EP61. The Age of Skinimalism

The average woman uses no less than 16 beauty products every day. This fact probably won't surprise you given the rise of the shelfie on social media, a fad where people arrange their bathroom shelves to proudly show off their beauty stash. And yet, with the rise of skinimalism, a concept where we aim for natural, minimal or no makeup looks, are we also applying the Konmari method to the number of products we're actually buying and using? The beauty industry is one of the world's most unsustainable industries and it's time for us to take a long, hard look at ourselves and ask how we can enter the Age of Essentials, a time where we start to buy fewer products with a more multipurpose or essential functionality. Join me for today's podcast in which Anna Green and I explore how we can become more sustainable in our beauty habits. Welcome to Green Beauty Conversations, the the podcast that challenges you to think about how you buy, use, make and sell your natural beauty formulations. We tackle topics that will make you think and encourage debate about green beauty with your friends, followers or customers. I'm your host, Lorraine Dallmeier. I'm a chartered environmentalist, biologist and the CEO of award winning online organic cosmetic formulation school Formula Botanica. We have thousands of students in over 170 countries worldwide who study with us to become organic beauty formulators and entrepreneurs. Visit our website@formulabotanica.com to try our free online formulation course. So today we're looking at the huge number of beauty products we buy and use to ask whether it's now time to enter a more sustainable era in which we're more mindful in our purchasing habits. With so many of us feeling overworked, overtired, overwhelmed and over cluttered, can we channel our inner Marie Kondo when it comes to our skincare regime and Kon Marie, our own shelfies down to embrace the Age of Essentials. I'm joined today by my colleague Anna Green, who is Formula Botanica's Membership Site coordinator, and we both took a long, hard look at our own shelfies when preparing for this podcast to see how we could bring the Age of Essentials into our beauty habits. Welcome to the podcast, Anna.

Hi Lorraine, and thank you for having me.

So let's dive straight into the main question to the podcast. What do you think is essential when it comes to skincare?

I think it's such an interesting question because the beauty industry has been driven really heavily in the past especially, but still now by continuously adding new launches and new products to their offerings. So especially with already popular products and lines, you know, those just keep expanding and expanding and it doesn't always coincide with a genuine need for a product. It's very often driven by marketing and what will sell. So the current circumstances around the world with Coronavirus have led to an overall drop in products being launched. And, you know, some of the brands are having to take a bit of a pivot and think about what is more essential and what people are actually going to use at the moment. You know, in the circumstances that they're in. The beauty industry, and especially skincare, can be really, really confusing for consumers to navigate. So different brands will have different formulation ethos. And so one brand may say that active ingredient X may be bad for the skin, but then there's other brands that are entirely built around that ingredient.

Oh, gosh, yeah, that's so true.

So most people have a hard time distinguishing between products that would genuinely benefit their skin and products that are nice to have or simply pleasurable to. And this is partly because there are so many mixed marketing messages out there for people to discern, and partly because most people outside the industry don't really spend a lot of time thinking about what they're going to purchase. They just sort of go into a shop or go online and think, you know, I'm going to try this. So some people would argue that skincare products and cosmetics cannot be classed as essential at all, really. But I suppose there are some gray areas. For example, sunscreens may fall under the category of cosmetics in some areas of the world, but would be classed as drugs elsewhere, and for many people would be classed as an essential product because of the function that they serve. So what is essential will be incredibly individual, really.

Yeah, I completely agree. So you're basically saying that there might even be a mismatch between what people think they need and what they actually need?

Yes, absolutely. I think the market and, you know, the industry is driven by getting people to want things rather than what people actually need. And I think there's room for both here in West Biz. We'll discuss this a little bit later. It doesn't have to be an either or. It doesn't have to be you only use essentials or you have things that you enjoy that perhaps aren't essential. But the market itself is driven by constantly expanding what we feel is essential, whether it is or not.

Yeah, I completely understand.

So you recently polled our community, Lorraine, to ask them which skincare formulations they found essential. What were the results?

