Editorial Illustration for Vice
The Rise of the Minimalist Skincare Routine
Reported by Marie Solis
pub. May 6, 2019
Read the article here
“K-Beauty began to secure a foothold in American markets around 2015, when the export value of Korean beauty products to the United States climbed by 60 percent compared to the year before. One of its most popular exports was a 10-step skincare routine, which involves, in this precise order: an oil cleanser, a foam or cream cleanser, a toner, an essence, an emulsion, a serum, a sheet mask, eye cream, moisturizer, and, finally, sunscreen…
According to a widely cited 2017 survey from the skincare retailer SkinStore, the average American woman spends about $2,900 a year on skincare and makeup, and replaces her products about every three months.
The skincare industry is still thriving and projected to scale. But there are signs of growing discontents: Women like Hinz, who once bought into the mainstream mythologies surrounding skincare wholesale, have begun to question the merits of such elaborate routines, and wonder whether they’re doing more harm than good to their skin—or if the products have any effect at all.”