The Beauty of Doing Less: 2025 Reflection Edition
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As we close out 2025, I find myself reflecting on a year that fundamentally changed my relationship with beauty. Not because of a revolutionary new product or groundbreaking technique, but because I learned something radical: less is not just more—it's everything. This is my reflection on a year of doing less and discovering more.
Where It Started
At the beginning of 2025, my bathroom looked like a beauty store exploded. Drawers overflowing with half-used serums, shelves lined with products I'd bought because of TikTok, a routine so complicated I needed a spreadsheet to track it. I was spending over an hour daily on beauty, hundreds of dollars monthly on products, and somehow, my skin looked worse than ever.
I was exhausted. Not just physically from the time commitment, but mentally from the constant pressure to do more, buy more, be more. Every scroll through social media showed me another product I "needed," another step I was missing, another way I was failing at beauty.
Something had to change.
The Experiment
In January, I made a decision: for one month, I would use only five products. Total. For my entire face and body. No new purchases, no matter how tempting. Just five products to see what would happen.
The products I chose:
- A gentle cleanser
- A simple moisturizer with SPF
- A night cream
- A multi-purpose balm
- One treatment serum (I chose retinol)
That's it. No toner, no essence, no eye cream, no masks, no oils, no mists. Just five products.
The First Week: Panic
The first few days were genuinely anxiety-inducing. My hand kept reaching for products that weren't there. I felt like I was neglecting my skin, like I was doing something wrong. Surely five products couldn't be enough?
I missed the ritual of my 10-step routine. I missed the feeling of "doing something" for my skin. The simplicity felt almost lazy, like I wasn't trying hard enough.
Week Two: Adjustment
By week two, something shifted. My skin started to calm down. The redness I'd attributed to "sensitivity" began to fade. Those small bumps on my forehead? Clearing up. My skin barrier, which I'd been unknowingly compromising with too many actives, started to repair itself.
I also noticed I had time. So much time. My morning routine went from 45 minutes to 5 minutes. I could sleep later, eat breakfast, actually enjoy my coffee instead of rushing.
Week Three: Revelation
This is when it clicked: my complicated routine wasn't helping my skin—it was hurting it. All those products I thought I needed were actually creating the problems I was trying to solve. The over-exfoliation was causing sensitivity. The layering of too many actives was causing irritation. The constant product switching was preventing my skin from finding balance.
My skin looked better with five products than it ever had with fifty.
Week Four: Liberation
By the end of January, I felt free. Free from the pressure to keep up with trends. Free from the guilt of unused products. Free from the anxiety of complicated routines. Free from the constant feeling that I wasn't doing enough.
I decided to extend the experiment indefinitely.
What I Learned Throughout 2025
1. Your Skin Doesn't Need That Much
The beauty industry has convinced us that we need dozens of products for healthy skin. We don't. Skin needs cleansing, hydration, protection, and occasionally, treatment. That's it. Everything else is extra.
2. Consistency Beats Complexity
A simple routine you do every day is infinitely more effective than an elaborate routine you do sporadically. Consistency is the secret ingredient, not the number of products.
3. Your Skin Barrier Is Everything
When I stopped bombarding my skin with actives and focused on barrier support, everything improved. Texture, tone, hydration, even breakouts. A healthy barrier is the foundation of healthy skin.
4. Marketing Creates Needs That Don't Exist
I didn't need separate eye cream, neck cream, hand cream, and body cream. I needed one good moisturizer and one multi-purpose balm. The beauty industry profits from creating increasingly specific "needs."
5. Time Is Precious
The hours I spent on elaborate beauty routines were hours I could have spent sleeping, reading, connecting with loved ones, or simply resting. Time is the most valuable thing we have, and I was wasting it on unnecessary steps.
6. Minimalism Is Sustainable
Fewer products means less waste, less packaging, less environmental impact. It also means less money spent, less clutter, less mental load. Minimalism in beauty is better for you and the planet.
7. Confidence Comes From Within
I thought my elaborate routine was building confidence, but it was actually creating dependency. Real confidence came when I simplified and realized I didn't need all those products to feel good about myself.
The Ripple Effects
My Makeup Changed
With better skin from a simpler routine, I needed less makeup. I stopped wearing foundation daily. I embraced my natural texture. My makeup routine became as minimal as my skincare.