Yes. So I ran another Big poll in our free Skincare Entrepreneur Mastermind networking group on Facebook. And I wanted to ask people, what is an essential skincare product for you? I didn't veer into makeup, I didn't veer into hair care. I just focused on skincare, just to try and keep it relatively simple. And I had an incredible 783 responses from the people in the group, which is huge. So I gave them a list of suggested products and I then allowed them to add their own as well. And the results were fascinating. They always are. But I really found these fascinating. So the top product with an incredible186 votes, which is almost one quarter of all the votes in total, is the Humble cleanser. And I find this fascinating because whenever I ask people which beauty products they most want to learn to formulate, it's always serums and lotions, which seem to be a lot sexier to formulators. And yet when I ask people the cleanser is the most essential formulation, according to our poll, which maybe even goes to show that perhaps indie formulators are selling the wrong products. I don't know, because if that's what everyone wants, then maybe that's what everyone should be making. So then number two on the list with the 151 votes is that bathroom shelf staple, the moisturizer. And I really wasn't surprised to see it scored so high, as I think virtually everyone uses moisturizers. But nonetheless, this formulation took second place to the cleanser. And I really think that's worth just focusing on. So number three on the list with almost 100 votes was the serum there it finally was. And I think this is where we can maybe even start to play devil's advocate a little bit. Is a serum truly essential, or could you get the same skin function from a good moisturizer, perhaps? What are you using a serum for? For instance, I sometimes use a serum as a moisturizer with an extra boost. So perhaps maybe it's a two in one in that respect. And then the fourth formulation on the list, and I did want to drill down to this level because of the importance of this one. So rather surprisingly, with only 69 votes, the fourth formulation was sunscreen. And I think most of us, when pushed, would probably rate sunscreen as the most essential formulation to use. And yet it took fourth place to cleanses moisturizers, and serums. I mean, if I was stranded on a desert island and could only have one formulation with me, I definitely choose sunscreen. I don't know about you. You, Anna.

Yeah, absolutely. I would Be exactly the same. For me, sunscreen is a non negotiable daily habit, and it is one of those products that you need to use regularly to get into that habit of applying it correctly.

Yeah. So once we got through the top four, that's when we start to get into the low figures. But I think it's worth just highlighting some of the other formulations that people voted for on the list. So, for instance, 35 people said their eye cream was essential. 20 people voted for their makeup remover. Seven people went for a facial gel. And then, which really surprised both of us because we discussed it earlier, two people voted for a pillow or a room spray as their essential formulation that they couldn't live without. So I think what we can take from this is that there are clearly essentials that people need and there is a general consensus about what those products are in our beauty regime. But then after that, it diverges pretty wildly. And what one person views as essential is not necessarily what another person would vote for. I mean, for me personally, my absolute top two essentials are my lip balms. I mean, I live for a lip balm and the occasional light moisturizer along with sunscreen, obviously. What about you, Anna? What's your top essential formulation?

I think if I only had sort of two things that I could choose, it would be a cleanser and a sunscreen. Because I think your sunscreen moisturizes to a certain extent. They're mostly in a moisturizing base. And for me, cleanser, it's, you know, that ritual of application at the end of the day. It's how I know my day's starting and how I know my day's ending. So I really enjoy my cleanser. So I think those are my two that I would, you know, if I had to strip everything back, that's what I would keep.

And that's obviously also in line with what the people in our poll said. And thank you to everyone who took part. So moving on from that, would our skin be healthier if we used fewer products and ingredients? Are some of these lengthy skincare regimes actually maybe even causing damage to the skin barrier?

I think this is so important to think about, and I am somebody who really enjoys products, so it's not necessarily something I wanted to think about, but actually, I have thought about quite a lot over the years, and I follow a lot of beauty industry professionals on Instagram, especially people like dermatologists and estheticians, facialists, and there has been much more discussion on their accounts recently about our skin's natural barrier and some of the issues they're seeing in practice when that barrier becomes impaired. So obviously, you know, our skin has its function essentially to keep bad things out and, you know, to protect us. And I think ingredient trends could be one of the reasons that they're anecdotally seeing more skin concerns related to an impaired barrier. For example, the large increase in exfoliating products on the market. In some cases, you have certain active ingredients like glycolic acid or retinol added to entire ranges. So it's much easier for people to overdo it with active ingredients. We've also seen an increase in different brands, sort of with different approaches. So, for example, launching single ingredient formulas that the consumer then will mix and match. And so I've heard professionals question whether, you know, if you're buying four serums and you're mixing them and they all have four different active ingredients, four different bases, four different preservatives, is that actually better for your skin than buying one serum that is well formulated, that has, you know, a selection of key active ingredients for the function that you want it to fulfill in your skincare routine? So it's worth thinking about, I think, because things are sometimes more budget friendly if they're a single ingredient product, people can go a little bit sort of overboard in buying different things and adding them into their routine, even if they don't really need them. So you have to think about your skin's concerns when you're approaching your routine.

