Natural skincare products: why less is definitely more

What the beauty movement, K-beauty, has brought to the industry may be on the, but the core principle of natural skincare products free of harsh ingredients is something that is continuing to gain pace. After all, the bar is currently set high, as according to the Environmental Working Group the average US woman uses nine products each day, which means up to 126 different ingredients in total being applied to her skin. And frankly, that is madness.

What the world, and our skin, needs is less product, but better. Instead of looking for skincare on steroids, we should be bringing natural skincare products with natural ingredients like botanical oils and more simplified routines. As, at the end of the day, our skin is our largest organ, and too much of anything is bad.

Less on our skin means less impact on our planet.

Zero Waste Week has calculated that the beauty industry produces 120 bn units of ‘stuff’ a year. That is packaging which mostly can’t be recycled. Single-use plastic is chief among the villains, alongside the unnecessary over-sized presentation cases that so much of the beauty and skincare products come in.

More and more consumers are being actively engaged in making choices in favour of ecological skincare products, and that goes beyond what is in the bottle to what is also on the outside, and the total amount of products being bought. Increasingly people want products that deliver multiple skin benefits at the same time, like moisture retention and cleansing, without having to use two products one after the other. And this consumer hunch is backed up by the science, with some dermatologists stepping forwards to say less is indeed more. Here are some key facts from WGSN and their recent report on natural skincare:

• Only 15% of us actually need to use a daily moisturiser
• Sensitive skin can't deal with the double-cleansing trend
• The more we put on our skin, the less able it is to perform its natural functions.

What used to be heavy-duty laden shelfies should soon become super-skinny, as a ‘skip-care’ mindset is making many go for a leaner diet of fewer, hard-working products with proven, natural ingredients rich in vitamins. And chief among these ingredients, enjoying a renaissance, are natural botanical oils like clary sage (reducing inflammation), rosemary (anti-oxidant), cypress (skin astringency) and pettigrain – a natural skin exfoliant. If you’re interested, take a look at our page on the skin benefits of botanical oils.  

Multi-functional skincare products

The idea of multi-functional products isn’t new. In many ways, we are simply seeing the yang to the ying of skincare-segmentation; a drive from skincare businesses to break out the individual benefits of skincare products into separate specialist products. It makes (business) sense at least! Why sell someone one product when you can sell them 5 (or more). Except when you think about the cost to your pocket and the environment.

Like other companies, we at Kairn product skincare products that do multiple jobs. Our skin lotions hydrate, soothe, protect from free radicals and infuse with antioxidants, amino acids and vitamins.  Our skin oils do the same, but also nourish and protect the skin- especially when shaving. And our skin soaps and exfoliators use natural ingredients to lightly brighten the skin and add moisture.

Less less less, not more more more

The first step on the road to change is a small one. Step back from the treadmill of ‘latest’ innovations, and move to natural classics which are good for your skin, and softer on the environment. The Kairn skincare range is natural, vegan, fully recyclable and comes packed with botanical oils and free from plastic, parabens and other nasties. Go on… give it a look.