What happens when a person decides not to wash their face? Enlarged pores, acne-covered face, shiny face?
A British female writer named Eric, a few days after her 30th birthday, made a bold decision: she planned to go a month without facial cleansers and only cleanse her face with water and a towel.
Eric wondered too much about what would happen to her skin when she stopped the exhausting, complicated cleansing process.
The results were surprising: looking at the photos, Eric's skin was healthier and fairer after 31 days without using any cleansers.
Photo taken by Eric on the first day
Eric who hasn't used any face products for a month
I don't know if it's Versailles, but Eric adds, "My complexion is even for the first time in my life. 」
This isn't an experience unique to Eric.
After the topic of #Skin gets better without washing your face for a week# became popular, many people shared their experiences online:
- Some people can't use facial cleanser because of allergies;
- Some people simply skip washing their faces in the morning because they don't see anyone at home anyway;
- Some people have been too lazy to wash their faces.
Actually, there is some medical basis for this.
There is no fixed statement on whether you must use facial cleanser when you wash your face several times a day, and you need to judge it according to your skin type.
For example, if you have sensitive skin and dry skin, you can reduce the number of times you wash your face, or wash your face with only water to reduce irritation, thereby reducing the destruction of the sebum film.
However, oily skin is not a good one, and not removing excess oil can create new problems.
Whatever the reason, some people who accidentally unlock "don't wash their face" discover a startling fact - "I'm lazy, but my skin is better".
Since last year, more and more people have begun to "lazy" in skin care, gradually simplifying the skin care process, reducing skin care products, or choosing skin care products with more single effects to reduce the burden on the skin.
This trend is known as "lean skincare".
From refined to streamlined
The skin and wallet can't be rolled up
In the past two years, "immersive and delicate skincare", which is the opposite of "streamlined skincare", was popular on social media.
You must have swiped this skincare blogger in the feed:
When you get home from work, you start your evening immersion ritual with makeup removal, cleanse your face with cleanser, and then take out a bowl of mud mask and use a small porcelain spoon to gently tap it three crisp times.
The cleaning step alone requires 3 to 4 products.
This is usually followed by a few sprays of water on the face, a mask is removed and applied, and then the eye and lip masks are applied in a targeted manner.
When everything is over, add more than 2 kinds of serums, one for whitening, one for anti-aging, and most of them use a beauty device or scraper to lift the face.
Finish with a lotion cream and a hot compress to complete the delicate and elegant skincare routine.
According to the blogger's skincare routine, it takes 1 to 2 hours a day to apply about 10 products to the face. Similar video data is remarkable, and there are often messages at the bottom that want to link to various products, and everyone is really planted.
At the same time, the skin care industry is also well-known for its volume, the pursuit of drugs is fierce and fast-acting. There are a variety of skin care concepts and effects, such as whitening and lightening spots today, brushing acid tomorrow, and morning C and night A the day after tomorrow, anti-aging, anti-aging, and anti-oxidation.
Skincare sales are at a new high every year at the shopping festival, and girls after the age of 25 are also being educated by social media to do more and more skincare work.
The complex skincare process and the superimposed skincare effects have a 1+1+1<1 effect on the skin.
Dermatologists who are familiar with each other said that every time there is a new skin care concept in the past two years, patients will come to see them soon, mostly because of intolerance to effective skin care products.
- Some are skincare products that do not match their own indications, resulting in a compromised barrier;
- Some of them use "fierce drugs" too frequently, and even have the wrong skin care concept;
- Some consumers feel that the more skin care products are used, the better, and the product stimulation can be regarded as effective.
Over time, even if the wallet can still support buying, buying, buying, and buying, the skin will not be able to roll up first. Some people are the first to get out of the pit and embrace the new trend of streamlining skincare.
Since last year, on the platform known for planting grass, the sharing of streamlined skincare has gradually risen, and it is as popular as the unboxing content.
These streamlined skin care contents are full of refreshing energy:
a sink with only one facial cleanser;
a dresser with only 1 to 2 skincare products;
A bottle of cream replaces the experience of all skincare routines......
Under the notes on streamlining skin care, many people seconded the suggestion that they have become "perfunctory" in skin care, reducing the complicated skin care process, and the skin condition is better.
Friends around me also said that they didn't buy any novel skin care products on Double 11 a while ago, and they didn't even use the 200-30 coupons.
There are still a lot of skin care products and samples that have not been used up in the previous two years, but they are used on the table, and they are turned over and over two or three bottles of milk, essence and cream.
Many people's cosmetics have not been used up until they expire.
Image source: Screenshot of the comment area
Sales data also shows that consumers' willingness to spend money and time on skincare products is slowly decreasing.
Compared with the sales volume of skincare products on a major shopping platform, compared with the Double 11 shopping festival in 2022, the overall sales volume in 2023 will decrease by about 16.69%.
Among them, the "refined care products" segment has declined particularly rapidly, exceeding 20%, and more people are beginning to return to classic skin care products that are general-purpose.
Some people joked that people who were in a hurry to "C in the morning and A in the evening" in the past two years and tossed sensitive skin have begun to do serious repairs this year.
Good skin
It's not made up of skincare products
Why do some people use less skincare products, and their skin condition has not dropped greatly, but has become better?
