The trend of Skinimalism (aka Skin Minimalism) has been an up-and-comer since 2020, but has grown and become more prominent than ever during the pandemic and 2021 specifically. With less time out socializing, people have found they don’t use as much makeup, if any at all, and are enjoying the freedom that comes with this. Skincare and skin treatments, however, have been on the rise, as people now have the time and money to invest into their skin. People could also take advantage of face masks and lockdowns to hide the downtime of a laser treatment, or the aftermath of a face peel.According to Pinterest Predicts, #Skinimalism is the new #GlowUp. It is about “the end of the caked-on makeup look.†Skinimalism and feeling confident in loving the skin that you're in is how 8 West Cosmetic Surgery & Skin Clinic views medical aesthetics, so we are definitely all on board with the #Skinimalism train.Like most internet trends, these do have the potential to make people think that there is one single way to achieve Skinimalism, and there are a lot of opinions out there in the form of TikToks, YouTube Videos, Instagram Reels, and what have you. While Skinimalism fundamentally is great on paper, and it's something that should extend past a brief internet trend and not be based on what another person is doing fo their skin. It is important that you do seek out professional skin advice when it comes to your skin, and develop a customized treatment plan and skincare routine that is tailor-made for your skin.Everyone has their own take on Skinimalism, and our take on this is that it isn’t so much about doing less for your skin. Skinimalism for us is more about making your skin work for you so that you can feel confident in embracing a natural look, and don't need to rely on as much make-up any longer. How this is achieved is by focussing on building a strong foundation for your skin health. The reality about this though is that everyone’s skin is unique, and everyone has a different starting point, and concerns they wish to address.So let’s breaks down the steps to Skinimalism with 8 West Clinic, based solely from a medical-grade skin aesthetics point of view, and give you some tips on how to achieve your very own #Skinimalism lifestyle through medical-grade skincare and medical-grade treatments.
Possibly our favourite part of Skinimaslism is about tossing out the idea of “Perfect Skin.†In a world with so much diversity, with every human being so wonderfully different and unique, there is no “perfect†way to be. In fact, the term and idea of “perfection†is an incredibly unrealistic, unachievable and damaging one - as it is literally unobtainable. We instead want to replace it with the idea of “Healthier Skin.†What Healthy Skin is about is unique to you, it's completely subjective to the person, and it’s about working to strengthen the layers of your skin, increasing collagen and elastin production, and protecting your skin from damage. To use the recent pandemic as a relevant, albeit odd analogy - we can’t guarantee perfect health for all, but we can introduce a series of measures (i.e. masks, social distancing, vaccines) to protect and maintain personal health and safety.To borrow from the grandfather of Skincare, and founder of ZO Skin Health, Dr. Zein Obagi, he compares the standard of ideal, healthy skin to that of a newborn baby - “because all of the cells work exactly how they should in a newborn.†To bring us back full circle, we know that it’s impossible to restore our skin to that of a newborn baby - as humans our body ages, and that is part of the beauty of life. What can we do though is work to make our skin healthier? What can be done to make our skin and their cells work how they should? Well, this is where our pandemic analogy comes in. We can’t guarantee and achieve 100% perfect skin all of our life, but we can utilize a number of tools at our disposal to keep our skin as healthy and protected as possible. The tools we are talking about are of course medical-grade skincare, and medical-grade skin treatments.
So the first question you may be asking is, "where do I start?" Your best bet in starting your own Skinimalism journey is to find a reputable skin clinic and have a consultation with a medical aesthetician and skin expert. Most clinics, such as ours, usually provide a complimentary skin consultation, so an expert can assess your skin and provide you with the best advice to get your skin ready.8 West Cosmetic Surgery and Skin Clinic is lead by dual-board certified Facial Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Thomas Buonassisi, who has hand-picked our incredibly experienced medical aesthetics team.During your consultation with a skin expert you will discuss your skin, concerns and goals, and they will provide a customized skincare routine and treatment plan for you. The importance of this is to utilize their extensive knowledge of skin, skin conditions, and the relevant treatments to correctly address any skin issues you may be experiencing. For example, a patient may have skin that breaks out and reacts poorly to most skincare products and therefore they think that they just have sensitive skin, and avoid more potent skincare products. What really could be going on is that they have damaged skin, and when exposed to stronger products, will get irritated and break out. From there, a treatment plan would be created to treat the damage and repair the skin, bringing it to a healthy level that can tolerate more potent and beneficial skincare products.While skincare products are beneficial in achieving Skinimalism, they do only work on the uppermost layers of the skin. While you can see great changes and benefits to your skin with products, the key to a strong foundation for healthier skin is found deeper, in the dermis layer of the skin.
