatment.
Neurotoxins: As mentioned above, topical skin care can only do so much when it comes to reducing the appearance of visible fine lines. Look to delay wrinkle formation or improve the appearance of existing wrinkles with a neurotoxin. Neurotoxins work by relaxing facial muscles which contract during speech or when you make an expression. Pick a pure zero impurities* to minimize your risk of developing botulinum toxin resistance, which may render future treatments less effective.
Micro-Focused Ultrasound with Visualisation (MFU-V): Last but not least, keep skin lifted and taut with a MFU-V treatment. Targeted shots of micro-focused ultrasound energy are delivered deep into the skin to trigger the body’s natural reparative process, boosting collagen production. Over time, this leads to a skin lifting effect and an improvement in the appearance of visible fine lines and wrinkles on treated areas, which can include the brow, neck or decollate. The best part? The effects usually last for twelve to eighteen months after a single treatment.
Interested in speaking to a professional about which aesthetic treatments can help you achieve naturally glowy skin? Consult our trusted doctors today!
*Impurities refer to the presence of complexing proteins, inactive neurotoxin, flagellin and bacterial DNA contaminants.1
Reference: 1. Park JY, et al. Neurotoxin impurities: A Review of threats to Efficacy. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2020;8(1):e2627
