In an effort to try this skinimalism thing, I shortened my day & night routine to four steps. I did it for a week. The most noticeable benefit was spending less time in the bathroom. Also, if I kept it up it would be less expensive. It was a struggle trying to figure out which four products to use, but by day five I had it figured out. In the morning I’d cleanse, tone, moisturize, and top it of with a chemical sunscreen. In the evening it was the same, except instead of sunscreen, I’d add an occlusive.

I didn’t notice any significant changes in my skin, which leads me to believe that I don’t need more than just four steps, but I definitely missed using serums and double cleansing. The one change I did see was my skin was drier. When I saw that, I switched sunscreens. The chemical sunscreen I use is more emollient than the mineral one. I also cheated sorta by using a facial mist throughout the day. I normally use the mist right before reapplying sunscreen, but I needed it more often. I wouldn’t make this a regular practice, but it’s nice to know that if I’m short on time, cutting out a few steps won’t ruin my progress.