Skip-care, Minimizing Skin Burden with 'Minimal Beauty' [Like It]

Skip-care, reducing the burden on the skin: Editor's pick of 8 'Minimal Beauty' products.

“simple is the best”

As minimalism spreads and more beauty brands launch campaigns with eco-friendliness as their brand soul, changes have occurred in cosmetic users' beauty routines.

Skip care, which boldly omits unnecessary skincare steps and focuses on solving skin concerns, is not a term that emerged just a year or two ago. Even over a decade ago, some beauty experts advocated for skip beauty.

A Harper's Bazaar cosmetic brand representative stated, "If you apply makeup products before the multiple layers of basic products are fully absorbed, the moisturizing ingredients in the basic products can clash with the oil and powder components of the makeup products, causing caking." They advised, "When layering multiple products, you should allow enough time for each step to be absorbed into the skin before proceeding to the next."

The brand manager of Serumkind said, "It is better to reduce cosmetic steps by using a moist base product that can serve as a foundation," and recommended, "Instead of applying multiple layers of products and over-nourishing the skin, focus on the one thing the skin truly needs."

It took a long time for this desire for skip care to become widespread. To complete skincare with a single product, a near-perfect one-item product is necessary. This requires cosmetic manufacturing technology, ideas, and a corresponding level of user awareness.

Currently, K-beauty’s technological prowess is at a 'top-class' level, leading global beauty trends, and the awareness level of K-cosmetic enthusiasts, which forms its foundation, has also rapidly grown.

The minimalist behavior of focusing on 'one' and reducing consumer goods aligns with eco-friendly campaigns that protect the Earth from environmental pollution. 'Skip beauty,' which has built an image as a conscious consumption lifestyle realizing social values, is enjoying its heyday as more users advocate for it. To prove this momentum, 'skip cosmetics' are flooding the market from mega brands to under brands.

For modern people living busy and complex lives, where five more minutes of sleep in the morning and fifteen more minutes in the evening to watch a few Netflix episodes are precious, skip beauty offers a small luxury of leisure.

Sharing the life of the typical millennial, the reporter is currently deeply immersed in skip beauty. Here are eight 'skip beauty items' personally tested and carefully selected by the reporter.

In these gloomy times worldwide due to COVID-19, let's enjoy the greatest beauty with minimal simplicity, escaping complexity.

"Simple is the beauty"

Skip Beauty for Minimalists Who Want Firmness

High-concentration Skip Beauty. (From left) Ellove ‘Dual Balance Capsule Ampoule & Water Balance Cream’, ‘Dual Blooming Capsule Ampoule & Hydra Vitalizing Cream’, Harper's Bazaar Cosmetic ‘Skin Fit Aqua Primer’, Serendibeauty ‘Red Propolis Perfect Makeup Starter’, Serumkind ‘Black Blossom Drop’, AHC ‘Time Rewind Real Eye Cream for Face’.

A clear serum that delivers firmness and subtle glow

This delicate serum in a pretty glass bottle, apricot beige in color, surprisingly has a firm and elastic texture. When applied at night, it absorbs deep into the skin, and upon waking, you can feel the skin’s noticeably more supple texture. Applying it after makeup on the cheekbones and forehead can also create a subtle glow. Serumkind’s main product, 'Black Blossom Drop,' is a highly concentrated barrier serum containing 10,000 ppm of powder extracted from Dutch black tulips, which strengthens and balances the compromised skin barrier. Serumkind is a brand that pursues 'clean and vegan beauty' and uses eco-friendly packaging. Serumkind Black Blossom Drop. 30㎖ 43,000 KRW

A whipped cream primer good enough to skip foundation

As the world’s first fashion magazine with 150 years of tradition, Harper's Bazaar launched this cosmetic product with high expectations. Primers mainly function to cover pores, so most have thick or matte textures and require delicate and careful application. However, Harper's Bazaar Cosmetic’s primer has a whipped cream-like light and fluffy texture full of air, making it easy to apply. It also has a tone-up function that brightens the complexion. On days when you want light makeup, you don’t need to apply foundation separately. It doesn’t transfer at all, making it an excellent makeup item for these times when masks must be worn. Harper's Bazaar Cosmetic Skin Fit Aqua Primer. 50g 52,000 KRW.

