Overwhelmed By Your Skincare Routine? Here's How to Simplify It

Serums, masks, mists, oils and acids. Ten-step routines and glass-skin tutorials. Exhausted from just reading that sentence? If so, you’re not alone.

Despite our feelings of fatigue, the beauty world, with its constant stream of product newness and routine hacks—all offering a one-way ticket to skincare nirvana—can be hard to ignore. But, in the words of Avril Lavigne, "Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?"

Reality is, many of us are feeling frustrated by the over-complication of our beauty routines. We need to take stock on what we’ve already got stashed away in our drawers and cupboards and focus on simplifying what we have in our skincare kit, so that we’re left with the freedom to enjoy the ritual, rather than feeling overwhelmed or fatigued by the potentially unnecessary, multi-step chaos. (In related news, here are the only ten items you should have in your bathroom.)

Thankfully it’s entirely possible to simplify your skincare routine without having to sacrifice your dreams of achieving newborn-worthy skin. Below, we've pulled together a list of easy fixes and simple swaps you can make for both a calmer disposition and complexion. If you are looking to add something new to your routine, be sure to clear out the clutter first and then browse our range of beauty essentials available to shop now. Keep reading for our tips.

Assess the lie of the land

Whether you’re dealing with an overwhelming amount of products or simply a mismatched routine, take some time to assess your current skincare situation and consider how it got to be. If you’ve got a bad habit of picking up new products before you’ve finished what you’re currently using, try to curb that by only allowing yourself one or two products per category in rotation. You should also take stock of any unopened products you’ve got in the wings, so you know exactly where you do (and definitely don’t) need to add moving forward.

Secondly, take some time to identify the products you use regularly. These aren’t the items your fantasy self uses, or that cult serum you cost you $100+ (that ends up giving you breakouts)—these are the things you always repurchase and intend to use to the very last drop. Some hyper-focus will allow you to separate your products into a realistic and more simplified routine.

Consider your skincare goals

Just like a healthy body, healthy skin is often best achieved through a consistent approach. So, while there’s not necessarily anything wrong with a laborious regime (as long as you’re not exacerbating any skin sensitivities), the majority of us are more likely to follow through, when our routines are simple, quick and enjoyable. That’s why it’s important to narrow in on your individual skincare goals and what you’re actually looking to achieve.

If you’re obsessed with having an even skin tone but couldn’t care less about breakouts or wrinkles, then there’s no point dedicating a large portion of your routine to targeting those problems. Instead, focus on your key skin concerns and the products that will be more effective for them. This will allow you to utilise these products consistently, ultimately creating more significant changes in your skin long term. Trust us, even if your shelves are stocked with some of the best skin care products around, they will only be effective if you actually use them consistently enough to see results before they hit their expiry date.

Introduce multi-tasking products

If you’re really looking to simplify, investing in multi-tasking or multi-use products can be the perfect solution when it comes to streamlining. Replacing multiple functions or steps with a single product will not only visually simplify your routine (plus, let’s not forget about how easy packing will be) but will also save you money and help cut down on environmental waste in the long term. Finding a product you love with multiple uses—for example; a body oil that doubles as hair oil and an in-shower moisturiser—will ensure you’ll always use that product up to the last drop and nothing goes to waste.

Visually streamline your routine

While cultivating an aesthetically pleasing regime shouldn’t ever be the aim of the game, visually streamlining and reducing clutter can go a long way in changing how you feel about your skincare routine. If you’re short of time in the morning, trying to get ready in an unorganised situation that involves rifling through drawers, just to find your moisturiser, will only add to feeling overwhelmed. Similarly, if you find yourself exhausted by bedtime, and your evening routine isn’t easily accessible, it’s unlikely you’ll muster the energy or effort to get it done.

Visually streamlining could be as simple as separating the products you use daily from those you only access once a week. Or, it could be as in-depth as organising your routine by night and day, product type or writing out your routine step-by-step. All of this will allow you to be more present, rather than having to worry about what product you’ll try next or when you last used your favourite serum.

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