You DON'T Need these 11 Skincare Products!
There are countless skincare products out there, but it can be confusing to figure out which ones are absolutely necessary in your routine and which ones are optional. Here are some products that we feel are just a bonus to your routine, but not essential.
#1 Essence
Essence is basically a hydrator. It’s marketed purpose is to prep your skin for the next step in your routine. BUT as long as your skin is damp from a fresh cleanse or from a splash of water, your skin will be ready to absorb the next products in your routine without the help of an essence. That said, if you love the luxuriousness of a long skincare routine, then go for it!
#2 Toner
The purpose of a toner is to balance your skin’s pH levels (the ideal range is 4.8-6). But as long as you’re not over-stripping your skin with harsh cleansers and exfoliators, then toner really isn’t necessary. However, we do make an exception for “treatment” toners with ingredients like salicylic acid or glycolic acid.
#3 Micellar Water
Unless you wore especially heavy makeup that day, a proper double cleanse that starts with an oil or balm cleanser followed by a gel or cream cleanser should get rid of all your makeup without the added assistance of a micellar water.
#4 Eye Cream
In our opinion, eye cream is just a re-packaged version of moisturizer, so it’s not necessary to buy a separate eye cream.
#5 Pore-Reducing Products
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you can’t change your pore size. So any product that claims to do so is selling false hope. The size of your pores is mostly due to genetics, age, and sun damage. That said, you can change the way your pores appear by keeping your pores clear of dirt and oil with regular facials and exfoliating products. A good retinol is also essential as its the only product proven to boost collagen production which will help keep your pore structure in tact.
#6 Face Oils
Face oils just aren’t necessary and they might be doing more harm than good. We have a whole video about why here.
#7 Face Masks
Face masks really are just luxury products. If you have a quality skincare routine with the right active ingredients, then you really don’t need the extra step of a face mask.
#8 Specialized Creams
Just like eye creams, specialized creams for your neck, hands, feet, and more are mostly just marketing. Bring your face creams and serums down to your neck and chest and your usual body moisturizer will work just fine on your hands and feet.
#9 Cellulite and Stretch Mark Creams
Speaking of specialized creams, skincare products marketed towards cellulite and stretch marks rarely ever product significant longterm results. Ingredients like caffeine might temporarily reduce their appearance, but these concerns can really only be treated with medical grade devices like lasers.
#10 Lip Scrubs
We’re not the biggest fans of physical exfoliators, they tend to be too harsh and can leave microtears on the skin. You especially want to skip lip scrubs because the skin on your lips is super delicate. Over exfoliating might even make the dry, flaky lips worse! Instead, use a warm washcloth and gently sweep it across your lips to remove any flakiness.
#11 Humectant Serum
Humectant serums like hyaluronic acid tend to be unnecessary because most skincare products already contain humectants. There’s only so much your skin can take! Everything else is just excess.
Watch this video to get a full explanation on why you don’t need these skincare products!
