Sorry Skincare Fans, Your 11-Step Routine Is Actually Doing More Harm Than Good

Although my love of skincare usually knows no bounds (cleansers, exfoliators, toners, moisturisers, serums, hyaluronic acid, retinol, I'm looking at you), at one point or another the 11-step skincare routine got a little overwhelming.

Despite having the extra time on my hands to actually perfect each step of my 11-step skincare routine, it's getting harder and harder to see the point. On the one hand, nobody will be able to see my glowing efforts. On the other, despite wearing less makeup somehow my skin is only getting worse and lathering on 10+ products is the last thing my broken out skin needs.

Cue skip-care. 

The latest millennial skincare trend to emerge from beauty mecca Korea, Skip-Care is all about giving your regime a much-needed detox aka literally skipping products. Think Marie Kondo but for your moisturiser.

Although just as trendy and effective, skip-care doesn't mean skipping out on products entirely. Instead, it involves paring down your product and ingredient load to only a few overachieving essentials. It’s going back to basics and using a select number of powerful products that offer a multitude of skin benefits without sacrificing any efficacy.

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It might sound obvious but with more and more skincare categories making their way into our daily application process, our skin is silently suffering.  Curious about it myself, I felt it was time to consult an expert about skip-care, including how it works and how to do it right.

"People are using far too many products these days," says Susan Fox, aesthetician and says Susan Fox, owner of Eden Beauty Group.  "I've had so many clients coming to my clinic with extremely damaged skin because quite simply they have overworked their skin." 

So what products are worth skipping out on? "Peeling is the biggest skincare skin," explains Fox. "Your skin as a natural barrier to protect itself so if you're exfoliating it, then peeling it and scrubbing on top of that, you either strip the skin completely of the oils and microorganisms it needs to function or your skin will try to counteract the damage and therefore produce excessive sebum which leads to breakouts and congested skin." 

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'Skip-care' also known as 'skin fasting' maybe herald as the latest skincare trend from Korea. But really, dermatologists have been preaching this simplistic approach to skincare for years.

"In skincare – as in life – sometimes less is more," says Fox. "My clients are always shocked at how few products I recommend." 

There's a reason, 'cleanse, tone and moisturise' is such a well-known phrase. Many believe three steps is all you need to maintain healthy skin, and it just depends on your skin type as to which slight tweaks you may make. 

"Everyone needs a good cleanser, serum, moisturiser, SPF and eye cream," advises Fox. "You can exfoliate once a week but never more than that." 

While you might be tempted to chuck all your beloved skincare products in the bin and embrace the skip-care trend for good, Fox tells us to take things slow and start by gradually reducing the amount of skincare you use each day.

Fewer products means a shorter routine and more time for Netflix, so count me in.