EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SLOW BEAUTY + SKINIMALISM
One of my first blog posts was about natural products I use and love, and three years later, I'm coming back with an updated list and all the reasons why. The pandemic and quarantine forced a lot of us to slow down, which definitely made me more conscious of what I'm consuming and how I'm consuming. It's also made me reconsider what's actually essential in my everyday life, especially when it comes to my beauty routine. So, what's slow beauty, and how is it the new clean beauty? Slow beauty, like slow fashion, is about investing in products that have been crafted using sustainable methods and intelligently sourced ingredients. It's a movement and philosophy to help people develop a sustainable self-care practice grounded in nature, health and wellness.
For the past year, I've been making an effort to return to a slower, more simple beauty and self-care practice, putting an emphasis on the essentials rather than a 12-step routine. I found that this mindful approach combats the fact-paced lifestyle and quick-fix options we're all so used to. Slow beauty not only helps me maintain my physical well-being but also my psychological and spiritual well-being. It's what happens when you let your skin breathe, take the time to properly give yourself an at-home spa experience, play with your natural hair texture and invest in quality products vs. what's trending. It's about using beauty as a means of connection – to others, to rituals and to yourself.
Slow beauty will look different for everyone, but the key is to identify what you really need to nourish yourself. What feels soothing, supportive and life-affirming for you? We're constantly bombarded with beauty products that claim to "revive," "rejuvenate" and "fix" our skin, but these products don't actually offer sustainable solutions. Slow beauty takes a step back from the beauty industry's quick fixes that promise overnight results. (The skin renews itself every 28 to 42 days, so the "secret sauce" promising overnight results that the beauty industry is trying to sell you doesn't actually exist!)
Slow beauty and skinimalism go hand-in-hand. As slow beauty encourages a more holistic approach to taking care of your skin and your overall wellbeing, skinimalism is skincare-related minimalism that's all about going back to the basics. This means simplifying and streamlining your beauty routine, embracing your skin's natural texture and investing in clean beauty products with natural ingredients for a good glow.
When it comes to the environment, the beauty industry has been a significant contributor to the trash that ends up in landfills. Personal care and beauty products are estimated to make up for about 1/3 of all landfill waste, and as much as we try to recycle and reuse, only 31% of plastic waste is actually successfully recycled. The slow beauty movement raises questions as to how ingredients are sourced and the overall impact it has on the environment, but it also advocates for sustainable and responsible packaging as well. Over the years, the beauty industry has become more eco-friendly with its packaging, but as consumers, we have the power to reduce waste and carbon footprints by stripping back our beauty regimes.
Featured Image: @beautiliciousc