Premium triangular ampoule & cylindrical cream chosen by Glowpick

The unique package consists of a light pink triangular capsule ampoule on top and a white cream filled at the bottom. The oil-type ampoule is hygienic as it comes in single-use capsule form and uses plant-based eco-friendly materials that dissolve in water. The Dual Balance Capsule Ampoule & Water Balance Cream contains jojoba seed oil as the main ingredient, helping with sebum control, moisturizing, anti-inflammation, and oil-water balance. The Dual Blooming Capsule Ampoule & Hydra Vitalizing Cream contains camellia seed oil and apple seed oil, providing softness and elasticity to dry and rough skin. Notably, the Dual Blooming Capsule Ampoule & Hydra Vitalizing Cream ranked first in the cream category on the beauty review platform 'Glowpick.' Ellev Dual Balance Capsule Ampoule & Water Balance Cream, Dual Blooming Capsule Ampoule & Hydra Vitalizing Cream. 0.27g*60, 50㎖ 73,000 KRW.

High ingredients, low price! '3 in One' base

Serendibeauty Makeup Starter contains 30,000 ppm of red propolis collected by bees from the red sap of a tree native only to Brazil. Red propolis is a premium ingredient more difficult to source than regular propolis. This '3 in 1 base' not only tones up but also provides sun protection (SPF50+) and refines skin texture. Its creamy and smooth texture spreads quickly and softly. For busy mornings, if you want speedy makeup with an all-in-one base and a budget-friendly price, Serendibeauty Makeup Starter is recommended. Serendibeauty Red Propolis Perfect Makeup Starter. 30㎖ 25,000 KRW.

The home shopping king, 8th renewal! The national eye cream

Almost everyone knows AHC’s eye cream, a home shopping staple called the national eye cream. Released in January this year, 'Time Rewind Real Eye Cream for Face' is AHC’s 8th renewed eye cream. The ingredients have been steadily upgraded, and the content gradually increased, making AHC eye cream the king of eye creams. Compared to season 7, it contains three times more 100% human-like collagen, and the particle size is 30% smaller thanks to an ultra-fine manufacturing method. Managing the entire face and neck line with just one eye cream makes it a reliable single-care beauty item. AHC Time Rewind Real Eye Cream for Face. 30㎖ 20,000 KRW.

Skip Beauty for Minimalists Who Want Freshness

Sticky → Moist, the milky cream toner that has it all

As its name suggests, this is a milky white, translucent toner. When first seen in the palm, Rootree Cream Toner appeared as a milky white, water-like texture. Could this clear toner alone be enough to finish skincare? The doubt disappeared the moment it was dispensed onto the palm. Containing mucin extracted from yam and lotus root, it applies sticky (stretchy) on the skin but settles without stickiness. Mucin, a mucus-type ingredient, forms a natural skin barrier, preventing foreign substances and effectively moisturizing. This toner from the natural organic cosmetic brand Rootree has 99% of its ingredients rated green for safety by EWG (Environmental Working Group). Rootree Phytoground Deep Comfort Cream Toner. 350㎖ 39,000 KRW.

For going out bare-faced! Complexion-improving black tea essence

Everyone’s dream is to have a clear bare face. Darjeeling Black Tea Essence is a complexion-improving essence that brightens dull skin, containing 63% black tea extract. Grandidee uses only Darjeeling, one of the world’s top three teas, specifically SFTGFOP1 grade including young leaves. Also, instead of finely ground tea leaves, it uses whole leaf processed tea, which has up to 30 times higher antioxidant effects. This essence is an oil-layer separated type that is shaken before use, maintaining moisture for a long time with just one product. Grandidee Darjeeling Black Tea Brightening Essence. 146㎖ 51,000 KRW.

Refreshing multi-care! Flower water refresh all-purpose toner

If sticky and heavy skincare feels burdensome, An’s Refresh Toner is recommended. It is sufficient not only before morning makeup but also as evening skincare. Instead of purified water, An’s toner contains a whopping 87.4% chamomile flower water, making it even fresher. This light toner alone helps with skin trouble relief, soothing, inner dryness improvement, and oil-water balance. It can be wiped off with a cotton pad, patted into the skin with palms, or used as a mist or soaked gauze for a soothing pack, making it an all-purpose toner. An Chamomile Mild Refresh Toner. 160㎖ 32,000 KRW.

From the 30th, a 'Skip Beauty Regram Event' will be held on the 'Likit' Instagram. This event will open in a relay format by brand and continue until the end of April. Readers who win the event will receive skip cosmetics carefully selected by Likit. Detailed information about the event will be announced on the 'Likit' website on the day.

Photo = Each brand, Reporter Kim Taeyoon