My Spending Changed
I calculated that I spent over $3,000 on beauty products in 2024. In 2025, with my minimalist approach, I spent less than $500. That's $2,500 saved—money I put toward experiences instead of products.
My Mental Health Improved
The mental load of tracking products, researching ingredients, following trends, and maintaining complicated routines was exhausting. Simplifying my beauty routine reduced my overall stress and anxiety.
My Values Shifted
I started questioning consumerism in other areas of my life. If I didn't need 50 skincare products, did I need 30 pairs of shoes? A closet full of clothes I never wore? The minimalism spread.
What My Routine Looks Like Now
Morning (2 minutes)
- Rinse with water or gentle cleanser
- Moisturizer with SPF
- Lip balm
Evening (3 minutes)
- Cleansing balm
- Treatment serum (retinol 3x/week, niacinamide other nights)
- Night cream
- Lip balm
Weekly (5 minutes)
- Gentle exfoliation (once per week)
- Hydrating mask (when my skin feels dry)
That's it. Five daily products, two weekly treatments. My skin has never looked better.
The Challenges
FOMO
The fear of missing out on new products is real. Every time a new launch goes viral, there's a pull to try it. I've learned to pause and ask: "Do I actually need this, or am I just caught up in the hype?"
Social Pressure
In a culture obsessed with elaborate routines and product hauls, minimalism can feel like you're not trying hard enough. I've had to build confidence in my choices despite external pressure.
Breaking Old Habits
Shopping for beauty products was a hobby, a stress relief, a form of self-care. Finding new ways to care for myself without buying things took time and intention.
What I'm Taking Into 2026
The One-In-One-Out Rule
If I want to try a new product, something else has to go. This prevents accumulation and forces me to be intentional about what I bring into my routine.
The 30-Day Wait
When I want to buy something, I wait 30 days. If I still want it after a month, I consider it. Usually, the urge passes.
Quality Over Quantity
With fewer products, I can afford to invest in higher quality. I choose products with clean ingredients, sustainable packaging, and proven efficacy.
Mindful Consumption
Every purchase is intentional. I ask: Do I need this? Will I use it? Does it align with my values? If the answer to any question is no, I don't buy it.
Advice for Anyone Considering Simplifying
Start Small
You don't have to go from 20 products to 5 overnight. Start by eliminating one product. Then another. Gradually simplify until you find your sweet spot.
Give It Time
Your skin needs time to adjust. Don't judge the results after three days. Give it at least a month to see how your skin responds to simplification.
Focus on Basics
Cleanse, hydrate, protect. These are the non-negotiables. Everything else is optional. Build from this foundation.
Ignore the Noise
Social media will tell you that you need the latest serum, the newest device, the trending ingredient. You don't. Trust your skin, not the algorithm.
Embrace Imperfection
Your skin doesn't need to be perfect. Texture, pores, occasional breakouts—these are normal. Simplifying means accepting your skin as it is while supporting its health.
The Bigger Picture
This year taught me that the beauty of doing less extends far beyond skincare. It's a philosophy that applies to all of life:
- Less consumption, more contentment
- Less complexity, more clarity
- Less striving, more being
- Less external validation, more internal confidence
- Less doing, more living
In a world that constantly tells us we need more—more products, more steps, more effort, more perfection—choosing less is radical. It's countercultural. It's liberating.
My 2025 Beauty Manifesto
As I reflect on this year, here's what I know to be true:
- Simple is not lazy—it's intentional
- Minimal is not boring—it's refined
- Less is not lacking—it's abundant
- Enough is not settling—it's wisdom
I don't need 50 products to have beautiful skin. I don't need an hour-long routine to practice self-care. I don't need to follow every trend to be beautiful. I just need to show up consistently with a few good products and a lot of self-acceptance.
Looking Forward
As we move into 2026, I'm committed to continuing this journey of less. Not because minimalism is trendy (though it is), but because it's transformed my relationship with beauty, with myself, and with consumption.
I'm done chasing perfection through products. I'm done believing that more is better. I'm done letting the beauty industry dictate my worth.
Instead, I'm choosing simplicity. I'm choosing sustainability. I'm choosing self-acceptance. I'm choosing less.
And in doing less, I've found more: more time, more money, more peace, more confidence, more joy. The beauty of doing less isn't just about skincare—it's about reclaiming your life from the tyranny of more.
Here's to a 2026 of continued simplicity, intentionality, and the radical act of being enough, exactly as we are.