A brutal fact, the two factors that determine whether your skin is good or bad are-
Genes, and Filters :)
Human skin is inherently very different, and skincare products are more like icing on the cake in comparison.
This is also why celebrities who have more skin care resources will also have acne and card powder in high-definition raw pictures. And those who have good skin since childhood and grow old are likely to have smooth and delicate skin parents.
For ordinary people with intact skin barrier function, skin care doesn't need to be so fancy, just do a good job of "3+1".
- "3" refers to "basic" skin care: do a good job of daily cleansing, moisturizing, sun protection, and strengthen the skin barrier;
- "1" refers to targeted "lifting": within a stage, according to the goal, targeted solution to 1 skin problem, such as acne, blemishes, etc.
In the first two years, the popular delicate skin care not only turned 3 into 456, but also worked the "1", changing ingredients, changing products, and stacking effects.
Functional ingredients are often also irritating (e.g., acids, VCs, alcohols, etc.), and when used at high frequency without establishing tolerance, or unknowingly superimposed, they will inevitably cause skin damage.
The blogger's recommendation doesn't necessarily apply to you, but you will always order impulsively, and end up over-skinning and damaging the barrier
The skin is the largest organ in the human body and has the function of protecting and defending against the outside world. It is thin and fragile, but it also has a strong ability to heal itself.
When we stop over-cleansing and use functional ingredients on top of each other, and return to basic cleansing, moisturizing, and sun protection, our skin is relieved and naturally healthier.
This is also the direct reason why many people's skin has become better after simplifying their skincare routine and reducing skincare products.
Ordinary people
It is more suitable for subtraction on the skin
In addition to genes, if you sort the acquired factors that affect the quality of your skin, it will be roughly like this: basic skin care> lifestyle> medical beauty > efficacy skin care.
The quality of the skin is related to the skin care products, but the relationship is not as big as imagined.
Compared with delicate skin care, subtracting the skin, dealing with skin problems with priority, and laying a good foundation are more worthy of ordinary people's practice.
If you want to be a little lazy in skin care, stick to the following things and do them well:
Moderate cleaning
(1) Wash your hands before washing your face.
(2) Don't overdo it, choose a gentle product, such as an amino acid complex.
(3) When washing your face, you should be gentle, the temperature should not be too high, below 40°C is more appropriate, and the washing time should not be too long.
Choose a moisturizer that's right for you
(1) Change moisturizing products according to skin type and season. If you have dry skin, use a cream, or if you have moist skin, you can use a lotion.
(2) If you have sensitive skin, avoid moisturizers with compound effects, and choose simple moisturizing lotions and creams.
03 Sun Protection: Follow the ABC principle
A-avoid: Avoid going out during the time period when you are in direct sunlight
B-block:硬防晒更有限
C-cream: Apply sunscreen
(1) Acne skin is not suitable for too heavy physical sunscreen, and sensitive skin is not suitable for chemical sunscreen;
(2) For daily commuting, there is no need to choose products with too high SPF, as too high SPF will have a bad experience and even new problems.
04 Problem skin, prioritize barrier repair
(1) If the skin is in a sensitive state, give priority to moisturizing and repairing, and lay a good foundation;
(2) secondly, to remove acne and control inflammation;
(3) Whitening, freckle removal, anti-aging and other needs are processed after the skin returns to a healthy and stable state.
05 Do a good job of basic skin care, and then consider medical beauty
Although the effect of medical beauty is greater than that of effective products, it is not as convenient as skin care products. Therefore, dermatologists recommend doing the above basic skin care, using functional products when there are minor problems, and considering medical beauty when there is a bottleneck.
Doing a good job of basic skin care on a daily basis and using the money saved for medical beauty is a more beneficial and cost-effective choice for skin health.
06 Have a regular schedule and eat a healthy diet
Although there is no clear study comparing lifestyle with other factors that affect the condition of the skin, it is recommended to eat lightly, reduce sugar and sleep regularly.
The lifestyle of staying up late with a mask and turning to smoke and drink is not advocated.
07 If skin care products can't solve the problem, seek medical attention in time
If the skin problem has risen to a disease state, skincare products alone cannot solve the problem, and it is necessary to seek professional help from a doctor.
Here's a simple way to tell:
If your skin does not improve after using functional skin care products for a period of time, or even worse, and you have problems such as rotten face, you should not consider changing skin care products to solve the problem, and you should go to the dermatologist in time.
Many people's excessive skincare starts with appearance anxiety, trying to delay the onset of the first wrinkles with functional skincare products. Anti-aging age marketing has dropped from the 30s all the way down to the 25s, and even in the early 20s, you have to start preparing.
But as they get older, women's definition of "beauty" begins to become fuller, and they no longer care about a pimple on their forehead or a fine line at the corner of their eyes. After all, female celebrities will also get stuck and wrinkles, but it will not affect their style and beauty.
From delicate skincare to streamlined skincare, in addition to disenchanting skincare products, there are also many 30+ women who have gone through a thousand sails to calm down:
I have seen everything I should see in the world, I have tried all the products I should use, and there are many important things in life, and skin care does not have to be so complicated.
This article is a collaboration with experts
Planning and production
作者：洋葱圈 | 策划：feidi | 监制：王姐
Cover image source: Picture Worm Creative
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