Yeah, that makes complete sense. And obviously I've seen exactly what you've described as well, and even yesterday I was reading an article about, you know, add more alpha hydroxy acids into this and that and this and that, and you sort of think, yes, if you're layering that, is that actually maybe even causing some barrier issues?

Yeah, I think most people have increased the amount of products that they're using. And, you know, it's great that there's access to products at perhaps lower price points, but you just have to think carefully about how you're using those products. So it's not necessarily a bad thing per se, but you have to sort of integrate them carefully. So, Lorraine, how does skin minimalism or essential skincare tie in with sustainability?

So I think it's very easy for the whole beauty industry, big and small, to talk about sustainability and then only focus on packaging, which is really what seems to be happening at the moment. But no one is having the difficult conversations around consumption and acknowledging that the consumption of beauty products is, in effect, totally out of Control. Control. I mean, only a hundred years ago. And I've been researching the beauty history and the beauty industry's history quite a lot over the last couple of months. So over a hundred years ago, makeup was viewed as something only for women with loose morals and not thought to be socially acceptable. I mean, you know, I read all these books and it basically says only prostitutes and actresses wore makeup. That's horrific. If you compare it to nowadays, then taking it further slightly, you know, only 60 years ago, people only washed their hair once a week. People didn't start washing their hair more until the beauty industry told them they should because they were deemed to be unclean if they didn't. So we've somehow moved to a society where we're being consistently told that we need to consume more beauty products, and yet that totally flies in the face of sustainability. Yes, we need to talk about packaging. Yes, we need to talk about biodegradability and ecotoxicity. But first we need to talk about how many products we're making and pushing out into the world as an industry. So, recently I read a press release from Garnier announcing the arrival of their new sustainable range. I know I shared this with you, Anna, and I was ranting away in the background. So, in 2021, they will be launching 25 new products, ranging from new product shades and scents to shampoos and conditioners. And they claim that collectively, these products represent a major advancement on the brand's sustainable and clean credentials. Well, that's great, but yet nowhere in that press release does it then say, and we're now retiring 25 other products that we don't think quite meet the mark. Now, I may be doing Garnier an injustice here, and perhaps that's exactly what they're planning to do, but I have to say that that announcement really annoyed me as it felt like the exact opposite of sustainability by creating yet more beauty products to sell and put on the shelf. So, luckily, the British Beauty Council recently published their Courage to Change report on sustainability, and we'll link to it in the podcast Show Notes. I do recommend everyone goes to download it and read it. And I just wanted to read out, lift out one paragraph that I think is one of the most important paragraphs in the whole report, because they said the moment has arrived for the beauty industry to rise to the challenge of developing more sophisticated business models than simply encouraging consumers to buy more stuff. And I think that sits at the heart of this whole discussion. And I'm not seeing any beauty brands really lead in this space yet. Because it's a terrifying thing to do. You know, you're there as a business, you have to make money, you have to sell products. But are you trying to achieve infinite economic growth with finite resources? Or are we all going to wake up to realize that actually it's time to show true leadership and sustainability and actually try to get this rampant consumerism under control at the same time? So what do you think shoppers should do to embrace the age of essentials? So is this the death of the shelfie, or perhaps the rise of the minimalist shelfie?