During your Skinimalism journey, you may be introduced to resurfacing treatments to combat common conditions that cannot be treated solely with medical-grade skincare. These work to greatly restore and stimulate collagen and elastin for healthier, stronger skin, while also having the ability to target specific skin concerns and damage. Some examples of these concerns are:
- Acne scarring
- Acne
- Pigmentation
- Fine lines
- Large pores
- Uneven skin tone, texture or redness
Treatments such as Halo™ Hybrid Fractional Laser, ProFractional Laser, TRL Contouring, Broadband Light therapy (BBL/IPL), and Microneedling can be used to achieve amazing results in combatting these conditions. For example, someone with acne scarring will likely have a treatment plan based around ProFractional Laser to resurface the skin, stimulate collagen and leave smoother, clearer skin. In the hands of a true specialist, they will develop a customized treatment plan for you, often using different machines in tandem with one another to target multiple areas and layers of the skin, and get your skin cells working the way they should.As mentioned, everyone’s skin is completely unique and the goal here is to get your skin healthy and working for you, and should be customized accordingly. The beauty of these resurfacing treatments is that they are designed to get you where you need to go. They are designed to rebuild collagen deep in the skin by stimulating your body’s natural healing process, and get your skin working towards your very own Skinimalism life
As we have mentioned, everyone's skin is different, and Skinimalism is all about quality over quantity. There is no target number for how many products to get your routine down to, just to ensure that the products you are using are each intentional, and doing the maximum for your skin.Our take on Skinimalism isn't about reducing the products in your cabinet so you can take a simple #shelfie for Instagram. It's about helping you about develop an informed and positive relationship between you and your skin. It's about increasing your confidence in the skin you're in, and getting you to a point where you want to show off your natural glowing skin.While it would be nice to be able to wave a magic wand and never have to worry about our skin again, Skinimalism and healthy skin is an ongoing journey in protecting and correcting your skin. This may include semi-regular Hydrafacials or Medical-Grade peels to give your skin a boost, or even an annual laser treatment to keep the skin always working. As usual though, this is something best discussed with a skin expert for ideal results.Our aim for Skinimalism is to get your skin to a point where you feel like you don't need to use make-up to hide the usual doubts that you may notice or feel. You may still wish to use make-up for fun, or to hide any skin woes, but Skinimalism is about reducing the frequency of these woes so that you can embrace the skin you're in more often. A great tip for Skinimalism and make-up is that we suggest finding a gentle mineral makeup that includes a physical sunblock. Colorescience is a wonderful brand that proves high-quality mineral make-up with UV protection. Their award-winning Sunforgettable Total Protection Brush on Shield is a light powder foundation that is easy to apply and provides an SPF of 50. If you are comfortable and happy with your skin and do not wish to use any foundations or powders, then all we suggest from here is to find a good sunscreen for your skin to help protect it from sun damage.
As we have said, everyone's skin is unique, even among the same skin types. Someone with oily skin may find a product that works perfect for them, but not for someone else with the same oily skin type. At the end of the day, your skin is beautiful, because it is 100% you, down to the cells. Skinimalism is about embracing your natural beauty, and using the tools at your disposal to being out your best self and glow from the inside out.8 West Cosmetic Surgery & Skin Clinic focusses on 360 degree, less-is-more approach when it comes to skin and aesthetics. We are dedicated to results, ongoing education, gold standard technology, and best-in-class skincare, while remaining grounded in compassion and empathy. We want to get to know you and your skin as one, and how we can make sure that we are helping you get the most out of your treatments and skincare. While the Skinimalism is a trend, the philosophy behind it aligns with that of 8 West Clinic, our staff, medical aestheticians, injectors and our surgeon, Dr. Thomas Buonassisi. Because we believe that people deserve nothing but the best for their skin, and the best doesn't always need to mean the most.If you would like to book a complimentary skin consultation with our experienced and talented medical aestheticians and skin specialists, please call (604) 733-1669 or complete this form.