Yeah, I don't think it's necessarily the death of the shelfie completely, but I do think that there has been a beginning of a shift that people are experiencing, and I think that started a little bit with people in the industry, actually, who are some of the biggest consumers of products. And we've seen it with journalists, industry professionals, bloggers who were talking about, you know, don't send me that PR package if, you know, I haven't requested it. Don't just send product for the sake of it. So I think people are starting to make that change, but as consumers as well. You know, cosmetic products aren't just about purchasing, they're about those daily habits. So you need to think very carefully when you're purchasing something about your daily habits, about how you're going to integrate that product, about how much of a function it actually serves in your routine. Is there one product that could serve two functions so, you know, you're not necessarily having to splash out for two? I think there is lots and lots of room for us to explore what we really value and enjoy using in our routines, allowing us to eliminate products that we don't feel work or simply aren't necessary, whilst also retaining some of the enjoyment and pleasure that people get from their cosmetics and their routines. So I think in that sense, we will see people think about essential or minimalist routines, but that will vary from person to person. It won't be the same for everybody. But ultimately no product will work if it's left on a shelf. And I. I've been very guilty of this, buying sort of the new sparkly product that is advertised that you sort of think you can't live without and then it gets left behind. So, you know, ideally we all need to be thinking very carefully about our consumption and first using what we already have.

I couldn't agree more. And I think that's a rallying cry for all of us to take a good look at our bathroom shelves after listening to this podcast.

Absolutely. It's difficult. I've said this before, but I really do enjoy product and for me it's a luxury. But I do really think now about making any purchases. I know I've got a lot of products to to use up and I intend to use things up before, you know, thinking about purchasing any more. So what should beauty brands do to embrace the Age of Essentials?

Lorraine so I'd like to end this podcast by putting out a rallying cry for two major changes in the beauty industry if we truly want to embrace this Age of Essentials concept. Firstly, the mainstream cosmetics industry is finally starting to undertake significant research into sustainability. Sustainability in terms of ingredients, in terms of packaging, in terms of shipping, in terms of everything. And what we're seeing is new, innovative packaging is coming onto the market all the time, and they're finally starting to take sustainability slightly more seriously. And we talked about this in one of our previous podcasts as well on whether indie brands are falling behind. But we also looked very critically at whether the mainstream brands are doing enough. So, for instance, only a couple of years ago, l' Oreal published the results of their eco design work in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science, which was a fascinating piece of research. And actually the article is open access. That means it's publicly available and we'll include it with the show notes for this podcast. Now I want to see more information like this being made public and then filtering down to the small brands. If a multinational finds a great solution to not using plastic packaging, I think it is their responsibility, as part of their role in the industry, to invest in those packaging brands so that they can be made more widely available and then so that they can filter down to the smaller brands. Because I see a lot of the indie brands say it's not fair. I can't afford to invest in this more sustainable packaging. I think mainstream brands have a responsibility to work with the entire industry, big and small, to make this type of sustainable option more available, basically more widely available. So that's the first one. And then the second rallying cry I have is that I think low consumption beauty should become the driving force behind the industry. If we really want to take sustainability seriously, we need to be creating multipurpose formulations, beauty products that last longer. Just like you just said, could we have a two in one? Could we have a three in one? Maybe formulations that are made more efficiently in terms of resource use. And then we can lead the way to show shoppers that it isn't about endless consumption, but it's about buying the products that you need that bring you joy that are good for your skin, that don't necessarily damage your skin barrier in the process because you're using so many products at once, but actually bring back that joy of using a really well formulated beauty product that you know is going to do exactly what you want it to do. So those are my two things and I think maybe we can end the podcast on that high note because I think if we all work together then we can bring about major changes. What do you think?

Absolutely. I agree, Lorraine. I think there's so much we can be doing for the positive.

Brilliant. Well, thanks for joining me today on the podcast, Anna. It is as ever lovely to hear your input and I look forward to having you on a future podcast again.

Thanks Lorraine.

So I hope this podcast has fired you up to come and tell us on our social channels what you think. What does essential mean to you? Which beauty products can you not live without? Will you be taking a good look at your bathroom shelf after listening to our podcast? Do you agree with our discussion today or does the idea of buying fewer products fill you with horror? The Formula Botanica team and I love hearing from you, so come and tell us your views. And please do come and leave us a comment. Thank you for joining Anna and I for this latest episode of Green Beauty Conversations where we discussed the age of Essentials. I hope you enjoyed enjoyed it. Make sure you subscribe to our podcast on itunes or Spotify and stay tuned for the next episode. Follow Formula Botanica Formula Botanica on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest or LinkedIn. We are everywhere. Visit our website@formulabotanica.com and sign up for our free online formulation course today. Sam.